NIMRA ‘The Mountain Runner’ Newssheet September 2024

Welcome to our ninth edition of the monthly NIMRA newsletter ‘The Mountain Runner’, and we are pleased to show off the September 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

Ben Nevis Race 2024 (Sat 7th September)

Local crew ready to do their warm up for Ben Nevis

An usually hot September day certainly tested and pushed the boundaries for all concerned taking on the highest race in Scotland. Nevertheless some stellar performances across the board from our local runners and some history made. Read all about it here in Ciarans report.

Denis Rankin Round 10th Anniversary Relay (Sat 14th September)

Just some of the teams and supporters finishing up at the arch in Newcastle on Saturday evening.

In honour of the 10th anniversary of the founding of the iconic Mourne round named in memory of Denis Rankin, BARF staged an extremely well organised club relay race nestled between the end of the championship season and the Mourne 2 Day. 13 teams entered to take part with 5 runners each taking on each of the 5 legs. While the ground underfoot was fairly dry after a nice spell of weather the week before, the Friday night and into the Saturday morning brought high winds and some rain to test the runners out further, but with a quality field on show in each team, they had no difficulty in all completing the relay. The winning team was the Mourne Runners team ‘The Peak-Y Blinders’ of Ricky Hanna, Owen Boden, Peter McEvoy, Laurence Dorman & Joshua McAtee getting around in an impressive 13:11.

They were 7 minutes shy of BARFs relay record from 1st August 2020. However word is with the success and enjoyment of the event this will maybe become an annual fixture and hopefully more spread of clubs can rope in with a team or more to boost the numbers. Full report & photos will follow in due course, to see the results and tracking the link is here. The event raised a significant amount of funds (over £3k) towards the MMRT, if you missed a chance to donate, please click the link below.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/denis-rankin-round-relay?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fdenis-rankin-round-relay&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

Mourne Mountain Marathon 2024 (Sat 21-Sun 22nd September)

An awesome team

A big thank you from the committee to all our competitors, volunteers and sponsors who made this year’s event such a success. . Photos are on our Facebook page and provisional results can be found on our website. Here is a snapshot of the main results:

Elite Class
  • 1st…………………….Paul Pruzina/Philip Vokes 07:47:53
  • 2nd…………………..Shane Lynch/Adam Cunningham 08:38:22
  • 3rd……………………Keith Johnston/Tom Crudgington 10:29:55
  • 1st Mixed….……….Pippa Dakin/Dom Dakin 11:11:50
  • 1st Vet……………….Ian Jones/Duncan Harris 09:47:34
B Class 
  • 1st…………..….…..Alasdair McCallum/Tommy Begley 08:58:38
  • 2nd…………….….. Craig McCauley/William Shields 10:33:01 
  • 3rd………………….Paul Daniels/Richard Hetherington 10:35:26
  • 1st Female………. Denise Mathers/Hazel McLaughlin 09:34:38
  • 1st Mixed………….Finbar McGurren/Karen McGurren 10:52:22
  • 1st Vet………………Richard Hill/Charles Hill 10:23:47
  • 2nd Vet……………Giles Bailey/Jim Harris 10:48:25
  • 3rd Vet……..……Philip McGavock/Brian McCoubrey 12:50:28
C Class
  • 1st…………………Rob Truswell/Barney Sowood 07:38:40
  • 2nd……………….Tommy Lanigan/Aidan Lanigan 08:27:21
  • 3rd……………….John Wilson/Paul Elliott 08:53:18
  • 1st Female…………Jennifer Allan/Kathryn Powell 10:45:22
  • 1st Mixed……………William Winter/Claire Wilshaw 09:10:02
  • 1st Vet……………….Alan Elwood/Keith Patrick 09:00:31
  • 2nd Vet………………Claire Withers/Stephen Stewart 08:50:40
  • 3rd Vet……………..Christopher Donaghy/Finlay Ewen 09:57:02
D Class 
This is the novice non-competitive class so we give just one prize to the overall fastest team.
  • They were…………Graeme Reid/Cameron Reid 08:48:14
Score Class (one day)
  • 1st………………Ronan Davison-Kernan/William Imrie – 400 points
  • 2nd………………Niall Gibney/James Cuffey – 390 points
  • 3rd & 1st Mixed………………Graham Smyth/Chloe Brown – 360 points
  • 1st Female & 3rd Vet ………Denise O’Hagan/Pauline O’Hara – 280 points
  • 1st Vet ……..Sharon Dickenson/Steven Morgan – 310 points
  • 2nd Vet ………Owen Boden/John Trainor – 310 points

