This year’s Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association British Championship race was held in the Mournes on Saturday 25th March. Starting and finishing in Donard Park, the race route took in the summits of Slieve Donard, Chimney Rock and Slieve Commedagh covering approximately 16k and 1200m of ascent. The peaks chosen commemorated 16 airmen who lost
their lives in 4 separate WW2 aircraft crashes around the race route, including 5 USAF crew members of the B26 Marauder that crashed on Chimney Rock on 10th April 1944. Despite sunshine on race day, recent snow then rainfall meant the soft ground added a further challenge for all the athletes, including 3 of North Down AC’s mountain runners; David McKeague finished in 2:12:58, Mark Weir ran 2:30:55 while Rob Munn-Bookless completed the course in 2:39:34.
