May Marathon Madness

As the sun made a welcome appearance over Northern Ireland this past week, runners across the region enjoyed ideal conditions for training. The arrival of warm spring weather brought with it renewed energy and excitement, just in time for one of the biggest events on the local running calendar: the Belfast City Marathon.

But before Sunday’s main event, Saturday saw Scrabo Striders out in force at ten different parkruns across the country. With many keeping their legs fresh for the marathon the following day, it was still an impressive turnout. Comber parkrun was as popular as ever, with 26 Striders toeing the line. Mark Halus led the pack home in a solid 21:45, while Callum McCready showed excellent progress with a fantastic PB of 25:14. Over in Bangor, Jenny Taylor was the first Strider to finish, clocking 21:47, and Laurie Gaffney celebrated a personal best of 31:46. Victoria parkrun saw Nicola Forsythe unleash her speed, notching up a PB of 28:23. All in all, it was a strong showing ahead of the marathon challenge.

On Sunday, May 4th, the streets of Belfast were transformed into a celebration of fitness, community, and sheer endurance. The 2025 Belfast City Marathon kicked off in iconic style from Stormont Estate’s Prince of Wales Avenue, welcoming over 6,500 marathon runners and more than 20,000 participants across the full marathon, relay, and walking events. Among them, an impressive contingent of over 70 Scrabo Striders took part, with 27 completing the full 26.2 miles, a true testament to months of dedication and training.

The atmosphere was electric, and for four Striders, it marked their marathon debut. Niall McIver led the debutants home with a blistering time of 3:11:10, followed by Rebecca Robinson at 3:43:18. Naiomi Magowan crossed the line in 4:22:57 and Karen Wilson completed her marathon journey in 4:49:50. Each performance reflected the hard work and determination poured into training throughout the winter and early spring.

Gary Lyttle demonstrated exactly what dedication looks like, storming home as the first Strider in an incredible personal best of 3:03:23. Just behind was Norman Mawhinney, making a triumphant return to form with a 3:06:39 finish, securing him the 1st M65 place, just one week after tackling the London Marathon and two weeks after Boston. That’s three marathons in as many weeks!

Craig Simpson had a point to prove, and he did so in style. After a year of focused training, he achieved a staggering 1 hour and 10 minute personal best, smashing the sub-4-hour barrier with a time of 3:27:22. Rachel Bell also had her eyes set on a sub-3:45 finish, and despite troublesome blisters, she pulled off a determined 3:43:31 PB.

Colette McKelvey and Jenna Lavery were among other Striders celebrating personal bests, finishing in 3:59:11 and 4:27:11, respectively. Maxine Dines continued her strong run of form, clocking a course PB of 3:55:09 and her 85th Marathon, just weeks after completing Paris and Boston marathons! Also tacking his second Marathon in as many weeks was Paul Blair coming in at 4:39:28, after being roasted at London Marathon last week. Also getting a CPB was Liam Roger at 5:02:53 in preparation for the Norn Iron 100.

For some, however, the focus wasn’t on the clock, but on cause. Michael Warke took part in the marathon with friends to raise money for Sands NI, helping bring in over £3,000 for the charity. It was a reminder that marathon running is as much about heart as it is about speed, and a magnificent amount of money was raised for a great cause.

For those who preferred a shorter, but no less spirited challenge, the marathon relay offered a brilliant alternative. The “Relay-Ables” team, led by Jenny Taylor, were the first Strider team home in a speedy 3:35:20, with Jenny running not one, but two legs of the relay. Continuing the theme of double staging  the “Johnston X2” team turned the event into a family affair, with Sarah Johnston tackling the first two stages and George Johnston finishing off the last three, in a time of 3:48:35.

Other teams also shone on the day: “The Scrabthroners” came in just under the four-hour mark at 3:57:19, followed by “The ScraboSwifties” at 4:09:53 and “Notsofastfeet” at 4:23:38. The “Tuesday Night Runs” and “Daisy Divas” teams both beat the five-hour mark. One of the most heartwarming performances came from “Amy’s Angels,” led by Nicola Forsythe, who were running to raise funds for the Ulster Hospital Intensive Care unit, and in total raised more than £4,300. “The Shufflers” rounded off the Scrabo relay presence with a finish time of 5:38:37, proof that everyone, no matter the pace, contributed to an unforgettable day.

Meanwhile, the Scrabo Juniors were not to be outdone. Though many were busy supporting their parents and clubmates in Belfast, a handful still turned out to represent the club. At Comber junior parkrun, Striders took the top three spots—huge congratulations to Harry Harper, who clocked a PB of 8:47 to take first place, followed by Toby Heywood in 8:52 and Joe Brown in 9:03. Other young talents included Heath Farrington 9:20, Michael Bingham 10:41, and Charlie Stewart 12:42. At Bangor junior parkrun, Iona Chanas secured third female with a time of 9:50, while Layla McNamara completed the course in 12:34.

After such a monumental weekend, the club celebrated in style with a well-earned meal at Le Winters. Special thanks go to George and Donna Johnston for organising the event, and to Michael Warke for providing the evening’s entertainment. A raffle was held at the event raising another £500 for the Ulster Hospital ICU.

The Scrabo Striders are far from slowing down. Next up is “Run the Runways” on Friday 9th May, an event that has already sold out, though spectators are welcome. Looking ahead, entries are now open for the Ards Half Marathon, taking place on 27th June 2025, on a course with spectacular views over Newtownards and surrounding area.

By Chris Edwards