We’d love it if you could leave us a review on Racecheck and hopefully it will encourage others to take part in the event next year: https://racecheck.com/races/mourne-mountain-marathon

A big thanks to our lead sponsor Mac in a Sac and our other sponsors @Lilas who provided the prizes, Advance M&E, Kane and our supporter Harvey Maps

Full report to follow very soon and will include in the next edition…

IMRA Races September 2024

Post-race debate/stretching/recovery in Carlingford at the Foxes Rock race

The IMRA Leinster championship concluded a bit closer to home with the Foxes Rock race on Saturday 7th September. As the Ben Nevis contingent will tell you, it was a hotter than normal day for September and lack of shade or breeze was no different in Carlingford than it was in Fort William! While this didn’t trouble navigation the heat was sapping from the start and lack of water on the route meant it was hard work for all concerned.

Brian Furey won the race outright and as a result took 1st place in the championship overall. He was followed home by Con Halpin who also took part on the Sunday race on Slieve Foye and also came 2nd in that one too! Newcastle AC’s Pearse Brogan was sitting in 10th at the return visit to the Foye trig but managed to catch a couple down the gully to take 8th place. The final standings meant the Newcastle pair of Robbie Bryson & Pearse Brogan finished 7th & 12th respectively on the table, and also taking 1st in their age categories.

NEWS/OTHER

B&I Junior Mountain Running Championship 2024

NI/Ulster squad for the British & Irish Junior champs for 2024

This year’s British & Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships (also the Junior Home International) took place on Saturday 14 September in Laragh, County Wicklow. Ninety five athletes from Scotland, Wales, England, Ireland and Northern Ireland participated in the event. Team Managers Phil Hodge, Philip Magee and Nikki Graham were incredibly proud of all of our athletes – on and off the course. Read the full report and results here

Canfranc 2024 World Masters Mountain Running Championship

Class weather in the Pyrenees!

The world’s top master mountain runners converged on Canfranc, Spain, on 13th-15th September for the 2024 World Masters Mountain Running Championship. This year’s event was truly historic, marking the first time in the championship’s history that all three World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) modalities—Uphill, Classic, and Long Distance— were featured in the program. Amongst these athletes included 17 NIMRA / Northern Irish athletes competing for either Ireland or Great Britain. A full detailed report on the weekend activities is available here

The Magnetic North – Friday 18th October

• Six Great Alpine North Faces
• The North Ridge of Everest

To help raise funds for the new Mourne Mountain Rescue Team base the mountaineer Dawson Stelfox will give an illustrated talk about climbing on the great Alpine North Faces and the Irish Everest Expedition of 1993 which enabled him to become the first Irish man to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Dawson has been exploring the hills sincehis school days and has climbed in ranges all around the world. He was a leading light in Queens University Mountaineering Club both as a climber and an organizer, skills which were to stand him in good stead for future expeditions. In the Eighties he qualified as an Alpine Guide and during that time tackled the great North Faces of the Alps including the most famous of them all – the Eiger.

Trips to the Himalayas were to follow culminating in the Irish expedition to the North Ridge of Everest in 1993 and the successful ascent of it.

Throughout his life Dawson has also been involved in the more mundane but non the less essential work of Mountaineering Ireland in representing the interests of all hill users, adapting to changing times and protecting our hills from all manner of outside pressures.

He will be joined by his good friend Paddy Mallon who will host the evening and Jim Brown the organizer of the Mourne Mountain Marathon (and recent bard) who will recite a few poems from his Shoe Box collection! There will also be a tribute to the late Denis Rankin and the challenging  Denis Rankin Round created in his memory.

The evening will start at 19.30 and there will be an interval for tea and coffee and a chance to chat. Tickets can be purchased on the website here

LVO Family-Friendly Orienteering Coaching – Sunday 27th October

Would you love your kids to be more independent and active? Want them to find friends to run about with up mountains and in forests? Would you like to learn a new outdoor sport that the whole family can take part in?

Taking place every last Sunday of the month in Tollymore, LVO invites you to Running Wild, a chance for like-minded families to learn about orienteering together and find out how to get involved in our exciting club and sport.

