NIMRA ‘The Mountain Runner’ Newssheet August 2024

Welcome to our eighth edition of the monthly NIMRA newsletter ‘The Mountain Runner’, and we are pleased to show off the August 2024 edition updating you with any news or highlights from the previous month and what is coming up for the month ahead. Members can use this as a focus point to stay updated with all the goings on, and we appreciate if anyone would like to make any contributions throughout the year, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to include in the latest bulletin. Thank you to the growing number of people who have been contributing thus far!

HIGHLIGHTS

Seven Sevens (Sat 3rd August)

A grand total of 62 toed the line at the start of the month to take one of the toughest NIMRA races, the annual Seven Sevens. With Lagan Valley Orienteers hosting the challenge walk consecutive to the race, there was plenty of traffic on the hills on the day, and many of the runners were thankful to the walkers for encouragement whilst standing off track to let them pass through. The day started warm with some showers rolling in over the course of the afternoon but maybe this was a reprieve to some of the runners getting it tight!

And what a race we were treated to! Incredible times from the front 3 (all sub 4 hours) and the top 10 (in all under 5 hours). This has usually been Adam Cunninghams race and uses to his advantage over the long distance to claim a stake for the overall title late in the season. Last time he was undone was the British Championship race in 2022 by Scotlands Finlay Wild who made very light work of the Sevens. Indeed it was another flying Scotsman in the shape of Inverness’ Luke Taylor who was neck and neck with Adam & Ashley Crutchley throughout. A big push down the glen river got a 43 second margin of daylight to the winning line for Luke with Adam not willing to give up quietly. 90 seconds later a barely moving but very impressive Ashley came in for the bronze who then required jump leads on him at the finish to get him going again. Maybe next year he’ll carry more fuel!

In the ladies race, a superb sub 6 hour finish from Springwells Bernie Quinn saw her take 1st place with 5:57. BARF’s Shirley Farnan and Jog Moiras Nicola McIntyre took 2nd and 3rd. Fair play to all who got round it! Next year it’s up the bog rather than down the bog with Bearnagh being your last Seven instead of Lamagan. There’s still plenty of debate over which way is harder!

Lurig Run (Sat 10th August)

A sun-baked Cushendall was the stage for the annual and very popular Lurig run on Saturday 10th August. While very short it packs an almighty punch with a gradual uphill run out of the ‘Dall and straight up the very steep face of Lurig before the furious descent back down. It sells out in quick time with locals as keen as established fell runners to take the race on. Indeed it was familiar faces at the business end of the race with Jared Martin skipping to 1st place with 29:32, followed in by Glensman Jonny Steede and North Belfasts Philip Goss. In the ladies race Shileen O’Kane followed her son Ethan up and down and came in 1st place with 36:46 ahead of Glenswomen Niamh Marrs and Marie Kerr in second and third

Scrabo Race (Thur 15th August)

Jared was to strike while the iron was hot at the highest point in his locality, Scrabo hill merely a few days later. Plenty of runners where left wondering what to do on Thursday evenings after the conclusion of the Hill & Dales, so this was a nice return for a lot of them in the penultimate race of the NIMRA championship. Full report is available here

The Two Towers (Sat 24th August) – RYAN STEWART STYLE!

The end of another racing era. The final race of the 2024 editions of the NIMRA  and Ulster Championships. I’ve had highs and lows, navigational mysteries, belly laughs and clobber that your great aunt Betsy would be proud to wear to a 70’s disco. ONE MORE RATTLE!!!

Mourne Runners took myself and 90 other folk needing to reconsider their hobby choices to partake in the Two Towers. I found myself utterly riddled by the host club’s race name choice given its similarity to the ring destroying, hobbit riddled adventure rather than a name befitting of the toe tickling adventure across Slieve Commedagh and Meelmore ahead of us.  Every time I found myself trying to google the two towers race, I’d be met with a depiction the white wizard himself, Gandalf, instead of finding the mileage and elevation I sought to plan my effort.

