Newtownards based running club Scrabo Striders have been competing in all kinds of running events. During the week the 28th Les Jones Memorial 10K race took place in Belfast, attracting just short of 320 competitors. Starting in the Mary Peter’s track the race route went along the Lagan towpath before climbing the Barnett’s Demesne hill, renamed heartbreak hill, on the way to the finish line.

The first Scrabo Strider to finish was Norman Mawhinney in the impressive time of 40 minutes 57 seconds (first in category), followed by Manny Farrelly in 44:46, Colin Harper in 45:52, Peter McGonigal 46:21, Andrew Strickland 50:01, Mark Leathem 50:31 and Peter Briggs in 54:30. First Scrabo lady to finish was Amanda Piesse in 55:28 followed by Robin Adams in 57:47, Wendy Thompson 58:14, Claire Briggs 58:54, Sonya Summersgill 59:01 and Nikki Keery in 01:11:39. Great representation of the club at this popular run.

In Downpatrick the Knockevin Special School 10K fundraising race took place on Saturday where David Turton was the first Scrabo Strider home in 51 minutes 9 seconds followed by Rebecca Lund and Karen Thompson, raising money for a worthy cause.

The 2019 Portadown Festival of Running took place on Sunday with distances to suit all runners. Cheryl Alexander completed the 10K race in 1 hour 13 minutes while most of Scrabo’s entrants took on the half marathon. Ricky Jordan came in 7^th overall in a blistering time of 1 hour 22 minutes, followed by Graeme McGowan in 60^th place in 01:43. Next Strider across was Rachel Patterson 01:57, followed by Amanda Martin and Fiona McAvoy within a second of each other on 01:59. Norman Mawhinney, the Club’s head coach, took overall 19^th place in the Marathon in a time of 3 hours 52 minutes.

To Fell Running next and James Lappin was the sole Scrabo Strider to take on the Annalong Horse Shoe Race, coving a distance of 23km and a climb of 2050m in 3 hours 25 minutes. Continuing the mountain theme Norman Mawhinney and Kerri Anderson both completed the Rolling Rocks 39 mile Ultra along the north coast with a maximum elevation of 5000 feet. This was Kerri’s first Ultra run, congratulations.

To complete the week Strider Curtis McCaw took 1^st place at Stormont Parkrun in just over 18 minutes, while Amanda Piesse competed her 25^th Parkrun in Comber. The weekly 5km free timed runs were as busy as ever despite the rain. Personal best times were achieved by Thomas Steele and Chloe Murray at Stormont, by Gordon Coutts, George McGonigal and Lynn McGonigal at Ward Park, Bangor and by John Pugh at Carrickfergus.

by George McGonigal, Vice-Chair