Lurig Challenge Run

The main event of the weekend for most of us will be the Lurig Mountain Challenge at Cushendall which, this year, we designated a round of the Orangegrove Club Championship, the eleventh and penultimate round. The race starts in the main street of Cushendall adjacent to the Curfew Tower. Following a short dash down the spectator lined main street it is sharp upwards via an incline and a set of steps to the Stony Loanen, a very rough mile long farm track to the base of the mountain. Next comes an assault on Lurig (1073 feet), to the very top, before a fast descent back along the Stony Loanen for the sprint (or otherwise) to the village to the finish. This ‘race’ is part of The Heart of the Glens Festival and the town will welcome the runners with open arms. This is the nearest you will ever get to feeling what it must be like to run into an Olympic stadium as a marathon winner, such will be the number of spectators as you finish. It is not a very long race, only about 3.8 miles, but it will feel more like thirty-eight. Nor is it flat! Far from it! You will climb slowly to over a thousand feet in quite a short distance before that rapid descent back to the Stony Loanen. It will be one of the most memorable things you will ever do in running… and you ‘will’ survive for the plentiful festivities thereafter!

Fine running conditions greeted the runners on the day and over 360 charged up the mountain on the off. Orangegrove times and positions for the Club Championship were as follows:

Men

Ladies

Great running from everybody at Cushendall on the day. Lurig is no ordinary running event. It requires not a little courage to even contemplate it and considerably more courage on the day to actually do it. Courage and commitment were on display today in abundance! Very well done indeed to Thomas, Robin and Andy who were in a league of their own. Great running too from Ian Grant who is an accomplished mountain runner who should make more of his talent. Rodney Corrigan was going well and Michael O’Donoghue, our all rounder, seemed comfortable throughout the ordeal.

Well done Emma McWilliams who climbed out of her sick bed, battered and bruised after her fall at last week’s Giant’s Trail Race, to make the journey to Cushendall, and it was certainly worth her while. She led the ladies home in a very good time to bag 20 much needed Championship points. Courage displayed! Lisa Fleming was well up and very well done indeed to new girl Lisa Rodham who is still finding her feet. When she does she will be a force to be reckoned with. Verity Cornford ran an excellent race and stormed over the finish line like a sprinter, maybe because she was being pursued up the main street by Gerald Harvey who, somehow, had managed to get ahead of Jill Holland. Alison Hall-Thompson ran superbly well given the nature of the challenge and earned her first Championship points. Birthday girl Sharon McFarland could probably have found a more relaxing and sensible way to celebrate the passing of yet another year, although I suspect this will be one of her more memorable ones. Kathryn Morrow, wearing her very pink socks, was visible on the side of Lurig for miles around. Well done to the ladies in particular. It says something of Orangegrove ladies that they outnumbered the men at Lurig by 13/12!

Points gained today have been added to the Club Championship table. Only one more round of the 2014-2015 Championship left, Belfast Half Marathon on Sunday 20th September. Get entered!

The Lurig Mountain Challenge was won by Joe McAllister (St. Malachy’s AC) in 28.34 with Shileen O’Kane (Lagan Valley AC) first lady in 34.16.

Tags: Club Championship, Cushendall, Lurig, Lurig Challenge Run