Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association
www.nimra.org.uk

 

122 on the final night, 118 complete series, 274 different runners ? a record breaking Hill & Dale S

Mon 20 June 2005 - Bogboy

The traditional Friday night for the 11th and final race of the www.mountainandwater.com 2005 Hill & Dale series did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the runners with a record number of 122 turning up for the steep climbs of Donard Forest. It was a very pleasant evening, the height of summer, midges galore, but maybe not just as bad as previous years and still some scores to settle. Series champion for the second year in a row, Newcastle AC?s Alan McKibben wasn?t around that is until he appeared like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn at almost half past the hour and proceeded to set off at breakneck speed into the forest. Club mate Deon McNeilly, North Belfast?s Neil Carty and BARF?s Simon Taylor were to the fore in the chasing group. In the ladies race, Newcastle AC?s Kerry Harty, also champion for the second year in a row was up against Northern Ireland qualified Clare McKenna who is based in Middleton in Greater Manchester and runs for Horwich RMI. Also in the race and seeking to wrap up the Ladies Veteran 40 title was Anne Sandford whose closest opposition in this category comes from club mate Alwynne Shannon. Harty started at her usual fast pace and opened a gap on McKenna who in turn was pulling clear of Sandford. The closest race of the night had a bearing on the junior title with Mid-Ulster?s Jonathan McCloy looking to win to make it a hat trick of titles, with Newcastle?s Adam Mitten looking for a win to equal McCloy on points. Mitten was beaten well at Meelbeg Meelmore last week and was looking to make amends this time. McKibben reached the top on the shoulder above the Ballagh and the Quarry well clear of McNeilly and Carty. No one was going to stop him tonight and he buzzed home in 31 minutes and 19 seconds only 12 seconds outside his course record from last year. Carty and McNeilly battled it out all the way before McNeilly finally stretched away to make second by 13 seconds. After much talk of more course-marking being needed in the narrow downhill trail section in the Wood, the scribe, in fourth place at the time, having just moved passed Ed Hanna, who waited to be shown the way down, promptly missed a right turn that eventually cost the both of them 1 minute and four places. They weren?t the only ones to detour in the Wood, which made the final results of this race a little different than expected. Meanwhile, McCloy was running as strongly and pulling away with each kilometre from Mitten. He came home to a resounding victory in 13th overall in 35 minutes and 32 seconds just over a minute clear to take a hat trick of titles. Harty smashed her own record by over one minute to register 38 minutes and 36 seconds in an excellent 24th place overall in the 122-strong field. McKenna was second Sandford winning the ladies veteran40 title and taking second in the overall Series. Another important win of the night went to Ballydrain?s Dominic McGreevy, 18th in 36 minutes and 47 seconds to clinch the vet45 title from BARF?s Jim Brown. Other category winners were Billy McKay, vet50 17th in 36 minutes and 41 seconds, Willowfield?s Des McHenry 46th and vet55 winner in 41 minutes and 13 seconds and John Adgey, vet60 winner in 45 minutes and 25 seconds. BOGBOY