Cleared for Take Off: Scrabo Striders Deliver another Fast and Flat Favourite!

By Sarah Luce

The Regent Flooring Run the Runways returned on Friday evening with over 600 runners lining up on the tarmac in the biggest ever turnout of this annual event. The weather was ideal and those hoping for a Personal Best (PB) were not disappointed.

The junior runners were the first to take to the runway, tackling an out-and-back 2K course. Amongst the Scrabo Striders, Junior Captains Iona Chanas and Joshua Bingham led the way, both achieving closely matched finishes in 6th and 7th place respectively. Both secured PBs (07.14) and (07.17). Hamish Orr-Stewart also had a top 10 finish (10th) in 07.23. The remainder of the junior squad delivered outstanding runs with PBs for: Dougie Forster, Logan Fowles, Toby Heywood, Rory Braniff, James Stevenson, Elijah Ferguson, Caleb Edwards, Michael Bingham, Lyla McNamara, Nathaniel Frazer, Hannah Breen, Katie Roulston, Harriet Frazer, Kya Murdoch, Kalia Murdoch, and Kendra Murdoch and a CPB for Olly Simpson.

Following the juniors, the 5K one loop segment of the course saw fierce competition, with notable performances from Scrabo Striders. Matt Bell finished 7th in 18.21, closely followed by Trevor Woodside in 8th in 18.26. The momentum for sub-20-minute finishes continued with Harry McCready coming in with a PB of 18.36, Andy Haylett 18.49, James Cole-Boyle 19.16, Matthew Stevenson PB 19.21, Dave Stevenson 19.30, and Luke Braniff also a PB 19.36. The adults matched with the juniors with personal bests throughout. In the sub-25-minute category, Gus Forster led the pack with a time of 20.25, followed by Karen Collins at 22.45, Lynsey Cleland at 23.21, Andy Scase at 23.22, Louise Bingham at 23.39, and Katy Lyttle 24.53. Sub-30-minute PBs were Karen Wilson 25.12, Alyson Graham 25.22, Sarah Luce 25.30, Catherine Lavery (CPB) 25.57, Clare McIlveen (CPB) 26.17, Sharon Murdoch 27.43 and Karen Warnock 27.44.

Additionally, Diandra Lee, Rosemary Harper, and John Potts all marked course personal bests, finishing in 31.54, 31.57, and 31.58 respectively. Paul Breen rounded off the group with a personal best time of 32.14.

Nine Striders took on the challenge of the two loop 10K course, showing determination and skill over the extended distance. Leading the group, Norman Mawhinney was the first Strider to cross the finish line, recording an impressive time of 41.18. Hot on his heels, Jonathan Caughey finished in 41.47, closely followed by Jordan McIntyre with a PB of 42.07. The strong performances continued, with Ben Palfreyman setting a PB of 51.51, Joanna Gallagher with a PB of 54.12, and Gareth Gordon rounding off the PB achievements in 01.01.42.

Hill and Dale Series

On Thursday evening, Simon Ferguson and Karen Collins represented Striders in Race four of the Hill and Dale Series, tackling the formidable Binnian course. Renowned for its demanding climb this is considered one of the most challenging races in the series, owing to its relentless ascent and tough terrain. Simon completed the race in an impressive time of 37.46, while Karen Collins cracked the course in 50.01.

Member of the Month

For April, Alyson Graham was recognised as the female captain’s choice for Member of the Month. Alyson demonstrated exceptional commitment throughout the month, achieving PBs at both the 5K and half marathon distances. She remained a consistent presence at training sessions and contributed significantly to her team’s strong finish in the Belfast Marathon Relay.

Parkrun

On Saturday, Striders were present at thirteen different locations. Notable mentions go to Richard Bovill who celebrated his 100 milestone on his first visit to Castlewellan, Steve Tate for achieving a new PB of 23.43 at Comber and Georgia McGonigal took some of her hen weekend celebrations to Waterworks. A bit further afield on the tourist streak, Michael Burgess ran at Vaaksyn Kanava in Finland while Gareth Davies completed the Brooklyn Bridge Parkrun in New York.

Junior Parkrun

On Sunday morning, the junior Striders took to their respective 2K courses, with many still energised from their performances on Friday evening. At Comber, Heath Farrington claimed first place, closely followed by Joshua Bingham and Keara Simpson (first female). Michael Bingham celebrated a new PB 09.41. At Belfast Victoria, sole Strider Rory Braniff set a new PB of 08.32 while teammate Lyla McNamara also ran a PB of 10.19 at Bangor.