The biggest event of the week for NDAC’s runners was the Titanic Quarter 10k and 1k family fun run in the Harbour Estate in Belfast. Success began early for club in the 1k race where Carter Rolston, no stranger the podium, finished first in 3:20. Sebastian Mair was 3rd, just 4 seconds behind him. Isla Wiltshire was the first girl to finish, in 5th place overall, in 3:27. Ethan Wiltshire, Coco Smith, Caitlyn Dickenson, Harrison Mair, Isla McQuillan and Reeya McQuillan also set quick times, challenging the adults in the senior race later on!
Craig McMeechan’s excellent form continued as he took 3rd spot in the 10k in 30:41. His brother Jamie was 16th in 33:57 while Francis Marsh showed no fatigue or jet lag from the World Masters Athletics Championships in Poland last weekend taking 1st M55 place and 21st overall in 35:24. Nick Irvine 36:31, Alasdair Mair 37:37, Eamonn O’Reilly, David Massey 38:02 and Michael Hennessy 38:11 were the next runners in yellow and blue NDAC vests to finish. Fiona McQuillan 38:32, took another podium after the Larne 10 mile race last weekend by finishing 2nd female. Alan McConnell 38:37 and Dean Valley 39:34 rounded off the sub-40 NDAC finishers. Clair Quigley 40:52, Tim Cooke 41:12 were the next NDAC runners to finish ahead of Sarah Gibson with a new PB of 41:19. Les Wilkinson was only 1 second behind in 41:20. Brian Geddis 42:03, Ryan Lynas 42:43, Lisa Tomalin 42:38 and Terry Eakin 43:46 all broke 45 minutes closely followed by David Balmer 45:12,and Paul Lynas 45:34. Lucia Williams 46:16, Glynis Boyle 47:08, Emma Fox 47:58, Christopher Williams 48:01, Paula Simpson 48:09, Wendy Neely 49:20 and Luke Hamilton 49:26 completed the 10k race in under 50 minutes. Luke claimed family honours by leaving Cara Jeffrey trailing in his wake in 51:09. John Ferguson’s alarm clock malfunction saw him record the day’s biggest discrepancy between gun time and chip time, some 12 minutes and 24 seconds, with a creditable 50:14! Craig and Jamie McMeechan were on hand to watch as their mum Lisa McMeechan finished in 51:24. Lynne Kerr made a welcome return to the podium, running her fastest 10k in more than 5 years to take 1st place in the W60 category in 52:29. Claire Charleton was close behind in 53:37 and Pat O’ Driscoll once again performed the role of NDAC sweeper bringing NDAC’s involvement to a close in 1:01:20.
