Bs?  Honey Bs? Bumble Bs? Spelling Bs?  B in your Bonnet? How about PBs? Universally known within the world of running as short for Personal Bests, the unending goal of the runner.  If you were in search of this particular B on Monday then look no further than the list below where local runners did themselves proud round the streets of Dublin.  Some took minutes off their previous times and some took seconds  but however they finished they all recorded PBs for 25th October 2010. I'm sure that many more from this area took part in the race but those listed are the only ones I saw or know about, so apologies if your name does not appear but Well Done nonetheless.

The bald facts of the list give no indication of the commitment, the passion, the pain and the sheer bloody mindedness which went into each of the performances and it is fitting that all of those concerned should now take a well earned break.  But just to pull out a few details – Alan Strachan's fantastic time matched his number, 2508, which is a great idea, so I've applied for Number 259 for next year. His clubmates Mark Kendall and Brendan Quail completed the Newcastle Three Sub Three Team – brilliant running.
Philip Vint laid to rest the ghost of last year when he annihilated his heartbreaking time of  3.00.02 and looked like he could have gone round again at the finish.

You might ask how a Mullingar Harrier made the locals list, but Gerry Duffy is well entitled to be there as he was one of the duo who ran 32 marathons in 32 Days in the 32 counties back in June/July and completed the Co. Down leg in Downpatrick in his best of the series to date time. Not only that but he surely has Down blood in his veins anyway as his parents honeymooned in Newcastle, though  he's not their eldest child! His previous best for the distance was 3.17 so breaking 3 hours was a monumental achievement for him.

Declan Teague ran the best race of his life, staying focused and on the pace throughout, despite a nagging injury (nothing to do with his wife).

Mark McDowell will find that a bad experience can be a good one if the lesson is learned.  26.2 miles is a long way to run and it will kick you hard if it gets the chance.  Pace control is absolutely vital and even with a fair run it is a difficult ask.  However mental toughness is equally important and a sub 3.30 time indicates that he has that in spades.  There'll be another day as there will be for Brian Donnelly, Seamus Murphy and Kristoffer Fegan who went looking for 3.30s but courtesy of cramps were closer to 3.40. 
No shame in that but like the much improved Raymond Milligan, half an hour faster than last year, they know where they went wrong. Remember those who couldn't run at all because of injury and those who are unable to run at all

John Findlay ran a superbly judged race and made up numerous places in the last 10K, as did wife Wendy who finished on 3.56. 

And then came McGrattan's Fusiliers, the trio of pace setter Simon McGrattan,  Gerard McAuley and James Magennis who stuck together until 20 miles when Gerard, tired of James' jokes, and fed up looking at Simon's back (his best side incidentally) struck out for home.  He finished a superb Summer of training with a remarkable 3.45 time and a smile as broad as the Liffey. Simon knocked 15 seconds off last year's time while James clocked a best ever 3.50 and that's no joke, as it cost me an extra £10 in sponsorship.

Then the first of our Ladies came to steal some of their thunder as Kim Surginor fairly breezed home in 3.49, a full FORTY FOUR minutes faster than last year with Gavin Oakes just 2 seconds behind but TWENTY minutes faster than last year. I must find out what they're on though I suspect it's probably likely to be down to lots of hard work, something which I've given up.  Stephen McCartan had a hard time from 18 miles on, suffering from severe cramps but refused to give up while Michael Degan seemed to cruise round enjoying every minute of it. The consistent Paul Fegan, Newcastle's fourth man and one of the most prolific runners in the area, had a relatively trouble free outing on his way to 4.11.

And Linda Cunningham's effort can only be described as truly inspirational.  I saw her last year sitting at the 25 mile mark cheering on her clubmates as she fought back from illness and vowed to be “out there” next year.  And how magnificently she was “out there” coming home in 4.28 ahead of thousands.  Well Done to her and to her family who turned up at Mile 25 to cheer her home. Paul Rogan's last minute decision to run, he makes a habit of doing that, was vindicated by a similar time to Linda's – if he ever decides a few months in advance to run a marathon he'll probably break 3 hours!

And finally – Frank and Bernice McCann, first time marathoners and Frank with a participation threatening dodgy back, really took on the challenge and posted  an eye catching 4.43.  Never mind PBs they all think they're the Bs knees!

