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

The race route was once again slightly changed due to felling in the forest with nearly half a minute added to the route compared to last year - race statistics being around 5miles with some 900 feet of climbing.

A few years ago Bill & Hazel McCausland of Omagh Harriers started bringing a group of mainly juniors to Hill & Dale forest races. Now the juniors are older and the group that travels includes veterans ? don?t they grow up fast these days? Beaten narrowly by Newcastle AC, as they arrived at Tollymore Mountain Centre, Bill declared his desire to finally win the team race this week. It?s a long way from Omagh to the Mournes but it is often worth the trip and the Omagh contingent to an individual, add an extra dimension to the competition.

The start is a cavalry charge with the first three-quarters of a mile being mainly downhill to Parnell?s Bridge. The races are clearly becoming stronger in depth and it was a leading bunch of eight who arrived at the bridge in well under three and a half minutes (under 4 minutes 45 per mile pace). Onto the first climb and Omagh?s Stevie Duncan was to the fore alongside North Belfast?s Neil Carty. Behind the group included Newcastle stalwart Deon McNeilly, club mate but no relation David McNeilly, Omagh?s Martin Cox, Mourne Runners? Des Woods and Armagh?s Don Travers. Travers is doing the London Marathon on Sunday and is clearly in the best shape of his life.

In the ladies race, Newcastle?s Martina Hawkins had started the Series with a victory in Castlewellan, like last year and was determined to win again this week. This time last year she led to the last 100metres before Omagh?s Michelle Sturm slipped by to take the victory. Hawkins then dropped out of race three and Mourne Runners? Fiona Maxwell went the rest of the Series unbeaten to take the title.

This week, Hawkins took the lead early on from club mate Alwynne Shannon with Sturm, first junior, in third. Never to be passed, Hawkins pushed on to come home a very comfortable winner, and 1^st vet35, in 37 minutes and 17 seconds nearly a minute and a half faster than last year, despite the course being slightly longer. Shannon was second and first vet45 with Sturm a further 14 seconds behind in 3^rd. In 4^th and just a stride behind Sturm was her club mate Francis Orr, the first open lady. Orr had given her all and collapsed as she crossed the line. She recovered quickly but it does show the effort the runners put in to compete. Anne Sandford came home in 5^th and 1^st vet40.

There is now a vibrant ladies team competition for the first time and this week was won by Newcastle from Omagh (sorry Bill) with Mourne Runners and BARF filling the next two places.

Back to the men?s race and the pace was frenetic with Duncan testing Carty on every climb. Out over the top of the New Park and the two were inseparable and onto the steep climb of the Long Haul and once again Carty clung on for dear life. It was not until the flatter undulating section on the return towards the Mountain Centre that Duncan finally broke free and stormed home to win in 30 minutes and 17 seconds some 8 seconds clear of Carty. Deon McNeilly was a further half-minute behind and Woods another 23 seconds further back.

Omagh Harriers crowning glory was a resounding victory in the team race with 1^st, 6^th and 7^th in the scoring places and 8^th for good measure to beat Newcastle into 2^nd place with North Belfast 3^rd ahead of Mourne Runners ? where is Jim Patterson? ? looks like this youthful club needs a bit of experience back.

There are lots of human interest and disinterest stories when a crowd of 164 eccentrics gather in a forest and only some can be recorded in print in a family newspaper. This week?s race organiser was the one-arm-bandit Annadale hockey star, Mark Kendall with his older brother Ian, who ably assisted him at registration. Asking the usual question ?attached or unattached? of a virgin Hill & Daler at the entry table the runner replied ?married with two kids? ? a fair enough answer at times but not really to the question here.

From a Series Virgin to a Series ?Veteran of decades?, Mike Barton, founder member of ACKC ?aka Mourne Runners? (by the way, where were the Hughes clan of Continuity ACKC this week?) struggled home just inside the top 100 ? he is longing for the real mountains to arrive.

And where were the Farmer?s including the Siberian lady who DNF?d last week? Did they return? Yes is the answer, but unfortunately two minutes late for the start of the race. However, reports say that Tatiana made it round the whole course with William, so maybe next week she will record a first finish in Kilbroney?

Sprint finishes are always great to watch for the gathered crowds and there was standing room only (on second thoughts it was all standing room anyway) as the finishers came thick and not so fast up the tortuous incline to the finish. One such battle was between another virgin, local and international lawyer Patrick O?Hagan and veteran of many Hill & Dales and local Forestry Manager and former Ballynahinch rugby star Brian Wilson ? the pain on both faces was etched deep as Wilson showed some of a rugby forward?s massive momentum to edge ahead as the line approached ? O?Hagan didn?t stand a chance but will no doubt return to fight another day.

And then there is the family element with this week in the spotlight the Knight family. Father Stephen completed the Series last year and is going even better this year but was still beaten by son Sean. Mother Mary dipped her toe in the water, so to speak, for the first time this week (living in Bryansford it is her local race) and had trotted round the course a few days earlier in 70 minutes and had set 69 as her target (Stephen seemed amused by that) but excelled to come home in an excellent first finish in just over 56 minutes. No doubt she must come back for more.

Race three takes the Series to the South Mournes and the beautiful location of Kilbroney Forest in Rostrevor for the Slievemartin race. The race consists of one good climb with some ?real? mountain thrown in for the first time this Series and fantastic views over Carlingford Lough for anyone looking around on the way up the climb. Please be there before 7pm.

BOGBOY

Team Result