Springwell runners in action

The weather had little effect on the road racing at the Broughshane 5 & 10k on Monday evening but by Thursday, and the start of the Newcastle AC Hill & Dale series, the rain had reached ‘biblical proportions’ and, to quote one of the race organisers, “there’s now rivers where there never was before!”

Broughshane 5 & 10k

Hosted by Ballymena runners, the Broughshane 5 & 10k road races took place on Monday, August 2 in Broughshane village. Over 260 competitors put their toe to the line for the return of this popular race.

In the 10k Springwell RC’s Christopher McNickle’s run of form continued as he finished third in a time of 36.06. In the Walker family, honours were shared as the father and son team of Maurice and Rhys claimed their respective age categories for Springwell. Dad Maurice finished seventh overall in 38.39 to win the M50 age category while Rhys crossed the line in 30th place in 43.37 as the first MJ.

10k Results - 3rd Christopher McNickle 36.06, 7th Maurice Walker 38.39 1st M50, 9th Alan Nevin 39.09, 21st Niall Kennedy 42.27, 22nd Barry Mullan 42.28, 27th Gareth McLaughlin 43.25, 30th Rhys Walker 43.37 1st MJ, 95th Andrew Wilmot

53.45, 99th Pauline Duke 54.13 PB, 105th Sarah Milligan 54.46

5k Results - 40th Carolyn Crawford 23.08, 42nd Seamus McAteer 23.24, 108th Caroline Owen 35.48

Newcastle Hill & Dale Series Race 1 – Loughshannagh

The 2021 Newcastle AC Hill & Dale series of events started on Thursday, August 5 with the Loughshannagh Race.

The course over the Slieve Loughshannagh summit, and Doan and Carn summits, is four miles long, but crams in over 1500 feet of elevation to test the stamina of everyone who accepts the challenge.

The rain on Thursday was torrential and although it had eased by the time the race started the ground was saturated which made for heavy, slippery going and poor visibility.

Over 100 runners started the race but the steep descent to the finish proved toomu ch for a few who were unable to finish.

Springwell RC’s Barry Mullan is a very experienced competitor in this series, and he finished 29 th (3rd M45) in a time of 57.51 while, in their first attempt at this course Carolyn Crawford finished 90 th (3 rd f35) in 85.39 and Adele Tomb 92 nd with a time of 85.55.

Park Run

The wet weekend weather did little to deter Parkrunners from taking part in their weekly timed 5k with all events being well attended. 33 Springwell RC members were out on Saturday at six different venues with Maurice and Rhys Walker recording personal bests at the Ecos Parkrun in Ballymena and Pauline Duke making it a hattrick of personal bests at Portrush Parkrun with her third consecutive Saturday to run a personal best.

Parkrun Results

Ecos - Maurice Walker 18:53 PB, Rhys Walker 21:09 PB Portrush - Jude Moore 21:44, Fergus Thompson 23:23, Mervyn Thompson 23:43, Graeme Elliott 24:18, Andrew Wilmot 26:33, Alanna Millar 26:59, Sylvia Pollock 27:01, Pauline Duke 28:25 PB, Liz Dowey 28:28, Amanda Scott 30:51, Lorraine Abernethy 32:16, Aisling Hynes 42:51

Ormeau - David Campbell 23:54

Limavady - Chris Denton 17:35, Darren Walsh 21:49, Janet Patrick 25:24, Ryan Gray 25:27, Paul Campbell 25:39, Leanne Quigley 28:51, Heather McLaughlin 37:06

Crawfordsburn - Ali Shaw 22:56, Patricia Craig 27:15, Elaine Montgomery 33:48

Garvagh - William McCaffrey 23:34, Majella McAteer 24:26, Michael Mulvenna 24:31, Paul Moore 24:56, Antoinette Conway 29:16, Grainne Moore 29:17, Anne Marie McKenna 30:20, Caroline Owen 38:02