Joe McAllister (St Malachy"s) and Jill Shannon (Lagan Valley) warmed up for next weekend"s IAAF World Road Racing Championships in Hungary by registering emphatic wins in the Bangor Classic 10K, supported by North Down Borough Council. Joe won in 31.16 min and was followed by the Willowfield pair of Brian Campbell and Alan McCullough in 31.42 and 31.45, then by the North Belfast pair of David Morwood and top Junior Stephen Scullion in 31.56 and 32.15. Jill won in 35.25 min from Breege Connolly (North Belfast) in 38.05 and Rona Harkens (Lagan Valley in 39.29. There was good if breezy weather, a flat course, 330 starters and 315 finishers in a domestic field, a huge prize list and in Alan Leslie featured the first Mayor of North Down to complete the Bangor Classic in any of its incarnations. The start was brought forward into Castle Park to correct the 2005 measurement problems, resulting in new course records all round.
With prizes for the first 3 men and women"s teams, there was strong inter-club competition. Top men"s teams were Willowfield, North Belfast Harriers and Annadale Striders and the top women"s teams were Lagan Valley, North Belfast Harriers and North Down. The extra depth in the prize list resulted in several veterans moving into the main prize list to remove anomolies, also freeing up space in the category prizes. In the case of North Down for instance Francis Marsh and Lynne Kerr both moved from vets prizes into the main list.
Francis Marsh was best club runner in 9th in 33.20 min with Nicklas Arkenspaar 39th in 37.39 and George Bell 43rd in 38.14 but the big news was the strong showing of the youthful Patterson twins with Mark 49th in 38.50 and Michael 52nd in 39.26. Others to earn the "100 club shirt" were James Agar 51st in 38.54, Simon Cummings 79th in 41.17, Lynne Kerr 82nd in 41.32, and Michael Jenkins 100th and up and running in 42.34. John Monaghan won an M60 prize. As well as Lynne the third placed womens team included Stephanie Hambling, 2nd F35, and Roma McConville 1st F45.
For a good selection of photos, see the Annadale Striders site.