For more information, check out LVO’s website: https://lvo.org.uk/allf…/juniors-families-coaching-oct-24/

And to register for our Sunday 27 October session (11am-12.30pm), sign-up here: https://forms.office.com/r/1nPxMR54Cs

*Upcoming fixtures

Saturday 12th October – Mourne Skyline & Skyline Ultra

October 2024 (IMRA)

Fri Oct 47:30 PMWomens Night ChallengeWicklowIMRA Race277m7.00km
Sun Oct 611:00 AMBrandon Ridge Half MarathonMHMKerryIMRA Race1260m21.00km
Sun Oct 611:00 AMBrandon Ridge Half MarathonMHMKerryIMRA Race1260m21.00km
Fri Oct 118:00 PMGlendalough Night ChallengeNCSWicklowIMRA Race490m10.00km
Sun Oct 1310:30 AMNav Challenge 3NCWicklowIMRA Race975m17.00km
Sun Oct 1311:00 AMCanon Sheehan Loop – Glenanaar ForestMSLCorkIMRA Race480m16.00km
Fri Oct 189:00 PM**Wicklow Way Race**IUCWicklowIMRA Race3665m127.00km
Fri Oct 258:00 PMHellfire Spooky Night ChallengeNCSWicklowIMRA Race250m8.00km
Sat Oct 267:05 PMHalloween Spooky 5kmCorkIMRA Race100m5.00km
Sat Oct 267:45 PMHalloween Half MarathonCorkIMRA Race300m21.00km

*On this month (Archives)

Following BARFs organization and hosting of the DRR Relay, lets look back to one of their other crazy invented challenges, this time from 2006…

BARF’S GRAND DAY OUT

Friday 18th August, teatime, 12 hours to go until the start of the inaugural BARF challenge, and the heavens open. Rain, rain and more rain. But only one phone call querying if the challenge is still on.

Rostrevor, Saturday morning, 6.30 and it’s still raining as ten BARFer’s set off on the first of eleven Hill & Dale race routes to be completed within a 24 hour period. Last nights caller is left hanging on the telephone.

The BARF challenge was devised at the BARF AGM when Dave Ewart suggested that completing the eleven Hill and Dales race routes within a twenty-four hour period would pose a suitably stiff challenge. This was enthusiastically greeted as being ‘a good idea’ and the planning started. As far as we were aware, nobody else had undertaken this run previously and it was a big challenge keeping our intentions within the club in order that no other club would attempt to steal our thunder. The project was known as ‘Hills & Dales in a Day’, not even an Enigma code breaker could work that out.

At our monthly post-training pizza feast, various routes were suggested and discarded until we finally agreed on what we considered to be the optimum route. The challenge would start in Rostrevor and work it’s way clockwise around the Mournes, the completion being at the top of Binnian. A schedule was devised allowing two hours per route, leaving a cushion of two hours in case we got waylaid, hopefully in a pub!!

Rostrevor, Saturday morning, 6.30 and it’s still raining as ten BARFer’s set off to the summit of Slieve Martin, the first of eleven Hill & Dale race routes to be completed within a 24 hour period. An easy jog up onto the open mountain and then off along the fence to the summit. No chance of any scenic views over Carlingford Lough as the mist is ever-present. A group photograph at the trig point and then a jog downhill to the finish. First one in the bag, one and a quarter hours gone.

Rocky was next, no hanging about the car park as the midges are starting to appear as the rain eases. A jog up the track, staying faithful to this year’s race route and then a run across the mist shrouded summits. Team photo at the top of rocky and a jog downhill back to the car park. No dramas and another hour and a quarter on the hills. Dave produces an enormous Tupperware box of pasta and proceeded to dig into it with gusto. A quick cup of tea and then off to Hen and Cock. The number of routes to complete is now in single figures.

A very brief discussion took place as to whether we would drive up Hen track but as nobody was driving a tractor or Landrover, we all parked in the car park. Andy Bridge is caught taking additional energy supplements – blackberries. The rain has stopped, coats in bumbags and we’re off. A brisk walk up Hen, jog down the other side, a longer brisk walk up Cock, the obligatory summit photograph and a return over the way we came. No dramas, another hour and a quarter on the hills and eight more to go. The blackberries were yummy.

We are on schedule and head to the Spelga Dam car park for the first of our regrouping and refuelling stops. Dave produces his pasta bucket and digs in. Norma produces a more ladylike portion and digs in. Public toilets are visited (in twos if you’re female). Kettles are filled and boiled, warm clothes donned and everybody is in good spirits. Brian Ervine appears from behind the dam on a training run and becomes the first person outside BARF to be made aware of what we are doing – he’s suitably impressed by our madness. A quick check of the watch to ensure that we are keeping to our schedule, wagons roll and we are off to Deers Meadow for the assault on Slieve Moughanmore.

