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Author Archives: Michael O'Donoghue

  1. Weekly Report 24th January – 30th January 2022

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    Born 2 Run Trail Series – Antrim – 29th January

    The Born 2 Run Series has been going strong this season with good numbers at each race. We are now at Number 5 of the 6 races with the finale coming up shortly in Castlewellan

    This race has a bit more road than some of the others and was very flat at less than 100 feet of elevation. As a consequence there were some very fast times recorded. The route involved starting at the picturesque castle gardens before heading out to Shane’s Castle and back

    David Doey represented the club with a great time of 50:42 for the 10k

    Sperrin Harriers Winter League – Drum Manor 10k – 29th January

    In the Western side of the province the other winter trail series was also taking place on Saturday and also on its penultimate race.  This was more of a pure trail experience than Antrim with less road and a few hills over its 2 lap course

    We had 5 athletes from the club at this race and the results were as follows:

    Michael O’Donoghue 51:02

    Verity Cornford 58:43

    Emily Paisley 1:02:25

    Jenny Powell 1:04:55

    Lisa Fleming 1:05:06

    Irish Indoors Masters – Athlone – 29th January

    Our track colleagues were also in action at the weekend, making their way to the indoor stadium in the centre of Ireland.  The results were as follows:

    John Gribben – 60m – silver, 200m – silver

    George Gribben – 60m – 4th, 200m – bronze

    Stephen Orr – 800m – silver in a time of 2:09:68

    Irish University Champs Athlone – 29th January

    The juniors also did well in Athlone

    Adam Sykes in the 60m 6.91 PB and club record and in the 200m got 22.91 and an indoor PB

    Nathan Stewart in the 60m race got a time of 7.25

  3. Club Report, 9th – 15th April 2018

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    BALLYMENA BELLES 5 MILE RACE, 10th April. [Comments by Gillian Logan]
    ‘It was all about the ladies on Tuesday evening at the annual Ballymena Belles 5 mile road race, hosted by Ballymena Runners.

    The course starts close to Galgorm Community Centre and features a 2 mile climb into Ahoghill which is well rewarded on the downhill back to Galgorm.

    Gillian Logan was the sole OAC lady running and clocked 37:14 for 14th place.

    Thanks to Ballymena Runners for yet another great event with super post-run spread. We look forward to The Fairhill 5 in June!’

    Gillian did very well to finish 14th out of a field of 365 runners. The race was won by Gemma McDonald (Ballymena Runners) in 32:15.

    HILL & DALE SERIES, Race 1, Castlewellan, 12th April.
    Perhaps one of the easier events in the series, but with 8K to run and over 330m of ascent, it was certainly a challenge.

    Seven OAC runners took part in the race which was won by William McKee (Mourne Runners) in 32:46 and first lady was Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn) in 37:47, 21st overall.

    OAC Results:
    Michael O’Donoghue, 46:11
    Verity Cornford, 50:38
    Lisa Fleming, 55:57
    David Doey, 1:01:14
    Judith Dalzell, 1:05:48
    Selina Myles, 1:06:04
    Stephen Craig, 1:07:08

    LAGAN VALLEY AC, FAB 5 T&F SERIES, Meet 1, 12th April.
    Jacob McKittrick won the U13 Boys 800m in 2minutes 31.98 seconds. Matthew Sykes was 4th in the U15 Boys 100m in 13.54 seconds. Patrick Willis was 5th in the U13 Boys long jump and 7th in the 100m. Reegan Neill-McKenzie was 12th in the U15 Girls long jump and 14th in the 100m.

    THE MOURNE HIGHLINE, 14th April. [Comments by Andrew Tees]
    ‘The route for the Mourne Highline was a new one, designed specifically for the British Championships. It included 6 peaks: Slievenamuck, Meelbeg, Meelmore, Bernagh, Slievenaglogh and Commedagh, finishing in Donard Park, 10 miles in total, with 1300m of ascent. Conditions were far from ideal, wind, rain and thick fog meant visibility was only about 50 metres.

    My race didn’t exactly go to plan… before reaching the Mourne Wall, a navigation error in the mist meant I took a circuitous route to the summit of Meelbeg, costing me an extra 15-20 minutes. It was a tough course in difficult conditions and certainly felt longer than 10 miles! It was also a sharp reminder of the dangers of complacency when it comes to navigation, I should have had my bearings worked out in advance. Even though I was familiar with those mountains, it is very easy to get disoriented when the visibility is poor’.

    Andrew finished 196th in an elite field of 283 runners with a time of 2:28:01. The race was won by Joshua Jardine (Helm Hill) in 1:35:02. Jasmin Paris (Carnethy) was first lady in 1:51:49, 49th place.

    BORN 2 RUN GLENARM FOREST CHALLENGE, 14th April.
    Steven Gilliland in his first run for the club, opted for the half marathon distance. On a course with nearly 220m of elevation, he finished in a very respectable 1:50:47.

    The race was won by Don Travers (Newry City Runners) in 1:23:04. First lady was Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn) in 1:26:01, 3rd overall.

    PARKRUN, 14th April.
    Well done to everyone who volunteered or ran or both.

    Judith McCann set a PB time of 26:47 at QUB. There were just a few first timers: David Quigg (Belfast Victoria Park); Brian McFarland and Ben Magee (Comber).

    Remember to volunteer when you can by contacting Gerry Ward at: belfastvictoriahelpers@parkrun.com

    GARVAGH FOREST HALF MARATHON, 15th April. [Report by Michael O’Donoghue]
    The Northern Velocity Garvagh Forest 21K was the final race in their lengthy trail series and consisted of 3 loops of the forest. Starting and finishing at the pyramid, which was designed as a burial chamber but never used, it was a reasonably challenging affair with several hills dotted throughout the forest. Because it was 3 laps, the total amount of climbing was 1100 feet (335m).

