Weekend Report – October 18th

This weekend was dominated by two main events, the GR8 (Great!) Dundrum Run and the Northern Ireland Masters’ Athletics Association cross country race at the Dub, Queen’s University, Belfast; two very different races.

The GR8 Dundrum Run (‘Not Your Average Road Race’) is a great favourite with many. This was the 6th running of the GR8. This event has a little bit of everything.

Read the full race report here.

The other main event this weekend is the Northern Ireland Masters Athletics Association cross country race at the Dub. The route encompasses the playing fields above the Dub Pavilion with one or two changes of elevation en route. The recent dry weather will, hopefully, contribute to ideal conditions on the day. There is a little extra pressure on those of us who are members of NIMAA as this particular event is used to select members to constitute the various age group teams to represent Northern Ireland in the international masters cross country match against England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

This year the match is at Santry in Dublin on Saturday 14th November. At the Dub the Ladies (F35+) and males 65+ race on Saturday is at 11.30am with all males over 35 up to 64 going at 12.15pm. By the way, you don’t have to be a member of NIMAA or have international pretensions to run at the Dub on Saturday. It is an open race and all are welcome. However, only those who are members of NIMAA can be selected for the Northern Ireland international team. Best of luck to all those from Orangegrove competing on Saturday.

Absolutely perfect conditions welcomed the runners to the Dub on the day. There was not a puddle of water or a sheugh of mud to be seen anywhere. The sky was blue, the grass was very green and the temperatures were high. Even the leaves were still largely on the trees. Spectacular and unfamiliar conditions! Orangegrove was represented by five members, Jill Holland (F45), Lisa Fleming (F40), Thomas Leitch (M40), Robin Montgomery (M45) and Brian Todd (M60). A novelty feature of the race was being required to wear one’s age category as a number on the back of the vest, a bit disconcerting for those of us who have spent a lifetime trying to keep our ages a secret.

The following times were achieved by the Orangegrove five:

Ladies (6k)

Men (8k)

In due course it will be revealed by NIMAA whether any of these times are good enough for Northern Ireland representation. Details as soon as they are available, but competition is fierce particularly in the age groups from 35 to 55. Regardless, this was a lovely day out in good company and we sincerely thank the members of NIMAA for the hard work which made it possible.

A group of bleary eyed Orangegrovers gathered at the gates of the Stormont estate at 10am on Sunday morning for the running of the annual Stormont Cup, a Club handicap cross country race. Read the full race report here.

While many of us were running around the Stormont Estate in East Belfast, Lyndsey and Paul Tyro were making their final checks in the rain before the TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) Amsterdam Marathon. Lyndsey and Paul have been working hard together in preparation for the race and we wish them well on the day. Over 16,000 runners will be taking part in what is one of the great marathons of Europe. Last year the race was won by Kenya’s Bernard Kipyego in 2.06.22.

By lunchtime the results were in:

Well done, you two!

The TCS Amsterdam Marathon was again won by Bernard Kipyego (Kenya) in 2.06.19 with Joyce Chepkirui (Kenya) first lady in 2.24.11.

A group of Orangegrovers also flew to Palma in Mallorca this weekend. They have claimed that their main objective in doing so is to take part in the half marathon and 10k races on the Sunday. However, they have also booked into an upmarket hotel and taken with them sun lotion, bikinis and loads of Euro. It has also been reported that they bought a considerable amount of duty free at Belfast International Airport before departure. As such it is not certain whether the running is merely a means to an end or the end in itself. Time will tell. However, I suspect this trip will not be one for the faint hearted or the squeamish. Hopefully, there will be some results to publish by the end of Sunday!

At 9.45pm on the evening of Sunday 18th October in the Year of our Lord 2015, no news of times or positions from Palma other than a photograph of runners which is no evidence whatsoever that a race took place or that those in the photograph actually took part in it. Report will be amended on receipt of indisputable evidence!

And the results are in (at last)

Palma 10k

Palma Half Marathon

Well done ladies and Hugh!

Saturday morning means parkrun and with high pressure still dominating on the weather front there was no more attractive place to be than Victoria Park at 9.30am on the day. With considerable Orangegrove participation in the GR8 Dundrum Run and at the Masters cross country at the Dub it might have been expected that personal bests would be few and far between. Well, let’s have a look at the results! Stone the crows, there were no Orangegrove personal bests at Victoria Park, Belfast, parkrun, where Chris Downey was the first club member home in 19.11.

However, thankfully it was a different story at the new Stormont parkrun where a number of Orangegrove personal bests were recorded. Well done once again to Pauline Bayliss who recorded a 22.39 personal best for this venue; two consecutive personal bests, this one and Victoria Park last Saturday! Well done too Melinda Wilkinson (who bakes the best carrot cake in the country, although I have yet to sample it) who also registered a 27.37 personal best at Stormont. Louise Browne was a first timer at Stormont and so her time of 30.11 (running for two) was a personal best. Well done, the two of you! Fintan finished on the same time; obviously keeping an eye on things. Neal Killen too recorded a 30.43 personal best at Stormont.

Beverley and Alan Martin were in Co. Mayo this weekend and took in the local Westport parkrun where they were first timers. Beverley finished in 27.57. Alan finished in 27.58. I am not sure who the JM10 Ben Holmes was who got between them but he appears to have made a nuisance of himself and Alan really shouldn’t have kicked him up the backside!

The whole parkrun extravaganza depends on volunteering and you must do your bit, either on the track or in the kitchen. To play your part, email Gerry Ward at belfastvictoriahelpers@parkrun.com. It is the right thing to do! You know it is!