At Deers Meadow we meet the S.A.R.D.A. (Search and Rescue Dogs Association) on a training exercise. Having worn the same wet kit since the start, you would not need one of these dogs to find us if we got lost (imagine!!), we are very pungent from up to two miles down wind. We trot off on the now traditional diagonal route across Pigeon, over the wall, down to the stream and up to the summit of Slieve Moughanmore. We are surprised that despite the recent heavy rain, this years race conditions are not repeated, it’s actually quite dry underfoot. We take a long pause at the top for photos – Fred is now attempting arty farty snapshots – and a discussion about the best route for the upcoming Spelga Skyline race takes place. On the way back over Pigeon we encounter a Duke of Ed. group frying sausages for lunch – Dave and Gerry start to salivate over the smell from the stoves. Another cup of tea, more banana’s and energy drinks and we’re off to tackle Slieve Loughshannagh. Four down, seven to go.

The weather is perfect as we trot over Carn, around the lake and up to the summit of Doan – more photos. Pub quiz question ‘How many H&D race routes can you see from the top of Doan?’. Off we go over Slieve Loughshannagh and a gentle jog down Ott to finish. This is the longest race route of the day and takes an hour and three quarters. Dave and Gerry are still talking about the sausages. We are having more food and energy drinks when the heavens suddenly open (again) and another downpour develops. Quickly into the cars and head for Meelmore Meelbeg.

Off we go, a brisk walk up Meelmore, still sticking to this years race route, a pause at the tower for yet more photos, then on to Meelbeg. The weather’s closing in a bit, drizzle and mist. Half way up Meelbeg Trevor’s mobile rings – it’s expectant father Jim Brown enquiring how we are getting on. Trevor tells him about the weather, Jim says he’s basking in the sun at present. What’s that cheering? Quiet!! It’s SUN, not SON!! Nothing has popped yet. No time to dally at the top of Meelbeg due to the stench from dead sheep, one group photo beside a headless ewe and then off to the finish through the mist. That’s the mountain routes completed, now into the forests. Six done, five to go, we’re on the homeward stretch and still on schedule.

The group are now scheduled to have their second pit stop to refuel and regroup at Meelmore Lodge. The thought of a bacon butty and hot tea has kept us going but as it’s nearly six o’clock there is a dreaded thought creeping in that the café might be closed. Worry, worry but no need to worry. Neville’s wife Eileen appears as support crew, carrying two pizza’s (still warm – the luxury!) and a couple of dozen jammy croissants. The pasta buckets and Meelmore Lodge are forgotten as we tuck into the luxury food right at the bottom of Happy Valley – aptly named for today. Fred has a bathe in the river, dons fresh clothes and announces he’s off home, forest runs don’t inspire him. Ian Taylor has been feeling unwell for the last two routes and announces that he’s also off home. Ian’s final contribution is route maps for the forest routes, which are to prove priceless later on. Stephanie was also due to depart at this stage but was enjoying it all so much she was persuaded to stay by Norma for at least one more route. What powers of persuasion does Norma have? By plonking herself in the front seat of the Pruzina Toyota and refusing to move until she has been driven to the next race start! Norma has no problems getting a taxi in Belfast on a Saturday night!!

We are now down to eight hardy souls and have been on the go for twelve hours. We propose an amendment to the published schedule in that we will go to Castlewellan after the Tullymore routes, so off to the Mountain Centre for number seven.

At the Mountain Centre one thought is on everybody’s mind – a change of clothing and footwear. With everybody in fresh, clean clothing and changed into dry running shoes, the sun shining and coats left behind in cars, we head off on the forest tracks. The girls start five minutes early with the lads following behind. Within twenty minutes the lads have their first navigation conundrum – do we head up this fire break or is it one further along the track? A debating huddle is formed and a decision made, rightly as it turned out. Rain plops are now falling, quickly followed by a deluge, all fresh clothes and dry shoes are soaked. Good idea to leave our coats in the car. Anybody who knows both Tullymore routes (and I know six BARFer’s who don’t) is aware that one particular track is used for both races, only run in opposite directions. So the lads were running downhill along this track and suddenly the girls appear running uphill along the same track! How the lads laughed, the girls have got it wrong!! Another debating huddle ensued while both groups put forward their reasons for being right but no consensus was reached. Both groups went their separate ways, the lads realising at the bottom of the track that the girls were right. About turn and off to the finish to be greeted by grinning girls – muttered apologies but gloat factor of 10. Stephanie decides to stay for one more route. More tea, bananas and energy drink. Only four to go!!

