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

It turned out to be a good day for the running of the 7x7, as the ominous midweek forecasts didn?t materialise, meaning the runners lined up in bright breezy conditions with a comfortable air temperature. As the race progressed the wind dropped off and it became warmer but a breeze remained on the tops and with relatively dry underfoot conditions, most runners found it to their liking.

Don Travers certainly liked it as he led from start to finish avoiding the blow up problems of last year, which cost him the victory then. He just missed out by 19 seconds from joining Gary Bailey and Brian Ervine in that exclusive sub four hours club but seemed satisfied with his efforts on the day. Behind him by nearly fifteen minutes was current record holder Gary Bailey making a welcome comeback following his horrific work accident of earlier in the year. He had five minutes to spare on the regular third placeman, Richard Cowan. Who set a new personal best time for the race as did many others, including Gerry Kingston the first vet 40 home in a great sub 4 ? hour time. There were fifteen runners under 5 hours for the course, which I am sure, is a record.

Anne Sandford, a lady interested in records took Hanna Shields 2004 record and lowered it to a new mark of 5- 44-49. Like Don, Anne seemed to have a very comfortable run, as did the Second placed lady Norma Rea who stopped for chats along the way and managed an interesting detour over Ben Crom mountain (including gully descents) before strolling over the finish line amazed that she was less than ten minutes outside the old record. If only these BARF runners would take things seriously!

Other runners deserving a mention in dispatches include Andrew Stevenson (Corky) the talking running machine all spoke out by the finish and being harangued by some bloke for not turning up at work that morning. Poor Corkeys voice box must have been lying beside his guts somewhere on the Glen river path for he could manage no response, a rare thing indeed. Richie Cunningham had come from Scotland to test himself against the seven summits and did well coming home in eight place. David Gamble has done the Seven Sevens many times as a walker often being the fastest walker on the day, but now he is turning his skills to running and as a result went sub 5 hours for the first time. He was a well pleased if totally flaked out man by the end.

I remember Gareth Borland and his brother turning up for the walk as under age juniors many years age and I had to refuse them entry, so its good to see him back finishing in a very respectable 25 th place.

Finally Barbara Brown and Barry Rankin registered as runners and started early along with their friend who registered as a walker as she claimed to be unfit. First home was the unfit walker, Hanna Shields making a bit of an Everest out of a fistful of mole hills but none the less all smiles despite loosing her record to a worthy new champ, Anne Sandford.

Jim Brown

Note that Harry has some photographs of the race on his web site at

http://hmphotographs.fotopic.net/