    There were 85 athletes in the race and Michael O’Donoghue was 22nd with a time of 1:40:28. The winner was Seamus Bradley with a time of 1:21:50 and first lady was Veronica Nellins 1:38:14.

    Photos: Gerald Harvey, Andrew Tees, Michael O’Donoghue, Steven Gilliland.

  4. Club Report 2nd April – 8th April 2018 by Michael O’Donoghue

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    North Down AC Track & Field Open Meet – Thursday 5th April

    It was the opener for NDAC’s season of track events at the Bangor Sportsplex and we got some great results from the juniors.

    U17’s Boys 150m
    1st Aaron 18:99
    2nd Adam 19.34
    4th Nathan 19.57
    5th Lewis 19.78
    6th Leo 20.55
    7th Oscar 21.69
    U15’s Boys 150m
    3rd Matthew 20.88
    U15’s Girls 150m
    10th Reegan 23.76
    U13’s Boys 150m
    2nd Patrick 23.79
    U13’s Boys 600m
    4th Patrick 2:00.76
    U13’s Boys Long Jump
    1st Patrick 3.73
    U15’s Girls Javelin
    1st Reegan 19.10
    3000m. (Times to be confirmed)
    19th Ronan 2nd yr…. (overall against lots of Adults…!!)
    21st Tom 5th yr…. (overall against lots of Adults…!!)

    Slieve Gullion Fell Race – Saturday 7th April

    The Slieve Gullion Fell Race is one of the oldest races in NI. Organised by Armagh AC it has been running for 45 years. Mountain races don’t get rescheduled very often, but due to the harsh winter that meant many of the roads around Slieve Gullion were inaccessible, this event was moved from its usual date in early March. This weekend also had other mountain events such as the Maurice Mullins Wicklow Way Race and Cooley Legends, so there was a diminished turnout of 42 runners.

    This race had a very different route from the popular Slieve Gullion 10k trail race which goes from the country park up through the forest to the mountain peak. It approaches from minor country roads to the north and is very nearly all on grass/muck.

    Conditions at the top of Slieve Gullion and its surrounding peaks are rarely completely dry, but we were treated to fairly mucky conditions and some deceptively deep bogs to negotiate. In addition there was very little visibility on the open mountain due to the mist which caused some navigation challenges in finding the checkpoints at the cairns and in finding the best route back to the finish.

    Michael O’Donoghue and Verity Cornford were up for the challenge and recorded the times of 57.21 and 60.45 respectively. Verity won 1st prize in the V40 category. We then navigated our way to a local community hall for tea and sandwiches.

    The winners were Maurice Harte (Newry AC) 36.19 and Esther Dickson (Newry AC) 38.08

    Maurice Mullins Wicklow Way Trail/Ultra – Saturday 7th April

    A rather scenic race set in the Northern part of the Wicklow Mountains, it starts in Ballinastoe Wood going past Lough Tay, otherwise known as the Guinness Lake. Apparently owned by the Guinness family but also resembles a pint of Guinness. It then heads up the mountain of Djouce using a helpful boardwalk before passing the Powerscourt Estate with its picturesque Waterfall. It then heads over another hill called Prince Williams Seat and finishing in the village of Glencullen. It features around 5500 feet of climbing, so challenging enough for a trail race. The trail race is around 16 miles with double that for the Ultra option.

    The trail race was hotly contested this year as it was a selection race for the World Mountain Running Championships. Eoin Lennon won 1st place with a time of 1.45.00.

    Andrew Tees did well in the trail race in damp conditions coming ahead of the first lady Martsje Hell (North Belfast) in 19th Place overall with a time of 2.12.19

    Omagh Half Marathon – Saturday 7th April

    Figure of eight course that goes around the town. Its not part of the Pure Running Half Marathon Series, but its still attracts large numbers with a striking 1800 entries on the day.

    In what was a star studded field with several international class runners, Lyndsey Tyro was 6th lady with a time of 1.26.29

    Stephen Scullion was first with a time 1.07.01. Ann-Marie McGlynn was first lady with a time of 1.14.28.

    Rotterdam Marathon – Sunday 8th April

    Being almost entirely flat, the Netherlands is a great place for fast marathons, and it’s been a popular location for OAC marathon runners in the past. Chris Woods made the journey to Rotterdam, the Netherlands second city after a season of hard training. Conditions were bright and sunny with no wind.

    Our very own Chris Woods did well with a time of 3.50.

    Paris Marathon – Sunday 8th April

    Few marathons would have as many world famous buildings as part of the course as the Schneider Electric Marathon De Paris. It follows the course of The Seine and passes the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and The Trocadero. One of the biggest marathons in the world that isn’t a world major, this year it had 45000 entries.

    Michael Broadhead is an experienced veteran of the Paris Marathon, and was rewarded with a great time of 3.15.47.

    Titanic Quarter 10k – Sunday 8th April

    Organised by Athletics NI and part of the Novosco Grand Prix, the TQ10k is always one of the most popular 10k’s in the province, this year it had over 930 entries. Following the usual route of starting next to the Titanic building and heading up the Airport Road and back, we were treated to good conditions this year with no wind or rain on the exposed course. This year it was part of the club championship so got a good turnout from the club. There were many personal bests.

