Saturday morning saw the boys and girls from Newcastle and East Down gather in the field below the Monument in Tollymore Park for Round 2 of the McGrady Financial Services Junior Cross Country Series. A total of 84 athletes turned out but given that the split was 61 – 23 in Newcastle's favour it is not hard to see why the home club dominated proceedings. There were 3 Age groups where EDAC had no representatives, another 3 where they only had one and another 4 where they only had 2 runners. This in a programme of 14 events makes for a dismal turnout overall. Yet every night at training anything from 40 to 70 members turn up for training. Training for what I ask? All declare their eagerness for the chance to show what they can do, yet come Saturday and they are conspicuous by their absence.
Events such as Saturday's, which was extremely well organised and delivered are provided with the sole aim of giving local children the opportunity of competition in a safe and friendly environment and within easy travelling distance of all. They would do well to remember the adage “Do it or Rue it”
This is not to denigrate in any way the efforts of those who turned up as all of them acquitted themselves very well, with Ellen Boyd, Tim Prenter, Matthew Carrick and Laura Green all winning their respective categories with Daniel Atkinson and Aoife Cochrane also taking podium places. And well done to all the others and their parents who came along to support all the runners from both clubs.
On Saturday morning Declan Teague returned to the scene of his commendable leg in last week's Relay Championships in Victoria Park and because of a slight niggling calf injury only managed to run faster than the previous week and set a new PB of 18.38 for the 5K. Later in the morning Brendan Teer finished 3rd behind top Masters Dave Morwood and Mark Wright in the trial race at QUB Malone with Liam Keenan and Ryan Hagen also featuring prominently in the first of the season's Cross Country events. Elaine Burch followed up her 9th place in the Runher 5K at Stormont last week and showed her well being ahead of next weekend's Age Group Championships by winning the Female Under 20 race. Maeve McDonald and Anita Redmond also competed at Stormont, recording 53.46 and 57.00 respectively, though unfortunately due to course misdirection the times will not rank officially as PBs – but you can record whatever you like in your own diaries, I always did.
300 MILE CHARITY RUNNER
Friday night saw the arrival in the town of long distance Charity runner Tom McGrath, a native of Fermanagh but now resident in New York, who had undertaken to run 300 miles to raise money for the Action Cancer and Marie Curie charities, in memory of his late very good friend Dr Theo Laverty who died from the disease in April this year only weeks after diagnosis. Tom had completed the stage from Banbridge to Downpatrick and on his arrival he was greeted by Council Chairman Dermot Curran and members of East Down Athletic Club. On Saturday morning he resumed the final leg of his epic journey when he left the county town at 8.30am to run the 22 miles to Belfast City Hall and a reception from the Lord Mayor. He reckons his efforts have so far raised over £22,000. He expressed his thanks to Linda and the staff of Down Leisure Centre for their hospitality on Friday and will display a Jimmy's Ten hat behind his bar the Black Sheep when he returns to the Big Apple.
Next week all feet head to Dundrum for the 2nd running of their unique 8 Mile Race which takes in road, trail, beach and boardwalk and with the 600 limit long since reached a great day out is promised. Race starts at 11.30am.
Joe Quinn
17 October 2011