So while all these brave folk were out creating glory for themselves I was pedalling furiously along the canal bank with Brian Hamilton, first to Mile 10 at Kilmainham Jail and then to Mile 20.  I never knew until Monday that the route passed by the Jail , although I've run it 14 times, or indeed that there is a mosque adjacent to Mile 20.  The bottom line, literally, is that while they have sore feet, we have sore throats, our hands are clapped out and we're saddle sore.  Next year? On yer bikes lads, we're running!


NAME    CLUB    TIME (hrs/mins/secs)
ALAN STRACHAN    Newcastle AC    2.50.08
MARK KENDAL    Newcastle AC    2.51.16
BRENDAN QUAIL    Newcastle AC    2.54.47
PHILIP VINT    East Down AC     2.56.22
GERRY DUFFY    Mullingar Harriers    2.58.04
DECLAN TEAGUE    East Down AC    3.17.23
MICHAEL McKEOWN    East Down AC    3.19.43
MARK McDOWELL    East Down AC    3.29.41
STEPHEN SMYTH    Murlough AC    3.33.51
JOHN FINDLAY    East Down AC    3.37.19
BRIAN DONNELLY    East Down AC    3.39.04
SEAMUS MURPHY    East Down AC    3.39.52
KRISTOFFER FEGAN    East Down AC     3.40.00
RAYMOND MILLIGAN    East Down AC       3.44.56  
GERARD McAULEY    East Down AC    3.45.54
SIMON McGRATTAN    East Down AC    3.48.11
KIM SURGINOR    East Down AC       3.49.44   
GAVIN OAKES    East Down AC        3.49.46   
JAMES MAGENNIS    East Down AC    3.50.59
STEPHEN McCARTAN    East Down AC    3.54.06
MICHAEL DEGAN    East Down AC    3.54.11
GERARD ROWE    Murlough AC    3.55.44
WENDY FINDLAY    East Down AC    3.56.25
PAUL FEGAN    Newcastle AC    4.11.53
RAY MURRAY    East Down AC    4.14.30
LINDA CUNNINGHAM    East Down AC    4.28.20
PAUL ROGAN    East Down AC        4.29.42   
FRANK McCANN    East Down AC    4.43.52
BERNICE McCANN    East Down AC    4.43.53


A glorious sunny Autumn morning greeted the 81 competitors and associated parents, coaches and friends to Tollymore Park on Saturday for the 2nd round of the  McGrady Financial Services sponsored Junior Cross Country Series.  After the rainfall in the preceding 24 hours fears that the course would be waterlogged proved unfounded – in fact underfoot conditions were perfect around the circuit, a challenging loop with a nice little climb to the Monument to finish. But like their elders on Monday the Boys and Girls were undaunted by the terrain and every one battled to the line – whether the chocolate covered toffee apples on offer at the end had anything to do with or not  is debatable but whatever it was it had the desired effect.

Honours between Newcastle and East Down were just about even though clean sweeps for Newcastle in the Year 9 Girls, Year 8 Boys, P5 Boys,  P3 and 4 Boys and Girls against East Down's domination of Year 10 and P7 Girls categories would suggest that Newcastle hold the upper hand at this stage of  the Team competitions – but it's early days yet. Best races of the day were coincidentally the P6 Boys and Girls events with Newcastle's Sarah Dougherty just catching East Down's Caoimhe-Grace O'Donnell to win by one second and Nathan Heath, making his club debut, getting the better of long time front runner Caolan Hawkins by a similar distance. Ellen Erskine and Aidan Hawkins were convincing winners of the Year 8 categories, with Matthew Carrick and Ciara Gibson dominating the P7 Boys and Year  9 Girls respectively.

Tia Braniff was a revelation with a superb sprint finish in the P5 Girls race and there were encouraging runs too from Miles McCrickard, Alea Brannnigan,, Lucy and Adam Morgan, Marie Therese Walsh, Rioghnach McGuigan, Ruairi Carey, Johnny Erskine, Padraig Rogan, Roisin Mccabe, Aoife McCann, Elisha Surginor, Con McCartan, Eoghan Knight, and Niamh and Caitriona Doyle.

Unfortunately PJ McCrickard of sponsors McGrady Financial Services was unable to attend but was ably substituted by his wife Catherine at the prizegiving afterwards. Next meeting in the series is on Sunday 14 November in Delamont.

No musings from me next week as I'm off to New York, the founder of the big city marathons in the hope that the Big Apple is actually short for Big Apple Tart. But will report on that and the marathon itself on my return. Incidentally the clocks don't go back there until next weekend so I'll actually get younger after I get there>

Joe Quinn
31 October 2010