Clarity was found at approximately 1106am mind! You see, the race was due to set off at 1100. By 1103, there were 90 hill clatterers stood rapidly cooling down having completed their warms ups about 15mins previous wandering if Mourne Runners were running off Greenwich Mean Time early this year. We had all settled our hearts and breathing to the extent that we began to hear a distant laboured breathing. We looked left. We looked right. We shrugged shoulders wondering where this race effort sound board was coming from. Alas! We turned to see Mourne Man, Adam Cunningham , gunning it up the happiest of valleys with a recently discovered dibber that he had forgot to attach to his pinky….. lucky he had his very own Gandalf, The Gray haired (and blue vested) race director on the gun and performing time miracles like he was in Middle Earth or he may have found himself racing the local sheep instead of the NIMRA athletic machines. Though, as we all know, with Ballymena men in attendance, this wouldn’t be an accurate statement as said sheep would have already been terrorised off the hills by this stage too.

Well, this is the rumour mill reasoning for the late start and valley sprint exhibition we all witnessed. I have since heard that the Cunningham house was plagued by the pre-race jitters. You know the score. About 16 trips to the toilet carry on. I believe young Adam devasted the Cunningham toilet roll supply and was running late to travel to the race. So when the Spanish inquisition came a knocking to enquire about the bottom napkins just as Adam was about to make a French exit, already late, he blamed it on the dog. The good old, “the dog ate all the toilet roll” trick. His parting words had left a dark mark on his soul. He was concerned about the welfare of his furry friend who may be getting marched to the vets to face the needle of destiny as he stood on the start line in great time. His conscious eating away at him, he darted back to the car to make a quick call to the wife to apologise for his rear ends behaviour and exonerate the dog. We will never know but we digress

The classic countdown was upon us. 3…..2……1…… and the stampede was off…. Well at least 91 of the 92 stampede were on their horses. Veteran Jonny Steede  decided to dive head first from the line (in a rather satisfying visual slide) instead of run. He had spotted what he believed to be a fiver floating in the shrubbery before us all and he had already had it spent by the way he leaped. It wasn’t a fiver. It was just his pride sliding away as a chorus of EYYYOOOOOOO rang out across the Mournes. Dejected, he got up at the rear end of the race pack and trying to save some face he professed, “What Cu8t tripped me!!!!!”…… but no cu8t had done a thing. Jonny’s season ended in that moment as he looked to the race director hoping he could meet the dignified end of a thorough bred and be hit with both barrels. But Gandalf was having none of it. Off you trot Jonny boy! And mind your feet EYOOOOOOO the race director expelled from his pipes

Tom Crudgington  had been asking Keith Johnston  about the Two Towers route during Adam’s debauchery in a way that surprised me that Tom even knew where to turn up to for a race today. All those racing feared Tom would become just another statistic this day, especially when he burst away from the get go. Tom was literally never to be seen again by any other racer during the course such was the pace the young buck was throwing down. A nip delirious from the effort I had faced, on approaching Meelmore I looked ahead to catch a glimpse of some being running on the wall. I got my phone out to make sure the magical Mourne Racing Organisers hadn’t turned back time again as for a split second, I thought it was the 12th of July all over again. Was I hallucinating that King Billy was back on the wall? The sacred wall was in fact being pummelled by a fair haired man from Maghera. Panic over.

I thought my year’s racing spookies were over me having finally ran a race in the right direction for the first time since 1990 (my birth year) but on approaching Meelmore, a group of female hill enthusiasts from England had stood together to form a human wall. Perplexed as to why they where standing as if they were holding tackle bags for the Ulster boys in Ravenhill, they advised me that Keith Johnston had demanded they stop me as he passed and as I slowly reeled the Armagh man in on the climb. This put the fire in my walsh pbs and I was off on the kill. Keith went inside the Mourne wall whereas I decided to remain outside and cut her early. I eventually caught Keith though neither of us would signal our presence. You could just hear the odd rock clattering and an expletive on the inside wall whilst we were literally separated 2 feet by the Mourne wall for the majority of the climb. Knowing the dibber was on the inside, I had to play my cards and jump over the wall onto Keith’s SIDE. I did so shouting “PEEKABOO” as I jumped down beside Keith on the inside of the wall. Keith didn’t utter a word back. Didn’t even look at me. He just kept on keeping on to the dibber. This is the moment when I realised that 2nd place would not be happening. How could someone playing children’s game outdo an Armagh fell running Assassin? You just have to accept your gravy isn’t bisto some days and suffer your asda value version granules self. We cleared the wall pretty much hand in hand.  I daren’t wish Keith good luck as he sailed away as he would have plentiful time to pan in the windows on my C4 before I’d be at the finish.

