Saturday 23rd December was the preferred date for this year’s Hawtin Shield, the annual club handicap race around the tough Crawfordsburn 5k trail route. The handicaps are based on stated best park run times and Davie Seaton alongside club secretary Clare Russell then allocate starting positions at one minute intervals.
This year’s winner was Paula Simpson who ran a determined race and never looked like losing as she entered the final stages after starting with a 2 min handicap. Trevor Spencer had a solid run to finish 2nd and Nicola Stevenson ran well off a one minute handicap to come in 3rd.
Katie Moore had the best female time of 19:32, Jodi Smith following in 19:40 and Rio Catney 3rd in 21:31. Great running from the three national representatives. The males were led round by Craig McMeechan in 16:43, Francis Marsh 18:03 and Jakob Swann 19:05.
During the presentations club chairperson, Valerie McDonough, congratulated all the winners and made mention of the recent Northern Ireland & Ulster selections of Rachel Gibson, Katie Moore, Rio Catney and Craig McMeechan for the Celtic Cross Country races at Greenmount College, Antrim on 6th January. The club also had two entries for the London Marathon next April to allocate which was also randomly selected by Valerie. This time Joanne Harris and Philip Mulligan received the honour of clocking up the miles from New Year’s Day until the big day in London on 22nd April 2018. Simon Sexton was also selected in the event of there being a change in the selection system.
| Results: Finishing Order | Results: Net Time | ||||||
| Position | Time | Name | Position | Net time | Name | ||
| 1 | 27.56 | Paula Simpson | 1 | 16.43 | Craig McMeechan | ||
| 2 | 28.52 | Trevor Spencer | 2 | 18.03 | Francis Marsh | ||
| 3 | 29.29 | Nicola Stevenson | 3 | 19.05 | Jacob Swann | ||
| 4 | 29.40 | Les Wilkinson | 4 | 19.07 | Cameron Jenkins | ||
| 5 | 29.43 | Craig McMeechan | 5 | 19.19 | David Massey | ||
| 6 | 30.03 | Francis Marsh | 6 | 19.24 | Nick Irvine | ||
| 7 | 30.07 | Cameron Jenkins | 7 | 19.32 | Katie Moore | ||
| 8 | 30.10 | Alan Massey | 8 | 19.40 | Jodi Smith | ||
| 9 | 30.17 | James Barr | 9 | 20.00 | Jack Logan | ||
| 10 | 30.19 | David Massey | 10 | 20.10 | Alan Massey | ||
| 11 | 30.32 | Katie Moore | 11 | 20.11 | Philip Baillie | ||
| 12 | 30.35 | Gerry O’Boyle | 12 | 20.40 | Les Wilkinson | ||
| 13 | 30.36 | Joanne Cummings | 13 | 20.45 | Adam Skelly | ||
| 14 | 30.40 | Jodi Smith | 14 | 21.06 | Jamie Gaw | ||
| 15 | 30.55 | Chris Harrison | 15 | 21.15 | Terry Eakin | ||
| 16 | 30.56 | Mitch Brown | 16 | 21.31 | Rio Catney | ||
| 17 | 30.59 | Stephen Mulvenna | 17 | 21.35 | Gerry O’Boyle | ||
| 18 | 31.00 | Alex Irvine | 18 | 21.42 | Ben Jenkins | ||
| 19 | 31.00 | Jack Logan | 19 | 21.43 | Megan Briggs | ||
| 20 | 31.05 | Jacob Swann | 20 | 21.56 | Mitch Brown | ||
| 21 | 31.11 | Claire Scott | 21 | 21.59 | James McCaughey | ||
| 22 | 31.15 | Terry Eakin | 22 | 22.18 | Andy Belshaw | ||
| 23 | 31.18 | Andy Belshaw | 23 | 22.22 | Steve Wise | ||
| 24 | 31.21 | Mick Hall | 24 | 22.39 | Frankie Rea | ||
| 25 | 31.24 | Nick Irvine | 25 | 22.49 | Harris Massey | ||
| 26 | 31.26 | Ian McCleary | 26 | 22.52 | Tara McDonough | ||
| 27 | 31.31 | Rio Catney | 27 | 23.11 | Claire Scott | ||
| 28 | 31.38 | Caroline Crothers | 28 | 23.21 | Mick Hall | ||
| 29 | 31.39 | Frankie Rea | 29 | 23.55 | Chris Harrison | ||
| 30 | 31.41 | Abby Andrews | 30 | 23.59 | Stephen Mulvenna | ||
| 31 | 31.42 | Claire Garrad | 31 | 24.00 | Alex Irvine | ||
| 32 | 31.42 | Ben Jenkins | 32 | 24.16 | Hollie Massey | ||
| 33 | 31.43 | Megan Briggs | 33 | 24.27 | Louise Watson | ||
| 34 | 31.45 | Adam Skelly | 34 | 24.33 | Shane Logan | ||
| 35 | 31.49 | Harris Massey | 35 | 24.35 | Brianna Catney | ||
| 36 | 31.52 | Tara McDonough | 36 | 25.36 | Joanne Cummings | ||
| 37 | 32.02 | Ella Andrews | 37 | 25.38 | Caroline Crothers | ||
| 38 | 32.06 | Jamie Gaw | 38 | 25.41 | Abby Andrews | ||
| 39 | 32.09 | Kathryn Playfair | 39 | 25.56 | Paula Simpson | ||
| 40 | 32.11 | Philip Baillie | 40 | 25.57 | Cliff McCausland | ||
| 41 | 32.27 | Louise Watson | 41 | 26.02 | Ella Andrews | ||
| 42 | 32.33 | Shane Logan | 42 | 26.09 | Kathryn Playfair | ||
| 43 | 32.35 | Brianna Catney | 43 | 26.33 | Valerie McDonough | ||
| 44 | 32.53 | John Leeming | 44 | 26.42 | Claire Garrad | ||
| 45 | 32.58 | Pat O’Driscoll | 45 | 27.17 | James Barr | ||
| 46 | 32.59 | James McCaughey | 46 | 27.26 | Ian McCleary | ||
| 47 | 33.16 | Hollie Massey | 47 | 28.29 | Nicola Stevenson | ||
| 48 | 33.22 | Steve Wise | 48 | 28.52 | Trevor Spencer | ||
| 49 | 33.57 | Cliff McCausland | 49 | 28.53 | John Leeming | ||
| 50 | 35.33 | Valerie McDonough | 50 | 32.58 | Pat O’Driscoll | ||
| 51 | 35.46 | Sarah Benton | 51 | 35.46 | Sarah Benton | ||