    Danny Bradley 37.02 PB
    David Montgomery 38.19 PB
    David Gribben 40.57
    Robin Montgomery 41.25
    Michael O’Donoghue 42.16
    Stephen Hamilton 43.17 PB
    David Fletcher 43.45 PB
    David Roberts 44.06
    Tony Liken 43.51 PB
    Brian Todd 43.58
    Ali McConnell 47.08
    Kerris Hamilton 47.25 PB
    Stephen Anderson 47.56
    Julie McKimm 48.19
    Pauline Bayliss 48.27
    Gillian Logan 48.40
    Reg Sanlon 49.12 PB
    Gerald Harvey 50.59
    Edwina Ternan 50.25
    Jacqui Maxwell 50.59
    Sarah Wilson 51.19 PB
    Kim Reynolds 52.18
    Lisa Fleming 54.12
    Adrienne Savage 54.28 PB
    Jackie Grant 55.14 PB
    Judith McCann 55.17
    George Gribben 55.19
    Anna Rankin 55.31
    Jenny Powell 55.36
    Selina Myles 57.34
    Verity Cornford 57.34
    Brian McFarland 57.53
    Marcia Sharkey 58.09
    Alan Montgomery 58.18
    Ben Magee 59.00
    Sharon McFarland 59.16
    John Ferris 59.39
    Stephen Craig 1.01.59
    Jason Lanyon 1.02.04
    Anne Devlin 1.02.15
    Jean Stone 1.08.57

    At the front of the field Stephen Scullion made it 2 victories in 2 days after winning the Omagh Half Marathon with a time of 30:29 and Laura Graham won for the 3rd year in a row with a time of 35.27.

    Parkrun
    At parkrun this week we had members running at Belfast Victoria, Ormeau, Stormont, Comber and Cookstown. No PB’s this week, though its likely people were saving themselves for TQ10k

    Thanks to Athletics NI and NIMRA for the photos

     

  5. Club Report 22nd -28th January 2018.

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    By Gerald Harvey

    NIALIVE, Blanchardstown, Dublin, 25th January, 2018.
    Stephen Orr was at The Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena on Thursday night for the second NIALIVE event of the year. He came second in the mile race, in a new club record time of 4:52.97, beating his old club record by nearly eight seconds. Well done.

    26EXTREME MOURNE WAY 10K, NIGHT EDITION, 26th January, 2018.
    The race route followed the Mourne Way 10K from Santa’s Cottage to the Cloughmore Centre in Kibroney Park, Rostrevor. The weather was poor and it was dark, but five OAC runners took to the start line.
    Results:
    Ian Wilson, 1:00:48
    Brian McFarland, 1:03:01
    Sharon McFarland, 1:04:43
    Sarah Wilson, 1:08:30
    Alison Hall-Thompson, 1:08:30
    The race was won by Ray O’Shaughnessy in 00:40:34.

    PARKRUN, 27th January, 2018.
    Parkrun has now expanded to include parkwalk. At Victoria Park this week there were about 30 walkers in a total field of 276 and that was fine. My worry is that the numbers grow to the extent that parkrun becomes a victim of its own success.
    Andy McIntyre was second at Castlewellan in a personal best time of 17:50 and Heather Flint was in good form at Victoria Park, finishing first lady and eighteenth overall in a personal best time of 20:58.
    First Timers: Marcia Sharkey, Victoria Park, Belfast and Catherine Fearon, Portobello, Edinburgh.
    Well done to all who volunteered, ran or walked. Remember to help out by contacting Gerry Ward at: belfastvictoriahelpers@parkrun.com

    NI & ULSTER INTERMEDIATE & MASTERS XC, 27th January, 2018. [Report by Brian Todd]
    The Northern Ireland and Ulster Intermediate & Masters’ Cross Country races were held at the Billy Neill Soccer Centre of Excellence grounds, Comber Road, Dundonald on Saturday. It was a dull and blustery day but the elevated nature of the course gave the runners some magnificent views of the beautiful surrounding Co. Down countryside, if they cared to look. Athletics NI had come up with an interesting and quite technical course designed to test one’s stamina, pace and endurance and it certainly did just that! I understand there are proposals to bring the Antrim International races to this location in the future. If this does occur, the Billy Neill grounds and facilities will host an absolutely magnificent event. However, the recent heavy rain had turned significant parts of Saturday’s route into a liquid quagmire and the going was soft to say the least.
    Orangegrove had only four runners on the day (too few for a team). There were two males in the Ladies and Men over 65 race, Brian Todd and Jim Harris, the first race of the day, and two in the main Men’s Masters’ race, Michael O’Donoghue and Chris Woods. The following times were achieved by the OAC quartet:
    Ladies and Male Vets over 65 race (4K)
    Brian Todd….19.11
    Jim Harris….24.30
    Men’s Masters’ Race (8K)
    Michael O’Donoghue….39.02
    Chris Woods….39.18

    The ladies race was won by Catherine Diver of Beechmount Harriers in 15.40 and the men’s race by Ian Bailey (Newcastle AC) in 27.42 after an epic race long shoulder to shoulder duel with Neill Weir (Willowfield Harriers) in 27.44

    Photos by John Glover and Gerald Harvey.

  6. Club Report 15th Jan to 21st Jan 2018

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    By David Doey

    The cold wind of winter certainly arrived this week and it affected not only some club training but also the main running event that would have attracted some Orangegrove AC participation- the Born 2 Run Gosford Park event. To this extent I think there was no Orangegrove representation at any event this past week (apologies to anyone I have missed). So rather than take the easy way out and stop here this report will feature parkruns but firstly an endurance feat that some of you may not be aware is currently taking place.

    RNLI LAPOFTHEMMAP

    On the 1st of January 2018, 65 year old Mary Nolan Hickey set out to run around the island of Ireland. Each day she would run anything between 15 and 30 miles from one RNLI station to another. 16 days into this challenge, Mary was passing through Coleraine and David Doey decided to join her for part of her journey. I was amazed to find that Mary was self sufficient with no support team. The only help she got was a volunteer from the RNLI who would transport her luggage from the start point to the finish point each. It was a truly humbling experience running with Mary. Running west out of Coleraine into snow storms and gale force winds did not phase her and I felt somewhat lazy for leaving her at Articlave. Thankfully there were two other runners who accompanied Mary to her finish point at Magilligan. Mary is raising money for the RNLI and you can follow her progress via the RNLI Lapofthemap facebook page.