Crusing off Meelmore, I was certain 3rd place was in the bread basket, as I Mosey’d down her banks. Not so! The Mourne dog executioner had caught me about 300m from the line. I didn’t turnaround to confirm the identity for I ken’d the earlier start line breathing fiasco. I tried to go from 3rd gear into 6th gear and sure didn’t I stall her! Even NI international turned part-time spectator for the day, Joshua Mcatee  couldn’t believe his eyes at the end having watched my entire descent in his balenciagas .No words were exchanged. His eyes said it all. “Ryan. you have F*$ked this one son”

I found my self snookered behind the black ball with only a brush shaft to escape but it was enough to claim the Ulster Championship. Here’s to a Winter reflection and to lose my nut in the hills one more year. See ye 2024!

Special mention to the already crowned NIMRA champion, Ashley Crutchley, who had secured the title with more 2nd place finishes this year than a wife has with her husband in a lifetime. He spent this entire final race week posing on a jet ski in Spain which was great motivation to all his racing colleagues back home chasing the unclaimed Ulster title.

*IMRA Races August 2024

The 4th race of the Leinster Champs took place on Sunday 11th August with Ballineddan, another route up Log na Coille! The race was highly commended in its route with superb mountain running to be had. A fantastic 3rd place from Newcastles Robbie Bryson pushed him up to 5th in the overall championship, with clubmate Pearse Brogan sitting in 10th with both having completed the minimum 3 out of 5. The final LC race is Saturday 7th September in the Cooleys with the Foxes Rock race. The Sunday also doubles as the Louth Champs with the Slieve Foye race as well.

The Irish championship was decided with the Galtymore race on Sunday 18th August. The ladies championship was finely balanced all year between Becky Quinn & Esther Dickson, the two standing level on points before Galtymore. The sharp descending Esther was to prevail on the day arriving in 12th place overall and first lady by 2 minutes over Becky to take the Irish championship title. A week later she would be confirmed as NIMRA & Ulster Champion also, safe to say she is the top mountain runner in the country at present! Joining her in racing on the day was clubmates Paul LeBlanc and Ciara Coffey, the latter also taking 4th in the ladies championship as well. The mens championship was won by Matthew McConnell who won Galtymore and Mweelrea and with a 3rd place on Donard was enough to take the title.

It wouldn’t be unusual to hear various animal noises in the wilds of Connemara. This was brought up a notch by an exodus of BARFers to the Maamturks in Galway for the weekend of 17th/18th August, and whilst there went for a jog on the Mám Éan race that happened to be on. Well done to Rónán Davison-Kernan, Tom Leyland, William Imrie, Luke Tarry, Paul Moore, Trevor Wilson, Clarke Campbell & Susan Lambe who turned the valley purple for an hour or so!

NEWS

*NIMRA Championship 2024 – FINAL

Following the Two Towers race on Saturday 24th August that is the NIMRA Championship 2024 completed and the tables are now updated on the link here

Congrats to all who completed the 7 races in total, your winners are as follows

Men’s Championship

1st Ashley Crutchley Newcastle Athletic Club

2nd (joint) Keith Johnston Armagh Athletic Club & Adam Cunningham Mourne Runners

Women’s Championship

1st Esther Dickson NEWRY AC

2nd Tanya Cumming Newcastle Athletic Club

3rd Amanda Perry Ballydrain Harriers

Category Winners:

