Records Galore in the 2007 Blue Lough Hill & Dale Series

Tue 19 June 2007 - Bogboy

Sponsors

For the third and final year, the Series major sponsor was Blue Lough (www.mountainandwater.com) the outdoor activity, adventure and water sports centre based in Castlewellan Forest Park. The Committee of the Hill & Dale Series would like to thank Marty McMullan, owner of Blue Lough, for his generous support over the past three years and wish him continued success in his business ventures,

Also supporting the Series was the Hill Trekker, Newcastle?s trusted outdoor life shop, Brian Ervine supporter of many runners throughout the Series with better-studded footwear to improve the confidence, Down District Council, the Forestry Service and the Avoca Hotel for its fantastic final night hospitality and spread ? it was like feeding a plague of locusts.

Thanks are also due to the many more un-thanked and un-named volunteer supporters. The marshals led by Mark Hanna and Billy McNeilly (plus siblings) deserve a special mention for their enduring effort in standing out on exposed mountain summits in all weather conditions.

Thanks also go to the hospitable pubs led by the Avoca Hotel who each week opened their doors to the post-race hordes ? Mulholland?s in Castlewellan, Macken?s in Newcastle, the Kilbroney Inn Rostrevor, Downey?s in Rathfriland, Doran?s Mourneview Bar near Hilltown, the Mary Margaret?s Horseshoe Bar near Hilltown, the Harbour Bar Annalong, O?Hare?s Burrenbridge & the Maghera Inn.

Series Numbers

The 2007 Series broke records by the dozen with an amazing 30 more runners than ever before completing at least 6 races ? 156 in total winning the latest in fashion running tops to make even the slowest look good.

Another record of 294 different runners took part in at least one race ? 10 more than last year. There was a record average turnout of 138.1 for each race ? breaking the all-time record, set last year, by an incredible 18.

Winners

Perfect six scores were registered by:

? Newcastle AC?s Alan McKibbin, overall winner for the fourth year in a row (he also scored a perfect six in the Vet40 category)

? Newcastle AC?s Alwynne Shannon won the Lady Vet45 category (and also the overall Series)

? Newcastle AC?s Anne Sandford won the Lady Vet40 category (now in her best shape in years)

? BARF?s Jim Brown won the Vet45 category once again with some great and some not so great navigating

? Ballydrain?s Dominic McGreevy won the Vet50 category ? improving all the time, not just his fitness but also his descending

? Albertville?s Billy McKay, was again the very comfortable winner in the vet55 category

? Ballydrain?s Fred Strickland had a great Series and won the Vet60 title with the perfect score.

The ?Runner?s Runner? Award this year went to Mourne Runners? Peter Turkington. Turkington is one of the Mourne ?foreigners? and has been running the Hill & Dales for years. In the ACKC days he was definitely more sylph-like and this year appeared with more of a rotund look ? less so, it has to be said, by the end of the 11 weeks ? a worthy winner.

There was obviously a classic on which to focus for ?lost in the mountains?, the Loughshannagh Horseshoe, that led to so many of the field getting lost. However, out of such riches who would be crowned winner? It turned out that he, yes he, had won the same trophy 14 years ago ? so he?s not a young whippet. He also has been seen at many an orienteering event and organises the Annual Mourne Mountain Marathon ? so he should know better. In many of the mountain races, he is often seen separated from the main field, exploring his own unique line up or down a mountain, an more often that not, he knows what he is doing. It is this that clearly sowed the seed of doubt in the rest of the field on that ?pea-souper? of an evening above the Spelga watershed.

As the leaders surged off towards Carn, they glanced to their right and there was Jim Brown, alone again, climbing hard on what they all presumed was the ?crafty line?. So he sucked them over towards them and the rest is history ? over 100 runners headed up Slieve Muck, a long way from the required summit of Carn Mountain. Congratulations Jim, the prize of the ?learning to navigate? book should make productive reading before next year.

The Classic Donard Race

This Friday night (22^nd June) sees the 63^rd Annual Classic Slieve Donard Race. It starts at 7.30pm sharp at the Newcastle Centre, finishing at the same place with the only checkpoint being the summit of Donard. It?s a challenging race and has run uninterrupted since 1945. Come and be part of history, either watching or participating.

BOGBOY