In Bryansburn we park our vehicles at Neville’s house and walk over to the start, a quick visit to proper loo’s on the way. We are very confident over the Monument route as this happens to be Neville’s fav. training run, so off we go together with Neville at the helm. Dusk is settling in so we have head torches at the ready and indeed they are needed in the later stages. Thanks to Neville, no dramas and an hour and a quarter later we are at the finish. Off to Neville’s house to visit Eileen for tea and buns. Stephanie stays for one more. Three to go.

It’s now officially dark as we park up in the lakeside car park in Castlewellan Forest. Coats and head torches on and off we go, following Ian’s maps. Everybody is running together and it’s not long before we’ve missed the proper turn off – where are those sawdust lines when they are most needed?  Retrace our steps, find a reference point and get back on track. Some reference points are hard to find – don’t think that finding a castle in dark woods is easy- time is starting to tick away as we miss more track turn-offs. Trevor’s mobile rings again, it’s expectant father Jim Brown checking up on our progress. Have a bit of a start stop conversation before the signal gets lost in the trees – just like the eight remaining Barfer’s. We eventually complete the course but it takes a mammoth two and a quarter hours, that’s well behind our schedule and has eaten into our two hour cushion. At this stage Andy Bridge decides to call it quits and heads back to Belfast, well knackered. Andy had the joy of having a meeting in Carlingford on Friday night and electing to sleep in the back of his car in Rostrevor rather than driving all the way home and back again – it’s disappointing but fatigue has caught up with him at last. Seven people left with two more routes to go, four and three quarter hours left to complete the challenge – will we do it? More pasta and energy drinks to help us on our way.

We arrive in Newcastle at chucking out time, Norma still firmly ensconced in the front seat of Stephanie’s car. There is four and a half hours to complete the challenge. We park on the main street and head off to Donard Park, mixing with the revellers, who pose a strange sight. Off we go up the Glen river, Gerry at our head with the map, determined to make no more detours. Donard forest is littered with mountain bike trails and finding the correct one in the dark takes a lot of concentration. We safely make it through the forest and onto the open mountain, up to the quarry and then the final descent back into the forest and return to Donard Park. While we were methodical, we were also slow, eating up another two hours of precious time. We decide that there is no time for a brew and head off for Binnian with two hours twenty minutes to go.

It’s still dark and head-torches are on. The girls set off first, the boys catching them up at the quarry. Gareth leads up along the right hand side of the quarry to the wall and then it’s just a straight climb up to the wall junction. Lots of glances at watches on the climb until we reach the wall junction and it becomes clear that we are going to complete on time. It’s cold on the climb due to the wind off the sea and head torches are switched off as the light is shining back into our faces due to the mist. We all wait at the wall junction until everybody is gathered and then make the final climb to the top of Binnian – a round of applause to ourselves as we reach the summit – Brrrrrr – the cold wind blowing over the top quickly forces up back down another 10m before we sit down and have a rest. Gerry pulls two cans of cider out of his rucksack and we have a drink out of a varied selection of tumblers to celebrate our achievement.

42 minutes short of the 24 hours, (well paced you might say) – challenge completed.

A gentle jog downhill back to the cars, noting that dawn has broken while we were up in the mist, a few photographs, then it’s into dry clothes, into the car and off home for a well earned rest. A typical 24 hours in the life of BARF?

The seven people who completed the BARF challenge were,

Dave Ewart

Gerry Kingston

Gareth McKeown

Stephanie Pruzina

Norma Rea

Neville Watson

Trevor Wilson

The challenge covered 43 miles of mountain and forest terrain and over 5000m of climbing (without the backtracking in the forests).

Trevor Wilson

Running Secretary.

*Mountain Of The Month

Belfast from Divis

Name: Divis

Height: 478m

Location: Belfast hills, Co.Antrim

Info: Situated on the north-west moorland above Belfast, it is the high point overlooking the city. It hosts the Divis transmitter which is visible for miles in every direction, and is owned by the National Trust with plenty of family-friendly walking trails

Race you will visit?: None yet… watch this space

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