    PARKRUNS

    As ever the biggest turnout was at Victoria parkrun with 27 runners. Congratulations to Catherine Fearon and Kerris Hamilton who achieved PBs. There was also representation at Ormeau, Stormont, Rostrevor, Antrim and Portrush. Team Tyro tag team was in action in Portrush as Lyndsey admirably ran up the beach pushing the pram in the soft sand. Husband Paul took over as he was on the return leg which was a good thing as the incoming tide meant that rock climbing skills were tested as runners approached the Whiterocks.

    A consolidated pakrun report can be found via link below
    http://www.parkrun.com/results/consolidatedclub/…

    SUNDAY RUNS

    Since the new year a large number of club members have got together on a Sunday in various groups to do long runs. Sunday past was no different. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Heather Shanks-Miller after her accident on Sunday.

  7. Club Report for Week Ending Saturday 13th January 2018

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    By Tim Robinson

    CASTLEWELLAN 10K NIGHT EDITION

    This 26 Extreme event is one of a series. The route is two laps of the lake, with a wee extra bit each lap – the old Winter Race Series 5k loop twice. The Castlewellan 10k promised to be a fast-paced, and enjoyable evening out.

    Alison Hall-Thompson and Sarah Wilson represented the Club, sharing a time of 1:19:20.

    NEW CLUB RECORD
    BALINA HALF MARATHON, World Half Marathon Day, 13th January

    A new Club record, and the first of 2018, goes to Lyndsey Tyro who took part in the Ballina World Half Marathon Day Event, smashing her half marathon PB and coming in as first woman.

    The new Ladies Half Marathon record now stands at 1:26:34, marking an improvement of almost 3 minutes.

    ACORNS MIGHTY OAKS CROSS COUNTRY Saturday 13th January

    Saturday saw another of Orangegrove’s big road trips. The Mid Ulster Sports Arena has been a destination before and, from previous experience, some were boarding the coach with a little trepidation. Birthday celebrations for our Chairman, Robin Montgomery, provided a pleasant distraction.

    Conditions were challenging, and the big hill was still there, but at least there wasn’t any snow this year. While there has been some debate in the press recently regarding whether there should be differing race distances for men and women, I have not heard any complaints regarding the difference on Saturday.

    Edwina achieved an excellent 11th place.

    The results Club results were as follows:

    39 Michael Broadhead M35 00:29:00
    42 Andrew McIntyre MO 00:29:26
    57 David Montgomery M45 00:30:23
    73 Danny Bradley MO 00:31:33
    74 Robin Montgomery M45 00:31:35
    105 Michael O’Donoghue M40 00:34:20
    111 Brian Todd M65 00:35:52
    115 Stephen Anderson M50 00:36:21
    131 Gerald Harvey M65 00:38:35

    11 Edwina Ternan FO 00:23:50
    31 Heather Flint F40 00:26:05
    46 Kerris Hamilton F40 00:28:07
    59 Jacqueline Maxwell F55 00:28:39
    65 Emma McWilliam F40 00:29:17
    76 Jill Holland F50 00:30:03
    78 Jenny Powell F40 00:30:14
    80 Lisa Fleming F45 00:30:19
    96 Catherine Fearon FO 00:33:13

    Thanks to proud husband Paul, Robin, Michael and Jenny for the photos.

     

  8. Orangegrove A.C. Club Report, 1st January, 2018-7th January, 2018

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    By Brian Todd

    So, a new year beckons. May it be for you full of joy, endeavour and success in all that you do, not least in your running. Few of us will welcome the New Year with more alacrity than Rodney Corrigan. Rodney did not enjoy the best of luck in 2017 in terms of his health. However, his always positive demeanour in the face of adversity was a lesson to us all and we warmly welcome his recent return to running. Rodney’s own words, in a recent club post, are testament to both his courage and determination. They speak volumes of the man himself and of the Club of which he is a valued member. I can do no better than quote his post in salute…..

    ‘On a personal note it was great to pull on my trainers, get my bumbag out of storage and take part in club training for the first time since spring 2017. Last year was a bit of a rascal and I just want to thank everyone in the club for the support I received. The coffees, the visits, the company during treatments and appointments (when I wasn’t exactly much craic), the occasional and sometimes much needed kick up the backside, the magic pants, the furry sidekicks, plus all the other acts of kindness from club mates, did so much to help me through what was a challenging twelve months. Thank you Orangegrovers, you are awesome, and I look forward to running with you all in the year ahead. Wishing you all a healthy, happy and PB filled 2018.’

    Welcome back Rodney and hopefully you will not be running too quickly for a few weeks anyway!

    The week following the turn of the year is not usually a particularly busy one. However, this year two main events dominated the period 1st January to 7th January, 2018, the annual Race over the Glens on New Year’s Day and, at the end of the week, the Antrim International Cross Country Races at CAFRE, Greenmount Agricultural College, Antrim.

