Striders Take On All Distances

By Chris Edwards

It was another hugely successful and action-packed weekend for Scrabo Striders, with members representing the club across endurance events, road races and parkruns throughout the province.

Argory Twilight Endurance Challenge

Two brave Striders travelled to the stunning Argory Estate in Dungannon to take on the demanding Argory Twilight Endurance Challenge.

The beautiful National Trust property, originally built in the 1820s and set within a breathtaking 320-acre estate bordering the Blackwater River, provided the backdrop for what proved to be an unforgettable challenge.

Starting at 6pm on Saturday evening, competitors had one simple goal, to complete as many laps as possible of the 3.3km course within a gruelling 12-hour time limit.

Huge congratulations go to Sonya Summersgill and Craig Simpson, who showed incredible determination and resilience throughout the night, completing an outstanding 76.9km (47.8 miles). A remarkable achievement by both runners and a testament to their endurance and mental strength.

Strong Showing at Newry Half Marathon and 10K

On Sunday, several Striders made the trip south to take part in the ever-popular Newry City Half Marathon and 10K.

With over 1,400 runners taking part this year, the event once again lived up to its reputation as one of Northern Ireland’s favourite road races, attracting runners chasing personal bests on its famously flat and fast course.

The action began in the children’s race where Elijah Ferguson ran brilliantly in challenging hot conditions, showing great determination throughout.

In the 10K event, Clare McIlveen was the first Strider across the line in an excellent time of 1:05:48, followed by Jennifer McAteer in 1:17:35.

The Half Marathon also saw strong performances from the Striders contingent. Karen Collins was first Strider home with an impressive 1:48:47, while Trevor Woodside and Graeme McGowan took on pacing duties, helping fellow runners achieve their target times with finishes of 2:06:44 and 2:29:04 respectively.

It was a fantastic day out for all involved, with brilliant support, great running conditions and plenty of smiles at the finish line.

Parkrun Success Across the Province

Saturday morning also brought ideal running weather, and Scrabo Striders were out in force across more than a dozen parkrun locations throughout the province.

Comber parkrun proved to be the most popular destination for the club this week, with Curtis McCaw leading the way home in a superb 18:38, earning himself third place overall. Close behind was Harry McCready in 18:48, securing himself a new personal best in the process.

A special mention also goes to Gareth Miskimmins, who completed his very first parkrun in an impressive 26:08.

Elsewhere, many of the weekend’s parkruns became family affairs, with members making the most of the sunshine and combining their Saturday morning runs with family time.

At Crawfordsburn Country parkrun, the Braniff family were out in force, with Luke, Rory and Stephen all putting in strong performances on the scenic coastal course.

Castlewellan parkrun saw the Binghams flying the flag for the club. Joshua Bingham led the family home in 23:10, earning himself a course personal best. Michael Bingham completed his first ever parkrun in a brilliant 29:35, comfortably breaking the 30-minute barrier, while Louise Bingham followed closely behind in 29:51.

Stormont parkrun also attracted a strong Striders turnout. Karen Collins continued her excellent weekend form by finishing first Strider home in 24:51, closely followed by Keara Simpson in 25:39. Paul Breen also continued his recent improvements, recording a new personal best of 32:25 on his first outing at Stormont.

Over at Belfast Victoria parkrun, Willow Farrington led the Striders contingent home in an excellent 22:18. Colette McKelvey followed shortly after in 22:44, earning herself a new personal best, while Heath Farrington secured a course personal best of his own in 24:08. Graeme Farrington rounded off another strong family showing in 25:35.

There were celebrations at Montalto parkrun as Paul Magee completed his 50th parkrun milestone, crossing the line in 58:48. Joining him were Hannah Magee in 47:05 and Luke Mars in 47:07.

Meanwhile at Bangor parkrun, the Frazer family were out in force, with Nathaniel Frazer leading the way home in 34:42. Harriet Frazer followed closely behind in 35:00, earning herself a personal best by a single second ahead of Ian Frazer, who finished in 35:01.

Junior Parkrun Stars Shine Again

The club’s younger runners were also in fantastic form at junior parkruns across Northern Ireland.

Comber junior parkrun proved particularly popular, with Keara Simpson leading the Striders juniors home in a superb 8:56, earning first female position. Joe Brown followed in 9:43, while Hannah Breen ran strongly to finish in 10:03, securing both a personal best and second female position. Lydia Blair rounded off another successful morning for the juniors in 12:04.

At Antrim Castle Gardens junior parkrun, Harry McCready produced a blistering performance on his first visit to the course, storming home first overall in an incredible 7:13. Rory Braniff followed with an excellent 8:43 to claim third place, while Calum McCready completed another strong showing in 9:08.

Victoria junior parkrun also brought more success, with Iona Chanas producing a superb run to claim second position in a personal best time of 7:51 on her first outing at the famous course, comfortably breaking the eight-minute barrier in the process.

Another fantastic weekend for Scrabo Striders, with members of all ages continuing to represent the club brilliantly across Northern Ireland and beyond.