All Surfaces, all Strengths: A Standout Week of Events for Striders! By Sarah Luce

Welcoming Our Sponsors at Training

At Wednesday evening’s training session, we had the pleasure of welcoming our two generous sponsors who made the acquisition of our 8 Strides Tops possible: Guy Metcalfe of the Strangford Arms Hotel and John Quigg of Back to Better Physiotherapy.  Their support has been invaluable to our team, and we were delighted to express our gratitude in person. As a gesture of thanks, each sponsor was presented with an 8 Strides Top to wear, along with a framed version as a token of our appreciation. Once again, our heartfelt thanks to both Guy Metcalfe and John Quigg for their support and commitment to our team, thank you both for making a real difference!

NI and Ulster Intermediate and Masters XC Championships

Saturday saw two Striders proudly representing the club at the NI and Ulster Intermediate and Masters Cross Country Championships, held at Lurgan Park. In the Masters Men’s event, Steven Hanna tackled the 8K distance, completing it in a time of 44 minutes. Meanwhile, Norman Mawhinney delivered an outstanding performance in the Masters Men 65+ category, securing second place on the podium after finishing the 4K course in a swift 17 minutes and 28 seconds.

Manchester Hyrox 2026

Across the water, Colin Harper took part in the solo category at Manchester Hyrox. Colin completed the event in an impressive time of 1.28.03, with the 8K run portion finished in 40.53. This performance was a significant achievement, being 7 minutes faster than his previous Hyrox outing, and he managed this feat whilst also raising vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Also competing was coach Michael Warke who competed in the Pro Doubles category, delivering an outstanding result with a time of 59.35.

Parkrun Highlights

Saturdays Parkruns saw Striders taking part in 11 different venues. Karen Collins got a PB of 23.30 at Comber placing her 3rd female. The Blair trio ventured to Queens where it was a first time for Lyndsey and Lydia while Sarah, Harry and Calum made the road trip to County Tyrone to Loughmacrory where Harry got his first 2nd place finish. David Morton gave Ormeau a try for the first time while Faye and Cheryl Alexander got CPBs at Montalto and Martin Oakman got a CPB at Stormont, well done all!

Junior Parkrun Achievements

This week, our junior members showcased their talent and commitment by representing the club at two different Parkrun venues. At Victoria, Heath Farrington delivered a remarkable performance by securing first place overall, demonstrating both speed and determination. Over at Comber, the Juniors continued their success with Harry McCready also finishing first. Additionally, Keara Simpson made an impressive impact by being the first female to cross the line at Comber. These achievements reflect the growing strength and enthusiasm within our junior ranks, and we are extremely proud of their outstanding efforts.