FV40 Tanya Cumming Newcastle Athletic Club

FV45 Ciara Ryan Unattached

FV50 Amanda Perry Ballydrain Harriers

FV55 Shirley Farnan BARF

MV40 David Hicks Newcastle Athletic Club

MV45 Glynn Johnston BARF

MV50 Paul McAnespie Armagh Athletic Club

MV55 (joint) Billy Reed East Antrim Harriers AC & Stephen Hoey Jog Lisburn

MV60 Andrew Topping East Coast Athletic Club

MV75 Ian Taylor BARF

Prize giving will be at the annual Run for Mourne Mountain Rescue Team at Tollymore on Sat 7th December

*Ulster Championship 2024 (w/IMRA) – FINAL

The inaugural Ulster Championship also concluded on Saturday with Mourne Runners’ Two Towers race. The aim of this new championship was to promote races across Ulster – especially outside the Mournes, and to deepen IMRA/NIMRA co-operation. It was great to see so many people willing to make the trip to races from all over. The Carnaween race in Donegal was a particular highlight and hopefully we will see more excellent races in the west of Ulster in future.

35 people completed the championship (24 male/11 female).
In the men’s competition, Ryan Stewart narrowly pipped Armagh AC men Keith Johnston and Paul McAnespie for the title.
Rare to see Antrim come out ahead of Armagh, but Ryan’s relocation to the kingdom of Mourne and improving ability to not get lost or neglect to use a dibber has proved to be the secret sauce for seeing off Keith, whose training schedule is rumoured to have been disrupted by obligations to his sponsors Mac in a Sac and his various media appearances.

In the women’s category Newry’s Esther Dickson added the Ulster championship to her Irish championship title, narrowly edging out Jog Lisburn’s Karen Wilton. Experts that if Karen focuses her training on not stopping to pet dogs during races she might have the edge next year, but she’ll have to reckon with Esther’s furious downhill pace and ability to sniff out the best lines like a bloodhound.
Canada’s loss is Tyrone’s gain, with Alexa James of Carmen Runners rounding out the podium, despite missing the Mullaghcarn race due to being race director.

Thank you to everyone who took park and thank you especially to the RDs and to IMRA for supporting the championship.

Prizegiving details TBC

Denis Rankin Round (10th Anniversary) Relay

As promised, the Denis Rankin Round relay is a go – keep the 14th of September free!

2024 is the 10 year anniversary of inception of The Denis Rankin Round, and to commemorate this, BARF are organising a team relay event for the mountain running community, with the added goal to fundraise for the MMRT.

The event is now live on SiEntries, as is the JustGiving page for MMRT donations – please give generously and sign a team up! It’s set to be a class day out!

SiEntries link is below, as is the fundraising link for our MMRT fundraising.

https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=14014

https://www.justgiving.com/page/denis-rankin-round-relay…

Mourne Mountain Marathon 2024

Quick reminder: this year’s event Centre is Attical GAA Club. Camping will be available at the Event Centre on Friday night for no charge. Just turn up and pitch on area of ground which we will set aside, no need to reserve. Motorhomes can park at the Community Centre, next door to the GAA Club for a fee of £10, payable at the reception desk. Entries are still open, don’t miss out and secure your place this weekend

Home 1

Can’t commit to the full weekend or struggling to find a partner but still want to be part of the action? We’ve got the perfect solution—volunteer with us!

We’re on the lookout for enthusiastic volunteers to assist with various roles, including marshals on the hills, car parking attendants, event centre personnel and marker retrieval on Sunday evening.

It’s a great way to experience the event, meet fellow outdoor enthusiasts, and contribute to the success of the event

If you’re interested in lending a hand, please reach out to us at mmmadmin@mourne2day.com. We’d love to have you on the team.

*Denis Rankin Round August 2024

A big well done to three who completed the DRR on Fri 9th/Sat 10th August, Tom Shelton & Chris Gilroy who finished up the early hours of Saturday morning with 22:35 and 22:53. They may have crossed the headlight of Eddie Murphy who started not long before they finished in Newcastle and Eddie got himself round by 9:30pm Saturday evening and finished in 23:34.

