Maxine claims her 7th Star

The end of August Bank holiday weekend was a very busy time with races ranging from Strangford to Rathlin and Ballykinler to Sydney and Longford to Eikon Centre Lisburn.

Races started Friday night with the Strangford 5 and 10K in which Karen Collins ran the 5K and Jonathan Keenan ran the 10K.

Next up our annual Last Strider Standing based on the Last One Standing format orf walking and running 4.167miles or 6.7K in an hour and setting off again on the next hour continuously until only one runner remains. The emphasis on the 4.167 means 12 loops attains the 50 mile distance and 24 attains the 100 mile distance. With over 100 competitors with a few from other local clubs including Ward Park Runners and Saintfield Striders and army personnel the race started with the weather being wet and miserable but on the upside the heavy winds from last year were not present.  As the hours passed the numbers started to dwindle with various runners achieving personal best distance records and others achieving marathon training miles.  At the 50 mile mark 11 runners achieved this goal a few runners have achieved this multiple times but a few achieving this for the first time. Craig Simpson with the assist 15 loops and over 100K and Graeme Black was our last Strider Standing with 16 loops.

On the Rathlin Island they were hosting their 5K and Trevor Woodside finished 3rd and Clare McIlveen also ran the 5K.

On the other side of the world Maxine Dines completed her 7th Star in Abbott world marathon running series having done Tokyo earlier this year to finish the original 6 she added the Sydney marathon to her list of marathon achievements and recorded another solid sub 4 marathon.

In an Abbott affiliated race in Longford Norman Mawhinney took on the marathon achieving a sub 3.30 even though most of his training has been shorter hyrox style running.

To end the bank holiday weekend then McKinney games race that was postponed from earlier in the year with races ranging from a 1K fun run all the way up marathon distance with the unique finish that all finishers get handed random envelopes to either win store credit to use on McKinney competitions or upto 5K in money. Mark Halus and Judith Boyd fresh off the previous day last Strider Standing completed the half marathon distance . In her 3rd event over the weekend Karen Collins completed the 10  mile race. Gareth Gordon completed the 10K race.

Suzanne Brennan, Hollie Brennan and Megan Robinson completed the 5K race.

The running week wouldn’t is complete without our club representation at parkrun in which 33 runners ran at 14 different venues.

If this has caught your attention and would like to get involved striders training sessions range from Monday and Wednesday 7.15 mainly at LDP for our full training sessions and 7.15 Tuesday and Thursday for our injury and progression group ideal as a follow on from Couch to 5K. Our non coach led social runs are Friday night 6.30 and Sunday Morning 9am both at Conway Square everyone welcome and encouraged to come along.