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Rocky

Sun 16 May 2010 - Ian Taylor

Team results at Rocky are shown below.  With a lower turnout some of the lower ranking clubs did rather better than ususal.

Overall Hill & Dale team results

Weather takes the biscuit at Rocky


The Rocky Race is the 6th race of the Hill and Dale Series sponsored by Up and Running, and started on the mountainside at Leitrim Lodge. The course this year was run in anti clockwise direction and took in the summits of Altnataggart, Pearse’s Castle and Tournaman Rock before the final climb and descent of the eponymous Rocky back to the start.

The weather was horrendous throughout the evening with heavy showers and poor visibility greeting the 140 hardy souls who pitched up for the start. The sometimes forward thinking Hill and Dale committee had decided to bring the race forward from its usual slot of Race 9 in the series running order to Race 6 in order to reduce the attack of the midge which has enjoyed many a mighty feed over the years based on this race....The plan worked but unfortunately the accustomed June weather that is usually associated with the race did not follow.
 
The start of the race is fast before the field climbs steeply alongside the end of Kilbroney Forest before rejoining the main track heading for Altnataggart. One of the great things about the Hill & Dale series is the wide variation in each of the 11 races and also the variation within each race itself. This week the ground covered included smooth track, rough bog and tussocky terrain, gentle and steep climbs and descents.
 
Evergreen Deon McNeilly led the field up the wall at the start and on to the main track. Last years’ series winner Eddie Hanna and Andrew Niblock sat on Deon for most of the initial climb and then Hanna took the lead on to Altnataggart and comfortably went on to register his first win of the series and with his main contenders (Des Woods with 3 wins and Stephen Cunningham with 2 wins) resting up for the Annalong Horseshoe it will make for an interesting race next Thursday at Slieve Muck with the series poised. Andrew Niblock had his best run of the series thus far with a great finish in 2nd place. Junior James Speight had another great run to finish 3rd....perhaps a higher placing soon James?

In the ladies race there was a ding dong battle throughout between Alwynne Shannon and Shileen O’Kane with Alwynne winning by a slender 23 second margin. Shileen has been closing the gap in time between herself and Alwynne each week and with Shileen having a confidence building win at the Annalong Horseshoe on Saturday she may have a part to play in the weeks to come for the overall series prize. The ladies series is also now hotting up with Karen Alexander and Shannon now having three wins each with 5 races to go.

Behind the leading four male runners, Ballymena Runners and sometimes English speaking Alex Brennan was vowing for his first top 5 finish of the series this year. Unfortunately whilst in his 5th position Alex with the mist down and visibility poor, veered off course and like a lost lamb stopped. Keeping his feet for dancing, Alex used his head and listened hopefully for runners passing by. He was very thankful that a local female Mourne Runner with a distinct breathing pattern came by in the next valley and he got back on track to finish in 11th position. He also managed to get himself lost on a clear day at Annalong Horseshoe on Saturday so perhaps should spend some time with his club colleague and ace orienteer McCloy for navigational tips.


Each week leading up to the race, runners spend many hours deliberating over what shoes should be worn considering ground conditions, terrain and weather. After the now weekly ritual recce of the upcoming Thursday’s Hill and Dale course by Newcastle AC/Mourne Runners/Willowfield/LVO some runners were discussing wearing road shoes such was the dryness of course but by Thursday this had changed.

Unfortunately Mourne Runners John Adgey’s decision was out of his hands. John  made a school boy error last week by wearing brand new shoes without breaking them in which earned him a large blister on one of his feet. Ever the quick thinker, John started the race this week with one of his old shoes on his blistered foot and one the new shoe on his good foot. John was all proud of himself until the lost the sole of his old shoe half way around the race...apparently barefoot running is on the way back into fashion John.
 
Back at Doran’s Mourne View Bar near Hilltown, official time keeper extraordinaire Frank Morgan had taken a good drenching during the compilation of results at the finish line. The last time he was seen was sitting on top of Mrs Doran’s stove trying to dry his best feature. There was also some trouble brewing at the prize giving when Martin McVeigh was a victim of verbal abuse from Kathleen Monteverde and Guiomar Garcia when they missed out on a spot prize such is the high demand for a Hill and Dale Beanie...McVeigh was heard to mutter to Guiomar something like Gerry Armstrong, Valencia 1982.

Many thanks to all the runners, registration helpers, summit marshals, finish marshals, parking marshals and Doran’s Mourne View Bar near Hilltown for doing a great job on an inclement night.


Next week marks the return of an “old” race and new race organiser with Slieve Muck and Eamon McCrickard respectively at the helm. Remember the full body cover and registration is from 6.30pm. Runners should take advice from parking marshals with regards to locations of car parking and registration.


Fat Boy Slimmer