    If you can curtail your imbibing just a little as you welcome in the New Year, the running option of the Race over the Glens on New Year’s Day is probably a reasonable one to contemplate. However, this gallop around the Glenariff Forest Park near Cushendall is not one for the faint hearted and it is indeed a very different prospect to the frivolities of the Castlewellan Christmas Cracker. The presence of the North-West Mountain Rescue Team in the carpark as we arrived did little to put our minds at ease. Organized by Ballymena Runners this was a stern test of one’s endurance which was not in the least helped by the weather conditions. Heavy driving rain and a very cool wind made the going tough. This year the organizers trialled a new route which was well received by the regulars of this race. The first mile or two were as before but then the route crossed the river to the south side of the Glen. A long winding arduous climb delivered us up to where in a different era a light mineral railway once carried iron ore down the valley from the Cloughcor Mines to a jetty on the coast near Waterfoot. Up here the wind howled but the views down the valley to the sea were spectacular. It was then very sharply downhill to the vicinity of the Ess-na-Larach waterfalls at Laragh Lodge and eventually to the finish near the carpark at the Forest Park. A lone piper played what appropriately sounded like a lament as we battled the headwind. Total distance was just over five miles, but it certainly felt longer and although this was a little shorter than in previous years it did not make the experience any easier. This is always a well organised event and not one that is easy to deliver on the day. The elements can, and often do, upset planning. Nevertheless, the marshals around the course were excellent and the generous festivities afterwards in the Forest Park café were very welcome and of the highest quality.

    The Race over the Glens was won by Zak Hanna (King of the Glens) of Newcastle A.C. in the remarkable time of 32.11. Gillian Wasson (Ballymena Runners) finished in 39.38 as ‘first lady’ to take the Queen of the Glens title. The ladies team prize was won by the Glens Runners team and the men’s by Ballymena Runners ‘A’ team.

    Four members of Orangegrove made their way in difficult road conditions to the Glens on the day, Verity Cornford, Kerris Hamilton, Gerald Harvey and Brian Todd. With base layers obligatory, the following times were registered by the OAC quartet……
    Brian Todd…46.05 (MV65 category)
    Verity Cornford…49.23
    Kerris Hamilton…49.33
    Gerald Harvey…54.06

    There has been an international cross-country meeting in Northern Ireland in January since 1977. It was first held at the Mallusk playing fields. In 1996 it moved to Barnett Demesne and then to Stormont a few years later before locating to its present home at Greenmount Agricultural College (CAFRE) near Antrim town. This meeting has IAAF permit status (one of only ten in the world) and is an opportunity for us locals to see and even compete against some of the best athletes on the planet. It is a round of the World Cross Country series. In what other sport would it be possible to just turn up, pay your money and then mix it with some of the best athletes in the world? This race has been won by the likes of Steve Ovett twice and by Paula Radcliffe four times. Steve Cram, Brendan Foster, John Treacy and Paul Tergat have competed. In recent years it has been dominated by runners from Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. Last year the Senior Race was won by Conselus Kipruto, reigning World and Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion.

    There will be a series of races during the day for both males and females from primary school age through U13 to U17 and U20. However, the main action will at 1.55pm and 2.20pm with the Senior/Masters Women (5400m) followed by the Senior/Masters Men (8000k). For the local clubs the two senior races are part of the Athletics NI Cross Country League, so OAC will be hoping to field qualifying teams. Time will tell! With the recent very wet weather the going promises to be soft to say the least, particularly for the two final races of the day!

    The day itself dawned perfect for cross country running. It was certainly cool, but the sun was shining and it was dry. The course itself was an interesting one, fast in the main but with one or two inclines to test one’s stamina. Given the amount of rain that had fallen in the previous few days the course held up very well and was not as soft as one might have expected. The Orangegrove gazebo was in place, the general organization was excellent and the atmosphere was both friendly and supportive. A significant number of spectators around the course and cameras everywhere meant that you were obliged to keep running as fast as you could. There was no hiding place! Well done to those of us who turned out for Orangegrove on the day. I understand we may well have earned a few worthwhile points for the Athletics NI Cross Country League. The exact number will become clearer in a day or two when the Captain does his mathematics.

    The men’s race was won by Timothy Cheruiyot (Kenya) in the amazing time of 23.12 (four laps/4.77 miles). Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (Kenya) won the ladies race in 19.55
    (three laps/3.56 miles).

    The Orangegrove times were as follows:
    Ladies
    Edwina Ternan…26.27
    Heather Flint…26.58
    Jacqui Maxwell…30.36
    Verity Cornford…30.37
    Emma McWilliams…31.05
    Catherine Fearon…36.30.
    Men
    Andrew Tees…30.11
    Andy McIntyre…31.30
    David Montgomery…32.33
    David Gribben…33.10
    Robin Montgomery…35.18
    Chris Woods…35.40
    Darren Houston…36.22
    Brian Todd…36.25
    Michael O’Donoghue…37.11
    Stephen Anderson…38.57

    On a personal note, my biggest moment of the race was Andy Vernon sniffing as he lapped me while attempting to catch the leading trio. I was just minding my own business, but I may well have been using the best line at that point. No respect for age, that man!

    Thanks to Kathryn Morrow for the cross country photographs. A more expansive collection will undoubtedly emerge in the days to come.

    If you were not up the Glens on New Year’s Day you were probably running parkrun, at least once or possibly twice. With Stormont running at the usual time and both Waterworks and Ormeau slightly later it was possible to run two parkruns on the same day. Dozens of OAC members ran at least one and a considerable number managed two…
    Lyndsey Tyro 19.43/27.32, David Montgomery 20.47/21.47, Ronan McPeake (JM11-14) 21.12/23.36, Edwina Ternan 21.26/22.13, Robin Montgomery 21.46/22.15, Darren Houston 22.51/24.23, Martin O’Brien 23.07/23.21, Jacqui Maxwell 25.19/24.43, Andrew Allen 25.22/25.26, Reg Sanlon 26.07/25.13, John Neill 27.34/24.44, Jason Lanyon 27.53/28.07, Michael O’Donoghue 27.57/26.59, Martin Walker 32.14/28.23, Anne Devlin 34.10/37.36, Stephen Craig 34.11/37.55.

