Scrabo Hill Race 2026
Thursday 20 August 2026 | Scrabo Country Park, Newtownards 7.2km | 365m ascent | Two laps, finishing at the top of Scrabo Tower
Organised and hosted by Ballydrain Harriers, under Race Director Andrew Wallace, this year’s Scrabo Hill Race once again drew a strong and competitive field to the country park, with 96 runners crossing the line from clubs right across Northern Ireland and beyond — including visiting athletes from Fleet & Crookham Athletics Club and Hallamshire Harriers in England. The demanding two-lap format, climbing and descending Scrabo’s rocky trails before a final push to the tower, is always a serious test, and this year’s edition lived up to its reputation in full.
Conditions
The morning had brought heavy, persistent rain to Newtownards, and there were more than a few anxious glances skyward from runners arriving to register and collect numbers. True to form for a Northern Irish summer’s evening, though, the weather turned in time for the start, and the field set off on dry underfoot conditions. That was a welcome break given the terrain — Scrabo’s rock and grass sections are unforgiving even when dry, and a wet race would have made the two laps considerably more treacherous. As ever, the marshals stationed around the course drew high praise, keeping runners safely on route across both laps of what is a genuinely technical hill circuit.
The Men’s Race
At the front, Jared Martin (Ballydrain Harriers) was in imperious form, breaking clear early and controlling the race across both laps to win in 26:50 — agonisingly close to the course record, missing it by only a matter of seconds. It was as good a run as Scrabo has seen in some time, and a real statement given the depth of the field.
Behind him, the battle for the minor placings was tighter. Niall McCartan (BARF) ran a strong, well-paced race to take 2nd, crossing the line 1:11 down on the winner, while Rudy Mayne made it a good day for the hosts by claiming 3rd for Ballydrain Harriers, just 9 seconds further back. Aaron Macauley, running unattached, held off the chasing pack to round out the top four, with Arthur Taylor (Fleet & Crookham Athletics Club) — competing in the U18 category — an excellent 5th overall.
The Women’s Race
The women’s race proved much harder to call than the result might suggest. Rebecca Magee (Newcastle and District AC) set a bold pace from the gun and led the women’s field at the end of the first lap, looking every bit the likely winner as she pushed hard up the early climbs. But the second lap told a different story: she was gradually reeled in and eventually passed as the race wore on, with fresher legs proving decisive on the closing stages.
It was Naomi McCurry (Glens Runners) who came through to take the win, finishing 20th overall in 34:49 — a well-judged run that got stronger exactly when it mattered.
Perhaps the most eye-catching performance, however, came from Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn Running Club), who has enjoyed a fine season. Wilton started conservatively, well off the early pace, but that patient tactic paid dividends in spectacular fashion: she worked her way steadily through the women’s field lap by lap and arrived at the tower a mere stone’s throw behind Naomi, taking the FV50 category win in the process.
Club Teams
With 96 finishers spread across more than 20 clubs, the depth of participation was one of the stories of the day. North Down AC fielded the largest contingent, with 17 finishers across the men’s and women’s races and a wide spread of age categories. BARF (13 finishers) and hosts Ballydrain Harriers (9 finishers, including the race winner and 3rd place) were also well represented, alongside a strong turnout of 11 from Orangegrove AC and 8 from Newcastle and District AC. A large unattached contingent — 14 runners racing without club colours — also featured prominently throughout the results.
Top 10 Finishers
| Pos | Name | Club | Time | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jared Martin | Ballydrain Harriers | 26:50 | — |
| 2nd | Niall McCartan | BARF | 28:01 | +1:11 |
| 3rd | Rudy Mayne | Ballydrain Harriers | 28:10 | +1:20 |
| 4th | Aaron Macauley | Unattached | 31:10 | +4:20 |
| 5th | Arthur Taylor | Fleet & Crookham AC | 31:50 | +5:00 |
| 6th | Jonathan Gibson | North Down AC | 31:51 | +5:01 |
| 7th | David McKeague | North Down AC | 32:15 | +5:25 |
| 8th | Simon Hodge | Newcastle and District AC | 32:22 | +5:32 |
| 9th | Finn Johnson | North Down AC | 32:29 | +5:39 |
| 10th | Otto Wightman | Hallamshire Harriers | 33:33 | +6:43 |
Category Winners
| Category | Winner | Club | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Men | Jared Martin | Ballydrain Harriers | 26:50 |
| Senior Women | Naomi McCurry | Glens Runners | 34:49 |
| U18 Men | Arthur Taylor | Fleet & Crookham AC | 31:50 |
| M40 | Jonathan Gibson | North Down AC | 31:51 |
| M45 | David McKeague | North Down AC | 32:15 |
| M50 | Martin McMullan | Newcastle and District AC | 37:21 |
| M55 | Jamie Andrews | North Down AC | 38:53 |
| M60 | Simon Boyle | North Down AC | 38:02 |
| M65 | Dominic McGreevy | Newcastle and District AC | 40:36 |
| M75 | Ricky Cowan | Mourne Runners | 1:07:51 |
| F40 | Katherine Moore | Ballydrain Harriers | 45:04 |
| F45 | Shelley Bennett | Orangegrove AC | 40:56 |
| F50 | Karen Wilton | Jog Lisburn Running Club | 34:58 |
| F55 | Abby Andrews | North Down AC | 40:45 |
| F60 | Aine McNeill | Unattached | 44:42 |
Several category battles were worth a mention in their own right. Jonathan Gibson led home a North Down AC clean sweep of the men’s veteran categories at the sharp end, taking MV40 in 6th overall, while club colleague David McKeague was first MV45 in 7th — North Down’s strength in depth showing throughout the results. In the women’s veteran ranks, Katherine Moore gave Ballydrain Harriers a category win in FV40, and Aine McNeill, racing unattached, took the FV60 title. At the other end of the age spectrum, Ricky Cowan (Mourne Runners) was the sole MV75 finisher, completing both laps in 1:07:51 for a thoroughly well-earned category win.
Summary
With 96 finishers battling two tough laps of Scrabo before topping out at the Tower, this year’s race delivered close racing at the front of both the men’s and women’s fields, a near-miss on the course record, and some real tactical drama in the shape of Karen Wilton’s late charge through the women’s field. Add to that a heavy morning of rain giving way to dry, if still testing, conditions, and it made for a memorable edition of a race that continues to be one of the toughest and most popular fixtures on the Northern Ireland hill-running calendar.
Thanks go to Race Director Andrew Wallace, the marshals whose positioning and support around the course drew praise from runners throughout the field, and hosts Ballydrain Harriers for organising another excellent edition of this Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association (NIMRA) fixture.
Full Results can be found on the results page – https://www.nimra.org.uk/index.php/2026-results/
