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

Rob Hope (Pudsey & Bramley AC) and Angela Mudge (Carnethy Hill Runners) broke the course records at the British Championship race in the Mourne Mountains on Saturday.

The NI Mountain Runners Association were hosting the opening event of the six race British Series and 240 runners from throughout the British Isles competed over the classic Donard-Commedagh course at Newcastle.

Current British champion Rob Jebb (Bingley Harriers), Snowdon race winner Tim Davies (Mercia) and Hope were together as they reached the quarry above Donard Forest. Not far behind was former world mountain running champion Mudge, who was having a stormer of a run and was inside the top 40 overall.

Jebb put in an awesome display of climbing on the big climb up Slieve Donard and the three times Ben Nevis race winner reached Northern Irelands highest peak in just under 35 minutes with a good lead. However, Hope came hurtling down Donard to close the gap as they climbed up Slieve Commedagh.

Jebb had a twenty five-second lead as they came out of the mist at Shan Slieve and charged down the final steep 2,000-feet descent to the finish in Donard Park. Hope then made his winning move with a tremendous descent at breakneck speed over the rough mountainside and came flying into the forest with a 30-second lead.

There was no stopping the former English Champion as he came hurtling across the line in 62 minutes and one second to slice 17 seconds off the course record. Jebb was runner-up in 62-42, with Hopes brother, Danny, third in 63-30, making it the same one-two-three as last years British Championship opener at Slieve Bearnagh.

Lloyd Taggart, of Dark Peak, the current English championship leader, Mercias Tom Owens and Darren Kay (Horwich) completed the top six. Des Woods, of Mourne Runners, lead some highly creditable local performances finishing in 15^th place with Northern Ireland champion Neil Carty of North Belfast Harriers, just five seconds behind in 16th and Deon McNeilly, of Newcastle AC, close behind in 22nd place.

Angela Mudge, the 2000 world champion and four times British Champion produced a surperb new record of 71.28 smashing her own course 1999 mark by 83 seconds and an outstanding 39th place overall. Current British champion Natalie White was runner-up in 75-50 and her Bingley club-mate, Sharon Taylor third in 77-40 while NI Champion Fiona Maxwell of Mourne Runners got her British Championship off to a good start with an excellent 7^th place.