Ballygalget and Tollymore
Sunday saw fantastic weather for the Ballygalget 5K and 10K, with a crowd of Striders travelling down the peninsula to enjoy the scenic and undulating courses. Running in the non-timed 5K were Fiona McAvoy, Lorraine Adams, Debi Allen, Karen Thompson, Alison Rodgers, Kim Cochrane and Peter McVea.
Signed up for the 5K but deciding to do it all over again and complete the 10K distance were Big Charlie and Wee Charlie Allen.
In the 10K race, first club member home and claiming 4th place overall was Norman Mawhinney in 41:21, followed by Paul Sheldon in 46:15 and Stephen Gargan in 46:59. Next in were Mark Arnold in 49:32 and John Brown in 49:46, followed by the club’s first lady Lynn Sheldon in 51:43. Next came 5 Striders all crossing the line together in 1:04:14 – Gavin McDonnel, Michelle Ennis, Jenny Taylor, Sonya Summersgill and Lyndsey Blair, followed by Susanne McVea in 1:18:16. Well done to all runners!
On Thursday evening, several club athletes travelled to Tollymore Forest Park for the second race of the annual Hill and Dale Series, organised by Newcastle Athletics Club. The Series runs from April to June and includes 10 races of up to 5 miles, with runners having to complete 6 of the 10 to be in the rankings. The tough course at Tollymore of just over 4 miles passes both the lowest point and the highest point of the Forest Park and understandably comprises several sharp hills. First Strider across the line was James Lappin in 35:54, followed by Kieran McNamara in 43:51 and Stephen Gargan in 46:29. The club’s first lady finisher was Kerri Anderson in 51:20, closely followed by Rachel Patterson in 52:50 and Fiona McAvoy in 53:23. Well done to all!
Popular as ever were the Saturday Parkruns. The added bonus of Easter eggs at the finish line in Comber certainly seemed to help speed runners along, with lots of new personal bests being claimed. Curtis McCaw took overall 1st place in 18:05, Colin Harper had an overall PB of 21:32, as did Lyndsey Blair in 28:52, Naomi Davidson in 31:26 and Joanne Wray in 31:29. Victoria Atkinson, Karen Farrelly, Joe Brown and Allie Farley all recorded new course PBs too. Elsewhere, Claire Briggs recorded a new overall PB of 28:48 at Stormont while Mark Halus got a course PB at Castlewellan.
Entries are filling up fast for the Club’s open race “Run the Runways” on 10th May. With both 5K and 10K options around a totally flat course at Ards Airfield, there are sure to be plenty of PBs recorded. There’ll be fantastic bling waiting at the end followed by the usual Striders hospitality – why not give it a go.
Also currently open for entry are the Club’s “Run the Trails” 10K and Half Marathon races around Mount Stewart Estate on 3rd August. Get signed up for what promises to be another fantastic event on Athletics NI.
Scrabo Striders are an all-abilities club with an inclusive and friendly atmosphere. Training sessions are on Monday and Wednesday at 7:15 in Londonderry Park and are non-competitive. We’re always on the lookout for new members so why not come down and give it a try?
by Ian Frazer