All go for Scrabo at the Mayfair

A relatively quiet weekend of racing for our members this week but we’ve still managed to find races throughout the country from Ballyclare to Newry.

The racing started on Saturday with the Mayfair event in Ballyclare which was organised for it’s 9th year by County Antrim Harriers starting from Ballyclare Rugby Club and the event consists of a 5K and a 10K race but our 2 striders opted for the 10K race with Norman Mawhinney and Georgia McGonigal crossing the start line here. Norman finished in an impressive 40.55 to be 2nd M65 and Georgia finished in 65.21 so very well done to both of you.

Next up was the very well supported Race for life Belfast race at Stormont which includes to climbs of the big hill or one if doing the 5K and is a massive fundraiser for Cancer Research UK and taking on the 5K was the mother and son combination of Emma Clements and Parker Clements and they finished the 5K in a very impressive 29.17. One club member was doing the 10K and Trevor Woodside ran an amazing time of 38.33 and actually won the race so a massive congratulations to him on a great result but more importantly all 3 have helped to raise funds for this very worthwhile charity.

Next up was the trip to Newry for the Newry Half Marathon and 10K organised by Newry City Runners starting and finishing at Albert Basin along the Quayside and a very well organised event using the Quays shopping centre for pack collection and also the finishing area for the much appreciated and needed food and drink area with Subway and Erdinger  as well as other things.

Prior to the start of the half marathon Lyla McNamara completed the kids 2K race.

Taking on the Half marathon was Jonathan Winter who ran an impressive 1.37.17 which was a course pb and next in was Mark Halus in an equally impressive 1.41.54 to clock an overall pb and last of our club racers at this event was Judith Boyd who came in 2.00.45 and one club member Graeme McGowan was doing pacer duty at the event being the sub 2.20 pacer coming in at 2.19.59.

The 10K race was set off half hour after the Half Marathon and was filtered into the same course having a shorter turning point on the carriageway going 5K out then a straight 5K return. First in was Michael Williams running a course pb time of 50.19 and next in was Sarah Luce 56.34 shortly followed by Dee Patterson in a time of 57.19 and rounding out the race for our striders was Jasmine Holden who not only got an overall pb but not only broke an hour for the first time she smashed the hour barrier in a time of 58.46 so some really great racing by all of our athletes to throughout all of the events.

The weekend wouldn’t is the weekend without the weekly parkrun take up and again our striders got to events ranging far and wide with an impressive 86 striders taking part at 19the most popular option being comber with an impressive 15 striders taking part Stormont so an impressive 14 striders with club member Donna Johnston celebrating her 25 parkrun here also. Bangor also had a big turn out with 9striders running here and further away at one of the very new parkrun in their 3rd event Lurgan park saw 8 striders running here. Another milestone this time Darren Johnston had his 100th parkrun at Hillsborough Forest and he had a great bunch of striders helping him celebrate his milestone with 8 striders running here. Other parkruns included Antrim with the 3 Alexander’s making the trip and the trio of Elijah and Simon Ferguson and Karen Collins making the trip to Oosterplas in Holland for an international parkrun and our furthest travelled parkrun. 4 done Crawfordsburn and Knockbracken respectively and Belfast Victoria was popular with 6 striders opting for here. Carlingwark loch, the valley, Clapham Common, Loughmacrory, Montalto, Orangefield, Portrush rounded out the parkrun venues this week.

As has become tradition in may the club has had their captain’s and vice captain’s challenge weeks which are very successful and important and bringing the club together and spreading the all-inclusive vibe throughout the club equally longstanding pillars of the club aswell as new members to engage and feel involved. Ranging from running to club haunts to running in brand new areas or doing something new to meeting someone new and having that icebreaker with them to learn about them and also let them know about yourself so far it has been so engaging and it ends this upcoming week with our captains challenge the thunder til you chunder scrabo trails challenge and as he has said it’s a similar challenge like parkrun or our 3K Time Trial but the emphasis is on the individual doing the event however they see fit walk and run if and when you feel like it. This is our Wednesday night session and it would great to see as many down as possible.

Like what you have read and interested in joining this club is for everyone with our all abilities approach to racing training and social runs come along mainly at LDP Monday and Wednesday 7.15 for our main sessions with our injury and progression group sessions Tuesday and Thursday evenings LDP 7.15 and the non coach led social run 9am Conway Square Sunday Morning and Friday Night Social as well as Sonya’s trails Sunday night 7pm from the mountain road to round out the week so plenty of range and times to suit everyone.