On Friday evening and in glorious sunshine we held our first ever open race at Newtownards Airport. “Run the Runways” was an all abilities family event comprising a 1 kilometre Kids Fun Run and a 5km and 10km chip-timed race around the taxi ways and three runways of Newtownards Airfield. The novel location and totally flat personal best course drew some 500 runners and 100 kids plus supporters to the event.

This Kids Fun Run set off at 6pm and was a simple loop out and back along the main runway, with all the children receiving a finishers’ medal, a bottle of water and some sweets. It was great to see so many kids taking part.

Curtis McCaw was the first of 57 Striders to finish the 5k race in a time of 17 minutes 21 seconds followed a few seconds later by Jared Martin, then Simon Hodge, Matthew Carville, Justin Clegg and Gareth Logan. Our first lady to finish was Shannon Clegg in 22:28 followed by Charlie Allen, Emma Kelly, Graeme McGowan, Ian McCallister, Emma Clements, Liz Turton, Deborah Atkinson, Fiona McAvoy and Amanda Martin all in under 27 minutes.

Janine Murphy was next to finish the breezy but bright 5K followed by Haley Donnan, Mick Honeyman, Vanessa Mannis, Matthew Halus, Jeanette Wilson, Carleen Seeger, Jenny Taylor, Ashley Gilliland, Greer Munday, Karen Clarke, Kathryn Chesney, Nicola Honeyman, Stephen Campbell, Andrea Wilson, Maria Page and Mervyn Kinney all in under 30 minutes. In 30:13 Angela Crone crossed the line followed by Tracey Scott, June Angus, Catherine Lavery, Naomi Davidson, Joanne Wray, Zara Wilson, Amanda Stewart, Tegan Scott and Steven and Julie McGonigle.

The remaining 5K runners could by now smell the barbeque and with hot dogs calling Denise Nodder finished in 32:32 followed by Christine Lougheed, Steven Craythorne, Pamela Colville, Barbara Morrow, Lynsey Wightman, Kim Cochrane, Lesleyann Morrow, Erin Donnelly, Jenny Smyth, Lynn McGonigal, Josh Donnelly and Mariead Curran. Thank you all for representing your Club so well!

However the event was not over yet, as many did a U turn and headed back out around the airfield for a second loop to complete the 10K. Ricky Jordan was the first Strider to finish in a fantastic time of 40 minutes 25 seconds followed by Jonny Kinney, Peter Hamlin, Manny Farrelly, Colin Harper, Paul Sheldon, Chris Green, Connor McNamara and Johnny Wray all in under 46 minutes. Next came David Turton, Andrew Boal, Andrew Bissett and Gary Hunsdale.

Scrabo Strider’s first lady to finish the 10K was Tia Boal in 47:30 followed seconds later by Mark Leathem, Kerri Anderson, Russ Armour, Andy Palmer, Gary Clarke, Justin Black, Nigel Martin, Lynn Sheldon, Adrian Boyd, Ian Frazer and Lesley Semple all completing in under 51 minutes. Within a second of each other next came Charlie Allen and Mark Halus followed by Caroline Dwyer, Paul Kirkwood, Olli Seeger, Ronnie Geddis, Abrar Hossain, Mark Gilmore, Rachel Boyle, Linda Dugan, Michael Brown, Carl Harris, Alison Busby and George Cash in under 54 minutes.

Bravely fighting the head-wind Jennifer Couper finished in 54:38 followed by Gareth Robson, Kurtis Hunter, Lindsay Allen, Ian and Carol Bailie, Karen Donaghy, Deborah Erskine, Andrea Surplus, Wendy Thompson, Scot Knight, Rachel Patterson, Eileen Pollock, Richard Murray, Nicola McNamara, Linda Adams, Lisa Bell and Beverley Blaine all in under the hour. To the beat coming from a large speaker next came Suzanne Dines, Steven McCormick, Alice Sterritt, Lorraine Adams, Lee Couper, Emma Geddis, Joanne Brittain, Lindsay Cree, Kathy Henderson, Tracey-Anne Kirk, Nikki Keery, Diana Porter, Jenny Green, Denise Knight, Christine Kirkwood, Jasmine Geddis, Rhonda Magowan and Rachel Tully. Well done all!

We would like to give a big thanks to the airfield owners, The Ulster Flying Club. Without their kind permission and enthusiastic assistance this fantastic event would simply not have been possible. Also a big thanks to our sponsors, McAvoys Coach Hire, The Key Centre, Essential Homecare Services and S&S Plumbing & Heating and to RBL Couriers for barbequing. The Committee would also like to thank all those who provide sandwiches, cakes and buns for the post-race feed, the volunteer Marshals and of course the 132 Scrabo Striders members who competed, doing your Club proud!

In other running news Jonny Kinney completed his 50^th Parkrun at Stormont on Saturday and during the week Charlie Allen came 3^rd in the 200 metre wheelchair race, at the Lagan Valley AC Fab 5 TF Series held at the Mary Peters Track. Charlie then went on to secure a 5K personal best time at Run the Runways on Friday. Meanwhile Nikki Keery, Denise Knight and Scot Knight completed the Wexford Half Marathon.

Once a month Scrabo Striders holds a 3km time trial run to help athletes bench mark and thus improve their times. The Club has now decided to make these short races charity nominated and the first raised £500 for the Ulster Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU). One of our members, Rachel Tully, who recently received life-saving care in the ICU, presented a cheque along with Club Chair Hannah Robinson to ICU Staff on Monday 30^th April. Thank you Striders for your kind donations.