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

There is no better place to be at the height of summer than in the Central Mournes and last Thursday the weather was certainly doing a great impression of the height of summer as the runners gathered at the Hen Car Park near Hilltown for the 6^th race of this year?s Hill & Dale Series.

142 took the starter?s whistle for the out and back race over Hen and Cock. Every race in the series has a different character and this week was characterised by steep climbs and descents on good grassy ground (quite firm from the recent dry spell) and a wee bit of flatter running across the valley between Hen & Cock.

For many years now Newcastle AC?s Anne Sandford (out of Crossgar) has competed in the mountains and in the past she has been Northern Ireland Champion and many times Northern Ireland International. She has always loved the Hen & Cock race and this year proved no exception. Now a Lady Vet 40, she belied her years and set off up the steep initial climb with clear intent and purpose. Behind, another former champion BARF?s Shileen O?Kane was trying to stay in touch with Mourne?s Charlene Haugh behind that again.

The other factor of the series in the turnout of spectators and this week the hardier among them made it to the summit of Hen. The sight of the snake of runners climbing and then descending is well worth the effort. This year the McNeilly clan made it to the correct Cock summit and the first man through was Newcastle AC?s Alan McKibbin intent on making amends for last week?s defeat. He was followed by Mourne?s Stevie Cunningham, Eddie Hanna and Andrew Niblock and club mates Deon McNeilly and in 6^th David O?Flaherty.

McKibbin was not to be beaten this time and he kept easing clear to come home and win in 29 minutes and 9 seconds, 11 seconds clear of the ever-improving Cunningham who was a further 22 seconds ahead of Hanna. Behind, O?Flaherty was having the best race of his life coming through from 6^th to 4^th and passing McNeilly on the final descent with Niblock in 6^th. Newcastle AC pipped Mourne (11 points to 10) in the closest team race yet.

Meanwhile, Sandford was not to be beaten and came home to match her victory of last year nearly 30 seconds ahead of O?Kane to make it the 5^th different female victor in only six races in the series to date.

A footnote from last week surrounds young Mark Laird. Having just returned from tidying up finals at Dundee University, he shipped up for the Moughanmore Race sporting a shiny pair of Innov8s. He is getting fitter by the week (20% behind the winner in race 1 before he went off to Dundee -17% at Moughanmore and now 13% this week) but he still hasn?t quite caught up with the etiquette of fell running. After Moughanmore, spies have reported that he was seen up to knee deep in the Spelga Dam with ?new shoes? still on. The weather was brilliant but paddling in the Dam is not a recreational pursuit in this part of the world, so what was he doing? He was ?cleaning his shoes?. His uncle Paul cannot believe it and has had a quiet word in his ear ? nonetheless after this week?s excellent 14^th over dry ground and next week?s race mainly in the forest ? the shoes look set to stay pristine for a while yet.

A final footnote concerns one of Down District?s finest, Damian Brannigan, for many years a stalwart of the local mountain racing scene, dating back nearly 25 years to the origin of the series. As time has moved on, year in year out, he has completed series after series and all it seems, in those blue shorts. First, the fashion police have often commented that they are not a match for the red and yellow vest of Newcastle AC. More importantly though is that after 100s of washes (and shrinkages) and much competitive action, the threads are becoming bare (that?s it, threadbare) and the crown jewels are often on display ? not a bit of wonder that some of the numbers were mixed up at registration this week as the seated officials were distracted by the bling. Tickets will be on sale at registration this week for the fans to line the green hill finishing climb for the latest local tourist attraction ? get there early because numbers will be limited for Health & Safety reasons.

Next week is the Monument Race from the main Tollymore Forest Car Park and registration opens at 6.30pm. Get there early to avoid the rush.

BOGBOY