    At Stormont Lyndsey Tyro was ‘first lady’ with a personal best time at this location of 19.43. Andrew Tees also achieved a personal best in 20.45, as did Jackie Grant in 28.31. If I have missed anyone, apologies!

    Very well done indeed to all those who managed two on the day and indeed to all Club members who managed to make it to a start line anywhere on January 1st, 2018.

    And, of course, there was a full programme of parkrunning on Saturday, 6th January, although many of us preferred to keep our powders dry for the afternoon’s cross country international at Antrim. However, the excesses of the season must have caught up with many of our parkrun brethren because personal bests of any kind were very hard to find! Well done Lyndsey Tyro, once again, who was second finisher and ‘first lady’ at Queens in 19.50. Sarah Steer was home in Dublin for the weekend and was first lady at Shanganagh parkrun, Shankill, in 22.57. It was also good to see Gerald Harvey back at Victoria Park (24.09) expelling the demon of his minor tumble there a few weeks ago. Well done too to Sharon McFarland on completing fifty parkruns!

    Now, remember the volunteering bit! Parkrun continues to thrive from year to year, but it will only continue to do so if you volunteer occasionally, which is considerably easier than running! To do so, email Gerry on belfastvictoriahelpers@parkrun.com.

    Happy 2018 running!

  9. Christmas Club Report 25th December – 31st December 2017

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    Considered by some a period for taking time off from exercise to relax, for us it has always been a busy time for running. As usual the xmas period was action packed with bonus parkruns and several xmas themed events which club members enthusiastically participated in and in some cases were involved in the organisation of the events as well.

    GOAL Xmas Day

    This event occurs on xmas day and has been running for 36 years. It is conducted at 130 venues across Ireland. In Belfast this year the event was conducted at Cherryvale Playing Fields and consisted of 1 small lap and 1 large lap around the fields. Club member Des Fahy has been involved in the organisation of the event for a number of years and this year they raised a bumper amount of cash for the charity, which conducts programmes in the developing world.

    The starting time was flexible so I made my way down after the xmas parkrun. As it was entirely on grass and the weather was pretty bad it very much resembled a cross country event except in road shoes. Spikes for next year!

    Greencastle 5 Mile Road Race – 26th December

    Now in its 32nd year, The Greencastle 5 Mile Road Race continues to go from strength to strength. It attracted over 1000 participants and as ever, attracted some of the provinces best athletes.

    Set on the edge of the Sperrin Mountains it is a rollercoaster of a race with plenty of ups and downs, cramming in nearly 500 feet of climbing in its short 5 mile distance including a now famous fairly tough hill at mile 4 that sometimes features on the race tshirt.

    In previous years we’ve had snow and driving rain but conditions were fairly good if on the cold side.

    4 athletes from the club made the journey down to work off the xmas turkey and the results were as follows.

    Des Fahy 33:08
    Edwina Ternan 34:33
    Brian Todd 36:38
    Michael O’Donoghue 37:34

    Brian Todd won his age category and got a lovely trophy for his effort.

    The winner was event regular Paul Pollock (whose figure adorned the tshirt this year) with a time of 24:31 and first lady was Emma Mitchell (QUB) 28:28.

    BARF Turkey Trot – 26th December

    Another Christmas event that has had expanded numbers in recent years, this year the start was moved to Tollymore Forest.

    7.4 miles 470 metres of climbing including climbs up to Bearnagh and Meelmore before descending to the Happy Valley. Because of the change in start location the route was nearly 2 miles longer.

    There were 77 athletes participating, including 2 of our very own mountain goats, Sharon Dickenson and Eoghan Rainey who judging by their times ran together.

    Their times were 1.48.25 and 1.48.29 respectively

    At the front of the field Seamus Lynch (Newcastle AC) was first finisher with a time of 55:03 and first lady was Bethany Haugh (Mourne Runners) 1:11:23.

    CIYMS – 26th December

    Club member Jim harris has been involved with the Boxing Day run at the sports facility on the Circular Road for a number of years. It’s more of a fun run than anything with 2 loops totalling 5 miles.

    A dozen or so from the club made it down for the occasion. It wasn’t a timed event.

    Muff Glen Forest Trail Run – 27th December

    The event organisation Northern Velocity for the last couple of years have a series consisting of 7 trail events on the North Coast.

    Muff Glen Forest Trail Run near Eglinton was a challenging 4.2 mile route taking in 2 laps of the glen in question.

    The race was practically on Andrew Tees Tees doorstep over xmas so it made a perfect sense to participate in a type of race that would be his speciality.

    The race turned out to be dominated by nearby large club Springwell. Luke Dunsmore won first place with a time of 23:44, 6 seconds ahead of teammate Ciaran Ferris. First lady was Ciara Toner (Springwell) with a time of 27.52.

    Andrew Tees was an impressive 5th with a time of 26:22 just behind well-known mountain runner Allan Bogle.

    Castlewellan Xmas Cracker – 30th December

    Ever a popular event for the club, in part due to the opportunity to get kitted out in fancy dress for which there are prizes, this year had a bus load of club members making the trip down.

    It was the 34th year of running for the event and a record 1300 runners participated. Along with the requirement to run in pairs, another unusual aspect of this race is that the course is different each year. Sometimes there are minor changes, but this year much of the course was completely different to other years in recent memory. This meant there were large stretches in the earlier parts of the course of mucky fields, made even more mucky by a recent snowfall. In addition the course was slightly longer than in previous years, being 9 miles instead of 8.5. It was also a bit hillier, totalling around 1400 feet of climbing.

    The winner were mountain running champions Seamus Lynch and Ian Bailey (Newcastle AC) with a time of 57 minutes. The mixed team winners were Laura Graham and William McKee (Mourne Runners) 65:07. First ladies team were Gerrie Short and Catherine Diver (Beechmount Harriers) 71:12.

