The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon took place on Sunday 5^th May with a new start at Stormont at 9am and finish at Ormeau Park. The brand new route for 2019 covered all areas of Belfast including plenty of support along the way. The new route is flatter and faster ideal for first marathon runners or achieving a personal best time. The route is the same for the Wheelchair Race and the Team Relay Event.

Over 40 members of Newtownards based running club Scrabo Striders took part in the full marathon with Ricky Jordan the Club’s first finisher in a phenomenal 3 hours 6 minutes, followed not far behind by Norman Mawhinney in an amazing 3:09. Next in for the Striders was James Lappin in 3:22 followed by Johnny Wray in 3:27, Justin Clegg in 3:36, Laurence Irwin 3:41, Stephen McConnell 3:41, Manuel Farrelly 3:43, Abrar Hossain 3:44 and Colin Harper in 3 hours 46 minutes.

In a time of 3:52 next across were Peter Stevens and Gary Hunsdale followed by Jonny Kinney in 3:56 and David Turton 3:58. New Club member Jason Lindley finished in 3:59, achieving sub 4 hours having only previously run a ten mile distance simply shows a natural talent while next to finish for Scrabo were Tina Boal in 4:01, Graeme McGowan in 4:05, Cheryl Mulholland 4:06, Connor McNamara 4:08, Kurtis Hunter 4:10 and Leanne Campbell in 4:14. Like many Leanne had run the London Marathon the week before.

Gary Clarke made Belfast his first ever marathon and he finished in a great time of 4:20, showing that all that hard winter training has paid off. He was followed in a second later by Olli Seeger then Charlie Allen in 4:21, Alison Busby and Fiona McAvoy in 4:25, Rachel Patterson 4:27, Gordon Coutts 4:28, Amanda Martin 4:32, Jill long and John Brown 4:38, Andy Boal 4:41, Phillippa Wilson 4:48, Andrea Cairns 4:51 and Ross Caughers in 4:54.

By now runners watchers were telling them the course was 0.3 miles longer than marathon distance but that did not deter the remaining Striders getting across the line, namely Lynsey Wightman, Karen Donaghy, Jenny Taylor, Allie Farley and Liam Rodger. Many Club members took part in 4 person relay teams raising money for causes like the NI Air Ambulance. Well done to all who took part! In other marathon news Chris Green completed the Newport Wales Marathon in 3 hours 59 minutes.

Moving to much shorter distances now and Scrabo Strider Curtis McCaw won Saturday’s Comber Parkrun (5km) in 18 minutes 4 seconds, on the occasion of his 200^th Parkrun. Curtis has clocked up the amazing achievement of 1000 km of Park-running and can truly be considered an ambassador for Parkrun. Well done. Tim McEwan took first place at Knowsley, England in a time of 20:28.

by George McGonigal, Vice-Chair