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

 

Bridesmaid Revisited

Tue 22 May 2007 - Bogboy

In the winter of 2007, it happened ? the signature car of the ?funky worm? aka North Belfast?s Neil Carty was stolen, joy ridden and torched. Replace it? No, off he was sent into the cold Belfast streets between Stranmillis and Duncrue, to be seen running along the banks of the Lagan with lunch-containing rucksack on his back to work ? and to bring home the cash to keep the ?other? car on the road. Hard times indeed, to and from work in the foulest of conditions, but quietly he thought to himself, this will get me fitter for the mountain racing season.

One problem ? the route between home and work is pancake-flat. So when March arrived Carty decided to break with tradition and race a lot more on the hills and mountains. Single-minded he has demonstrated year in and year out that he peaks for the World Mountain Racing Championships, where he more often than not comes home as first Irishman ? but also more often than not, he is the bridesmaid at home; examine the evidence already amassing from this year alone:

March 07: Gullion (1^st NI Champ) 3^rd

April 07: Castlewellan (1^st Hill & Dale) 4^th

Tollymore (2^nd Hill & Dale) 2^nd

Slieve Martin (3^rd Hill & Dale) 2^nd

Binnian (4^th Hill & Dale) 3^rd

Moughanmore (5^th Hill & Dale) 2^nd

Hen & Cock (6^th Hill & Dale) 2^nd

Getting the picture? Go back to 2006 and 2005 and as far as you like and the picture is pretty much the same. Would the Monument race tonight be any different? By the way, it should be noted that he is still running to and from work, sometimes he cheats by cycling, but there is no doubt that the racing is improving his climbing form. But he has never raced as much; this was his 7^th straight Hill & Dale race; this has never been known. He has also picked up the 2-hour Annalong Horseshoe and the 2^nd British Championship race in Wales along the way too since the beginning of April. As Patricia said, ?no car? Run Forest run? and so he is running.

The start of the Monument race is frantic, downhill along the grass onto the tarmac and more downhill and by the time the runners have reached the Shimna River, the leaders had covered the first half-mile in only 2 minutes and 10 seconds. Guess what? Champion-elect Alan McKibbin led from you know who, Carty himself, tucked into his favourite 2^nd position. Also in contention were Omagh?s Stevie Duncan, Newcastle?s Deon McNeilly and Dave McKibbin, Armagh?s Don Travers and Mourne?s Eddie Hanna.

The ladies race was set to be a tussle between the newly installed Series favourite Alwynne Shannon, Anne Sandford and Omagh?s Frances Orr and Michelle Sturm. Last week Sandford pipped Shannon to give herself her first victory, whilst Shannon has two course records and two wins to her name. It also looks like Mourne?s Fiona Maxwell and Newcastle?s Martina Hawkins the other winners this year will not complete the necessary 6 races to challenge Shannon or Sandford. This week it was Shannon who made the most of the early downhill section to steal a lead.

Back to the front, if you know what I mean, and it was McKibbin who led Carty onto the mountain side to the White Plains, rechristened the Black Plains by one runner who again demonstrated the ability of this section of society for finding the bog and, you guessed it, rolling in it ?not a pretty sight. Duncan was chasing hard and McNeilly was helping by dictating the best route. Seeking his 4^th Series title in a row McKibbin, after missing the first two races, has hit back by winning at Rostrevor, Binnian, Moughanmore and Hen & Cock. A win tonight would only leave him needing one more to guarantee the title in the remaining four races. With Carty in second along side him, who would bet against him?

Well under twenty minutes takes the runners from the Monument near Tollymore?s Car Park to the bottom end of the park ? the lowest point of the race ? up the climb to Curraghard and onto the mountain and onto the little summit. The view from the White Plains is beautiful and very accessible for anyone who fancies a look. It is then only an amazing 9 minutes or so back to the car park, including the murderous torture of the famous grass bank climb to the finish. Once again it was McKibbin who stormed down the descent in the lead, keeping Carty at that frustrating distance behind ? that type of distance that makes Carty think, ?I can catch him? but in the knowledge that he won?t.