    Club results were as follows:

    Andrew Tees/John McAuley 1:04:47
    David Montgomery/Michael Broadhead 1:16:55
    Robin Montgomery/Joe McCann 1:21:25
    Darren Houston/Colin Simpson 1:26:11
    Lyndsey Tyro/hannah Waugh 1:32:42
    Jonathan Weston/Carolyn Beattie 1:36:54
    Michael O’Donoghue/Tony Liken 1:37:25
    Edwina Ternan/Gillian Logan 1:44:31
    Ian Grant/Chris Woods 1:45:37
    Julie McKimm/Pauline Bayliss 1:45:40
    Ali McConnell/Andrew Watson 1:46:12
    Sarah Steer/Donall Flanagan 1:50:10
    Jacqui Maxwell/Reg Sanlon 1:50:28
    Brian Todd/Emma McWilliams 1:54:36
    Darren Marshall/Sharon Dickenson 1:55:09
    David Fletcher/John Neill 1:56:22
    Catherine Fearon/Aine Hughes 2:08:42
    Lisa Fleming/Jill Holland 2:14:23
    Ian Wilson/Verity Cornford 2:15:51
    Sharon McFarland/Judith McCann 2:19:06
    Jackie Grant/Adrienne Savage 2:19:16
    Eleanor Acheson/Jill Long 2:23:54

    Jacqui and Reg won their age category in the mixed team prize. In addition Darren Marshall and Sharon Dickenson won a prize for the grinch themed fancy dress outfits.

    East Antrim Marathon Series 30th and 31st December

    These are considered the flagship events of EAMS. For many it is a Back to Back event with the first situated along the coast from Carrick to Loughshore and the NYE event taking place in Greenisland

    It was the 4 year anniversary of the start of the East Antrim Marathon Series. It was originally inspired by a similar organisation called the East of Ireland Marathon Series near Dublin. The main objective was to help participants reach the goal of joining the 100 marathon club, which up until that point would have taken a long time to do and involve a lot of foreign travel. Pete Montgomery from East Antrim decided to start his own organisation mirroring this in part to reach his own goal of 100 marathons. On New Years Eve he managed to do this and will soon adorn the coveted 100 Marathon Club Ireland vest.

    At the other end of the marathon count scale it was Eric Fairfields first marathon. As usual for the time of year there were rough weather conditions, but Eric did superbly on his marathon debut finishing in 4th place with a time of 3:12:18.

    The winner was Chris Denton (Springwell) with a time of 2:57:45. First lady was Gillian McCrory (St Peters AC) 3:33:06.

    Originally doing just marathons, EAMS has branched out into doing 10k’s and half marathons as well. To round off her month of running every day Gillian Logan decided to go out with a bang and enter one of the half marathons.

    Consisting of 2 laps of Greenisland in quite windy conditions Gillian finished with a time 1:57:33. First finisher was Judith Worthington with a time of 1:38:56.

    Michael O’Donoghue decided to round off his year of racking up the marathon count and finished with a time of 4:40:03.

    Parkrun

    There were numerous xmas day parkruns available including Stormont, Waterworks and Wallace of which there was club member participation. There was a big turnout at Stormont in particular. A report can be found at

    http://www.parkrun.com/results/consolidatedclub/…

  10. Race Report 20th – 26th November

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    By Tim Robinson

    ARMAGH CITY MARATHON – Wednesday 22nd November
    By Michael O’Donoghue

    The Armagh City Marathon is a recent addition to the roster of local marathons. It developed from the Run Armagh 10k and has now taken place 10 times in the last couple of years. It uses the same route as the Armagh 10k including a couple of laps of the Mall to make up the distance.

    Armagh isn’t a very big place so the route is mostly country roads to the north of the city. On this occasion we had heavy rain throughout the event and many of those country roads were flooded. The area is quite hilly too so we were treated to a tough but rewarding race! Many of us received 2 apples on this occasion. One was the golden apple of Armagh and the other a JFK themed one.

    There were 30 entrants in the marathon and 4 in the half marathon. My time was 4:33:21 and I was in 17th place. The winner was Micheal Dillon (Newry City Runners) in 2.57.32. First lady was Andrea Cairns (Scrabo Striders) in 4.50.23.

     

    SEELEY CUP
    Saturday 25 November

    The Seeley Cup, a Willowfield Temperance Harriers 10k race, is based at Ormeau Park and demands 2.5 laps, starting on the Embankment and finishing in the Park.

    The weather was rather threatening beforehand on Saturday, with a heavy shower blowing over about 2pm, but the race conditions were cold, dry and sunny.
    Orangegrove had twenty-nine competitors who had good support from the marshals and some of our own club mates including Andy McIntyre, MOD, Martin Doherty, Alison Hall Thompson and Lisa Fleming

    Among the results deserving special mention, Jacqui Maxwell earned an age category win with a great time of 47:13.

    Eric Fairfield pushed hard to cross the line first for the Club with a great time of 38:04.

    Edwina Ternan is continuing in fine form as Orangegrove’s first female across the line with 41:50.

    David Montgomery appears to have been dicing with David Gribben throughout the race and achieved a well earned PB of 38:57 – two seconds ahead of David G. on chip time with an equal race time. Des Fahy was close behind.