*Ben trip for NIMRA clubs

The sound of Irish accents will grace the streets of Fortwilliam this year as the annual trip to the Ben Nevis Race (1^st Saturday of September) receives an enormous boost this year from NIMRA affiliated clubs.

For more than twenty years, although to say two decades might be going too far (prizes for spotting that cultural reference) the Mournes, Dromore and the Glens have been well represented as Mourne Runners, Newcastle AC, Dromore AC and the Glens Runners have taken to the starting line at Claggan Park to take on the mighty Ben. In that time, we have had three wins Diane Wilson of Dromore AC taking the title twice and more recently Mourne Runners’ Sarah Hanna taking home the prize. With Finlay Wild dominating the men’s race we have had to settle for the occasional top 10 spot.

Now this year the runners from these clubs are to be joined by BARF, Ballydrain Harriers, Larne AC, and Springwell. So, with 8 clubs, 40 runners (including 5 NIMRA committee members) Fortwilliam might find the Irish accents overwhelming the Scottish ones. Particularly in the evening after the race when tradition has it that all the tales of extraordinary adventures and heroic escapades on the slopes of Ben Nevis be regaled. One fact that future NIMRA chairs might wish to note; for the last 15 years a NIMRA Chairperson has run in the Ben Nevis Race. Not that that is a criterion for future candidates for the post, but it is a point to note.

We will update you on results in a future Newssheet.

Other

Lakeland 100 / 50

The Lakeland 100 and 50 races are iconic routes through the Lake District and are renowned for their test of endurance and stamina. This year on the 26/27^th July a few NIMRA members and friends took to the Lakeland trails.

Billy Reed, Dale Mathers, Clive Coffey , Helen Cassidy along with NIMRA friends Martin McMullan and Jonathon Gibson took part in the 100 mile race. The 100 started on the Friday night at 6pm on a beautiful summers evening , little did they know what they were to face in the early part of Saturday morning. Torrential rain came in through the night which was not really forecast and started to play havoc with the competitors. The underfoot conditions became more difficult – the already saturated ground just got worse. Billy, Clive, Martin and Jonathon overcame the wet spell and saturated ground to complete the 100 mile in very respectable times.

Unfortunately Helen and Dale did not complete the 100 with Helen retiring at Buttermere due to sickness issues while Dale limped to Ambleside (90 miles) with feet trashed. Whilst the weather conditions through the night for the 100 were atrocious by the time the 50 mile race began at 11:30 am on Saturday the weather had turned somewhat perfect for racing. Denise Mathers started the 50 race at Dalemain which follows the second half of the 100 mile route. Denise enjoyed a good race and was delighted to finish in the dark in the early hours of Sunday morning. A great weekend was had by all.

For anyone interested in signing up for 2025 the ballot open on 1^st Sept for 48 hours.

Enter Lakeland 50 & 100 – The Montane Lakeland 50 & 100, July 25th-27th 2025 (lakeland100.com)

BARFs Aaron Shimmons recently achieved a very fast Bob Graham Round of approx 19.5 hours. Well done Aaron! NIMRA would like to pass their sincere condolences to the Hanna family on the passing of Zak’s father Derek. And also to the family of the Bob Graham round participant who recently lost his life in a tragic fall on the circuit.

On Sat 31st August Trevor Wilson completed his 350th Park Run at the Queen’s Park Run venue.  A group of around 12 BARF and Lagan Valley athletes gathered to share the occasion and eat his celebratory cake afterwards!