And so it came to pass, McKibbin made it five wins in a row and Carty made it a fifth 2^nd place of the Series. Duncan has yet another good run to come home in 3^rd only 9 seconds further back. Newcastle AC got revenge over Omagh reversing the previous result in Tollymore some 5 weeks earlier, with North Belfast scraping home by a point ahead of Mourne Runners in third place. Omagh?s victory in Week 2 was credited to the motivational work down by team coach Bill McCausland, who inspired his runners to victory with his pre-race rhetoric and his mid-race ?encouragement?. This week though he managed to hire minibus with windows that did not open ? it?s a long way from Omagh to Tollymore, but even longer in a mobile greenhouse ? not a bit of wonder the Omagh Brethren were thirsty in the pub afterwards.

Meanwhile, Shannon had established a healthy lead by the summit and was well on her way to making it a 3^rd victory of the Series. She came home in 36 minutes and 2 seconds, a minute and three-quarters ahead of Sandford. In turn Sandford had run well to keep ahead of Orr, who was in third only 7 seconds behind. Sturm was first junior nearly half a minute further back.

First male junior was Pegasus? (Coleraine) Jason Wilson in 22^nd overall with BARF?s Jim Brown first vet45 in 9^th place and Ballymena?s Mark Alexander again first vet35 in 14^th overall. Ballydrain?s Dominic McGreevy was first vet50 in 18^th place, with club mate Ronnie Rutherford first vet55 in 56^th place and BARF?s Denis Rankin in 101^st place, the first vet60.

In all 161 runners started and 160 finished ? another fantastic turnout. This included the return of the intrepid Damien Brannigan who showed he has lost none of his competitive edge to come home in 19^th place in his first race in a long time. Also it was great to see the Siberian lady return after a few false starts ? Tatiana Vakhrameera came home in 156^th place and well inside the hour. In all 27 runners have competed in all 7 races so far and a record 214 runners are still able to complete the requisite 6 races to score in the overall Series with 4 more races to go.

Also in the field was a big blast from the past ? indeed bigger than he was the last time he raced 18 years ago ? way back then the sylph-like Paddy McCartan could hold his own with the best of them, tonight he turned up and made it round ? will this be the start of a new McCartan era?

Pauline O?Hara, renowned for her orienteering skills, has been running Hill & Dales for years. This week exasperation struck ? ?the courses are too well-marked these days?; tonight seemed to be the last straw as she shouted to the marshal showing the gap in the whin bushes coming off the White Plains summit, ?are we now catering for big girl blouses?? I guess Pauline knows.

Once again the organisation went like clock work ? the entries looked like they were being taken by a young school boy, on a second look it was the school boy?s teacher in a Year 9 football shirt ? a tight fit, especially this year. Timekeeper Morgan loves his red and white marking tape ? he lovingly prepares the finishing funnel each week, but tonight he found another use ? his new bags had come without a belt and worried about creating an unforgettable spectacle as the finishers poured in, he improvised ? his trousers were fine but the finishing runners couldn?t help but notice the clash in colours.

Ever since his life changing back operation earlier his year, Paul Mawhirt has insisted that he is ?doing nothing? ? he resigned from the Hill & Dale organising committee but it would be wrong to get to the end of the 7^th week and not mention the great work he is dong with his camera. This dedication does not go unnoticed ? this week he popped up from behind the wall at the back of the Forest flashing away. It seems that there is no such thing as a ?low profile? when it comes to Hill & Dale.

Next race is the longest of the Series, the Loughshannagh Horseshoe, and all runners are reminded of the need to take the appropriate gear as they set off into the heart of the mountains. Also importantly, car parking is limited and runners are encouraged to car pool and park at the Spelga Dam and run up to the start.

STOP PRESS: Congratulations to Hannah Shields, many time participant in the Hill & Dale Series over the years, on reaching the summit of Everest. She turned back 100m from the summit in 2003 but only yesterday realised a life time ambition ? she becomes the first Northern Ireland woman to reach the pinnacle of the world?s highest mountain.

BOGBOY

Team Result

1	Newcastle AC	10
2	Omagh Harriers	38
3	North Belfast	53
4	Mourne Runners	54
5 6	BARF Armagh	69 71
7	Team Purple	119
8	Larne	134
9	Ballydrain Harriers	171
10	Physio and Co	197
11	LVO	224