    A review of the results suggests that quite a few runners paired up through the race, perhaps demonstrating the club motto; “Work together to accomplish more”

    Category Finish Chiptime Halfway
    Eric Fairfield M M40 00:38:20 00:38:04 00:19:29
    David Montgomery M M45 00:39:15 00:38:57 00:20:04
    David Gribben M M40 00:39:15 00:38:59 00:20:03
    Desmond Fahy M M45 00:39:27 00:39:11 00:20:05
    Robin Montgomery M M45 00:41:22 00:41:02 00:20:46
    Jonathan Weston M M45 00:41:59 00:41:33 00:21:35
    Edwina Ternan F FO 00:42:17 00:41:50 00:21:22
    David Roberts M M45 00:43:40 00:43:13 00:22:25
    Ian Grant M M35 00:43:43 00:43:16 00:22:35
    Martin O’Brien M M40 00:43:45 00:43:17 00:22:31
    Heather Flint F F40 00:44:04 00:43:40 00:22:21
    Pauline Bayliss F F40 00:44:08 00:43:42 00:22:57
    Julie McKimm F F40 00:44:19 00:43:52 00:22:59
    Brian Todd M M65 00:44:36 00:44:09 00:22:32
    Stephen Anderson M M50 00:44:42 00:44:15 00:23:10
    Carolyn Beattie F F40 00:46:45 00:46:17 00:23:43
    Gillian Logan F FO 00:46:51 00:46:25 00:23:31
    Jacqueline Maxwell F F55 00:47:41 00:47:13 00:23:49
    Rachel Woodman F F40 00:47:51 00:47:24 00:23:58
    Gerald Harvey M M65 00:48:45 00:48:16 00:24:27
    Heather Shanks-MillerF F45 00:49:06 00:48:19 00:24:20
    Jill Holland F F50 00:49:52 00:49:04 00:25:22
    Kimberley ReynoldsF F50 00:50:49 00:50:00 00:25:18
    Jenny Powell F F40 00:51:51 00:51:02 00:26:08
    Anna Rankin F F40 00:53:38 00:52:50 00:26:57
    Catherine Fearon F FO 00:54:03 00:53:53 00:26:44
    Adrian Sproule M MO 00:56:06 00:55:11 00:28:50
    Anne Devlin F F50 01:01:57 01:01:03 00:30:58
    Stephen Craig M M55 01:02:00 01:01:07 00:30:59

    Gideon Kipsang broke the tape in 30:39 (1st place). Scott Rankin claimed 2nd place and with it the Northern Ireland & Ulster title in 30:56.

    As reported in NI Running, in the ladies race, two of Northern Ireland’s best emerging talents went head to head and delivered a race which lived up to expectation. Nothing separated NI 10,000m and 5,000m record holder Emma Mitchell (QUB AC) and Belfast Marathon winner Laura Graham (Mourne Runners) until the final kilometre. As the ladies entered Ormeau Park for the final time, Emma surged clear to retain her NI & Ulster 10k title in 34:00 (1st place). Laura followed in a new 10k personal best of 34:19, taking 2nd place, before Kelly Neely (City of Lisburn AC) secured the final podium place and bronze medal in 35:49

     

    RUN THE LINE 2017 – Saturday 25th November
    Reported by Andrew Tees

    Organised by the Dublin and Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team as part of their annual fund-raising events, Run The Line is a trail race set in the Dublin Mountains, overlooking the city and Dublin Bay. It is aimed at both seasoned hill-runners and those looking to give the hills a try, with two distance options of 13k and 26k. A popular race in the winter calendar, it always sells out quickly and this year was no exception.

    This year the event was dedicated to the memory of Kevin Hallahan, a DWMRT team member who was killed in tragic accident during a training event in Snowdonia in September this year.

    The new start and finish area for the 2017 event was in Glencullen Adventure Park. Both the short and long courses started by climbing the wonderfully named Fairy Castle mountain, after which the long course diverted off in a loop to climb two other hills, Cruagh and Tibradden, then re-joined the short course for the final few kilometers, weaving through the surrounding woods back to Glencullen.

    From Orangegrove, Sarah Steer was competing on the 13k course, and Andrew Tees on the 26k course.

    With overnight temperatures having been well below zero, Saturday morning was frosty with an icy breeze, this was not a shorts and vest day… even the hardiest mountain runners were layering up!

    When we finally got underway at 11am, it was just a relief to get moving and get warmed up! With the first 2 miles all uphill to top of Fairy Castle, it was a rude awakening for cold limbs and lungs! The course was a tough up-and-down rollercoaster, a mixture of mountain paths and forest tracks with plenty of rocks, ice and mud to keep it interesting, if not a little treacherous in places!

    The 13K course race was won by Conall Murphy in 57:38, with first female being Lorraine Horan in 1:13:25 (29th).
    The 26K race was won by Adrian Hennessy in 2:09:15, with first female being Carolyn Hayes in 2:15:34 (14th).

     

    Orangegrove Results:
    Sarah Steer 13K 1:25:34 (84/244, 18th female)
    Andrew Tees 26K 2:28:16 (20/261)

    FERMANAGH HALF MARATHON – Sunday 26th November
    Reported by Michael O’Donoghue

    This was the 2nd occasion of the Fermanagh Only Half Marathon organised by the Teemore Shamrocks GAA club. There haven’t been many longer distance events in the county of Fermanagh so when I heard about this event I knew I had to make the journey down there.

    The route starts and finishes at the club which is near Derrylin to the south of Enniskillen right next to the border. There were several different races distances, 5k, 10k, 10 mile and half marathon. The route headed north of the club out towards the upper lakes of Lough Erne and back. It was exceptionally rural route passing through the village of Teemore itself, but there were very few settlements other than that and hardly any houses on the route!

    It was a real community event with a mixture of running talent. There weren’t many from ANI affiliated clubs present and several from south of the border.

    My time was 1.38.05 and I was in 16th place out of 66 runners. The winner was Niall Smith 1.17.33 and first lady was Denise Toner (Clones AC) 1.30.29.

    A lot of people are obviously getting something right. Thanks to coaches, committee members and all the volunteers that help make our great club work so well. Let’s keep working together.