*Upcoming fixtures

September 2024 (IMRA)

Sun Sep 1	1:00 PM	Knockmealdowns	MC	Waterford	IMRA Race	899m	7.60km
Sat Sep 7	12:00 PM	Carlingford – Fox’s Rock	LC	Louth	IMRA Race	800m	16.00km
Sun Sep 8	12:00 PM	Top Of Coom	WJL	Kerry	IMRA Race	350m	11.00km
Sun Sep 8	12:00 PM	Carlingford Slieve Foye		Louth	IMRA Race	540m	6.63km
Fri Sep 13	12:00 AM	2024 World Masters Classic, Spain		Abroad	IMRA Race	1050m	17.00km
Sat Sep 14	12:00 AM	2024 B&I Mountain Running Championships		Wicklow	IMRA Race	0m	0.00km
Sat Sep 21	8:00 AM	Stone Cross to Lug – Relay		Wicklow	IMRA Relay	2170m	54.00km
Sat Sep 21	8:00 AM	Glen of Aherlow Ultra Trail Run		Tipperary	IMRA Race	1500m	63.30km
Sat Sep 21	8:00 AM	Stone Cross to Lug – Solo		Wicklow	IMRA Race	2170m	54.00km
Sat Sep 21	10:00 AM	Glen of Aherlow Trail Marathon		Tipperary	IMRA Race	1000m	42.20km
Sat Sep 21	11:00 AM	Glen of Aherlow Trail Half-Marathon	MHM	Tipperary	IMRA Race	300m	21.00km
Sat Sep 28	11:00 AM	Galtee Challenge Duo race		Limerick	IMRA Race	1800m	27.00km
Sat Sep 28	12:00 PM	College Championship Glendalough		Wicklow	IMRA Race	552m	8.50km
Sun Sep 29	11:00 AM	Nav Challenge 2	NC	Wicklow	IMRA Race	456m	15.00km

*On this month (Archives)

Below is the results from the Scrabo race 2004, 20 years ago! The route was different, Jim Hayes was the race organiser, and some of the runners below wish they were still in the age category beside their name!

Scrabo 30-Jul-04
2 lap course 3.0 miles, 750 feet climb
1 David McNeilly 22:02
2 Shane Doherty B Under 18 22:16
3 Adam Mitten B Under 18 22:35
4 James Stewart B Under 18 22:52
5 Richard Rodgers V40 23:03
6 Owen Carlton B Under 18 23:15
7 Mark McManus 23:22
8 Mark Kendall 23:24
9 Richard Cowan 24:04
10 Dominic McGreevy V45 24:11
11 Eddie Cooke B Under 18 24:38
12 Eddie Bell V40 24:46
13 Evan Taylor 25:00
14 Ronnie Rutherford 26:00
15 James Surgenor B Under 18 26:01
16 Alwynne Shannon FV35 26:03
17 Stephen Kennedy 26:30
18 Marty McVeigh V50 26:39
19 Fred Hammond V50 26:54
20 Artie Holland 27:01
21 Shilleen O’Kane 27:04
22 Philip McGavrick 27:13
23 Andy Bridges 27:30
24 Sam Dunn 27:37
25 Brian Wilson 27:44
26 Norman Roberts 27:47
27 David Henderson V50 27:55
28 Dale Smith 27:56
29 Billy Magee V60 28:07
30 Vicky Clegg G Under 18 28:39
31 Ricky Cowan V55 28:48
32 Fred Boal V55 28:57
33 Donal O’Kane V40 29:28
34 Cath Coey F 30:27
35 Mark Eccles 30:52
36 Colin Smith 31:04
37 Kieran Wilson 31:54
38 Ann Hannon F 32:11
39 Ian Taylor V55 32:18
40 Maeve McKeag FV35 39:47
41 Dean Lawton 39:48

1 lap race          2.2 miles, 420 feet climb

1 Aveen O’Reilly G Under 16 18:00
2 Brendan O’Boyle B Under 16 18:14
3 Thomas Simpson B Under 14 18:36
4 Kristie Bell G Under 16 21:19
5 Kerry Iveston G Under 16 21:19
6 Nicola Simpson G Under 16 23:58

*Mountain Of The Month

Name: Slieve Foye

Height: 589m

Location: Cooley Mountains, Co Louth

Info: Overlooking Carlingford, it is the highest point in Co. Louth and the Cooley Mountain range, it boasts extensive views of the Mournes, Cooleys and down the east coast (if the cloud is not down!).

Race you will visit?: Flagstaff to Carlingford, Foxes Rock, Slieve Foye (obviously)