North Down Parkrun Takeover – North Down Athletic Club

North Down athletes at the parkrun takeover

Despite uncertainty over the short term future of athletics events, North Down AC’s parkrun takeover provided Bangor with a yellow and blue reminder of everything that is good about our community on Saturday, at least twenty five high vis heroes facilitating and encouraging approximately fifty clubmates, many of them running with friends and family in a localised outbreak of humanity. Amongst a healthy crowd of 255, Mark Carberry (17:02 PB) exercised social distancing, but only because no one was fit to keep pace with the outstanding young gentleman, while North Down dominated the top spots, Jonathon Weissman (17:56/2nd) followed by another excellent effort from Dougie Gordon (18:50/3rd) and a superb first sub 19 from Ryan Lynas (18:55/4th). Fiona McQuillan (19:30/7th) was pushed all the way by Tara McDonough (19:46/8th) before claiming first lady honours, the latter finding consolation in a new Bangor PB, while Robert Eadie (19:55) celebrated the holy grail of a first sub 20.

Colin Walker with fellow North Down athletes at the parkrun takeover

First finisher, Mark Carberry with his mother, Karen, and Grandfather, Brian Smith.

Aaron Barr (20:14) completed an impressive Bangor debut, Lucy Cheatley (20:34) took a huge chunk out of her previous best, while there were further PB’s for Nick Donaldson (21:08) and the ever improving Hollie Massey (21:13). Christopher Connolly (23:22) completed his first ever parkrun, Ian McCreary (24:07) claimed a PB on his 63rd, while Eimear Mulligan(24:45) took more than a minute out of her previous best and Eva Gibson (25:05) celebrated her birthday by clocking up a fifth PB from her last six parkruns. Last but not least, Lynne Kerr (26:41), a lady who loves her running as much as anyone, brought up her century in style with her second fastest parkrun in the past couple of years.

Erin & Nigel Playfair

Many thanks to Nicola Stevenson for organising the volunteers, Terry Coyne for the effortless grace with which he commanded the RD role, and everyone who contributed to the refreshments which complimented another successful takeover.

North Down athletes at the parkrun takeover

At Crawfordsburn country park, Philip Mulligan (21:01/7th) was fastest of the North Down contingent (in a new PB), Clair Quigley (21:28/8th/PB) was first lady (for the third week in a row), while Terry Eakin (22:15/11th) smashed the M70 course record, Helen Byers (23:29) claimed a new PB, and Roberta Dornan (24:16) made a welcome return after suffering a nasty fall at the Armagh road races. Jonny McWhinney (28:15) recorded a big PB on his second visit to Crawfordsburn, Paula Simpson (29:25) was a first timer, while Scott Symington (29:48) and Glen Irwin (31:13) completed club representation with a pair of hard earned personal bests.

On the back of a successful cross country season, Tom Agnew (19:59) flew around Waterworks Park in Belfast, and had just enough in the tank to join the prestigious ‘sub 20’ club, Eamonn O’Reilly never misses an opportunity for a spot of parkrun tourism, and was at the sharp end of proceedings in Enniskillen, where he clocked 19:34 for 3rd place, but the undisputed tourist prize goes to Jamie Smyth (17:92, a first time visitor (and second placed finisher) at Marketeaton Park, near the University of Derby in the midlands of England.

EAMS St Patrick’s Day 6 Hour Challenge

Gordon Matchett, Sandra Hall & Glenn Frazer

The good folks from the East Antrim Marathon Series provided an outlet for positivity over the weekend, operating not one but two endurance events around their Loughshore base over the course of Saturday and Sunday. Despite many high profile events falling by the wayside, the smaller more spread out nature of the EAMS fields ensured a lower risk than mass participation races, and certainly did not step outside of any government guidelines at the time, instead providing a welcome distraction in difficult circumstances.

North Down had representation at the Sunday event, the annual St Patrick’s 6 hour challenge, a relatively flat loop from the Loughshore bandstand to Gideons Green (and back, as many times as possible), with a coastal breeze not being able to spoil an otherwise pleasant, sunny morning. Fresh from a strong showing at the Walled City 10 miler, Glenn Frazer and Sandra Hall were on the start line again, this time being joined by Gordon Matchett, who decided to forgo his traditional Sunday dip, in place of something a lot less relaxing.

In the end it was more than worth the effort for all three, Gordon leading them home in 1:58:42 for the half marathon distance, while Sandra and Glenn also opted for the 13.1 mile option and crossed the line together in 2:28:47.

Hampton Court Palace Half Marathon

Paul Kennedy

Boasting one of the most beautiful half marathon routes around, with a starting and finishing area in Hampton Palace, once the home of Henry VIII, almost 3000 loyal subjects lined up on Sunday morning for a flat and fast course hugging the banks of the River Thames, at the 7th annual Palace Half Marathon.

North Down’s sole participant was Paul Kennedy, who took advantage of agreeable conditions to post a well paced 1:54:02 for 929th overall and a creditable 40th in age category.