The annual Darragh Cross charity Road Races took place on Saturday with a disappointingly low turnout in both events. Maybe it's the warm weather which deters  people from running though local footballers use the excuse that they have a game the following day. So? I would have thought that any reasonably fit footballer worth his salt could jog either 4 or 6 miles without breaking sweat, and still be able to play a team game next day. In fact I would have thought that any dedicated footballer would have been engaging in that sort of physical activity as a matter of course anyway. I also suspect that if the venue was a local bar promising wide screen viewing it would be hard to get anywhere near the place.

But enough of my complaints – Neil McCartan won the short course race, almost 4 miles with plenty of hills, in 23.48, which was six seconds better than land over a slightly longer course. Second home and first Juvenile was local lad Cahal Walsh in 29.37, an excellent time for one so young, with Adam Hughes 2nd and Micahel Mullin 3rd in that age group.  Mark McClements and Peter Duff filled the 2nd and 3rd places in the senior category. Last year's 2nd in the Ladies category, Louise Rattray, went one better this time and her time of 31.55 was over two minutes faster than last year, so obviously the heat didn't affect her adversely! Jan Miskelly and Cathy McMahon filled the minor places.

In spite of the small field, the 6 Mile race produced a tremendous battle up front with East Down's Stephen Price, on the comeback trail, throwing down the gauntlet to last year's second placed Philip Goss from North Belfast, Willowfield's Ryan Holt and the ever improving Liam Venney.  Stephen it was who led comfortably through halfway but his lack of depth in training found him out and the hilly terrain began to take its toll.  As they turned for home at the Cross it was the experienced Goss who was in the lead and he finished strongly in 33.52, with Stephen just 40 seconds behind and Liam 20 seconds further back in 3rd.  These are excellent results for East Down who look forward to fielding a competitive team in the revived Wallace Park Relays in October.

First lady to finish was Debbie Matchett from North Down ahead of Diane Watson and Fionnuala McCourt with Carmel Blaney picking up her first ever trophy as winner of the Over 35 category.

All the proceeds from the event are going this year to the Darragh Cross Romanian Project and the PIPS (suicide awareness) charity.

COMING EVENTS

There are a number of very exciting events coming up in the next few weeks which all   local runners will not want to miss. 

On Friday night the increasingly popular Killyleagh Five Mile race takes place at 7.30pm, with entries in the Bridge Centre from 6.00pm and it will be preceded by Primary School and Under 16 races at 6.30pm.

Both of these races will have team trophies for best school teams. On Thursday 2nd September at 7.30pm Newcastle AC stage the Mill Hill Mile in Castlewellan, a unique and, I would have thought, an irresistible challenge for all runners with Murlough AC promoting an eyecatching 8.4 Mile race on Road, Board and Beach on Saturday 16 October.  It doesn't get any better than this!

Joe Quinn
22 August 2010