The Flahavan’s Athletics NI Primary Schools Cross Country league is for children in P5-P7. The top 3 teams and 5 individuals (from each area) take part in a Northern Ireland Final. The top 20 girls & boys from the Final will be invited to join the Primary Schools Cross Country Squad. The 2024 – 2025 League will consist of 3 Rounds & a Final, with schools and individuals allowed to compete in all 3 rounds, or 2 out of the 3 to qualify for the final.
The second round involving Co Down Schools took place in Newcastle on Tuesday 3rd December with several junior North Down AC runners representing their schools.
Robin Anderson (Grange) was 3rd overall in the boys’ race. He was followed by Daly Seaton (Glencraig – 6th), Ben Dumigan (Towerview – 9th), Casey Seaton (Glencraig -16th) and Logan Fowles (Dundonald – 17th). Glencraig were the 3rd team. In the girls’ race, Rose Reavy (Towerview) was 5th overall. She was followed by Molly Rankin (Towerview – 12th), Alani Santos (Towerview – 37th) and Isla McQuillan (Sullivan Prep – 95th and minus a shoe!) Towerview were the 3rd team.
Kevin Sinfield 7 in 7 Challenge, Belfast 03/12/24
Rugby League legend Kevin Sinfield has perhaps become better known outside the rugby community for his incredible challenges raising money for Motor-Neurone Disease research alongside, and latterly in memory of his friend and former Leeds Rhinos team mate Rob Burrows. His latest challenge saw him running 7 ultramarathons in 7 different parts of the UK in 7 days. Day 3 of his challenge took place on a cold, frosty morning in Belfast,
Kevin and his team ran 7 x 7k segments leaving the Kingspan Stadium at 7am before MNDA charity and media engagements at Stormont, the Titanic Museum, Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle, Tesco’s Ballygomartin, St Paul’s GAC, the MPT including an extra mile on the track where Dame Mary Peters completed a couple of laps too, before finishing at Windsor Park. Several runners joined in the early stages of the challenge before work, including Gerard Adair and Donald Smith from North Down AC. Donald carried on following the team around the city to Windsor Park before running a few extra kilometres back to the Kingspan to collect his car.
Kevin Sinfield completed the final day of his challenge in stormy conditions between Manchester and Saddleworth on Saturday having smashed his fundraising target of £777,777, raising more than £1 million!
Kevin Sinfield (centre in headband) with his teamGerard Adair & Donald Smith at Stormont
We Run Wild NI “El Cheapo” Marathon, Carrickfergus, 08/12/24
Local event organiser We Run Wild NI’s final marathon of 2024 was a low key half marathon and marathon from Carrickfergus Castle on Sunday 8th September. Runners relied on GPX map files downloaded to their watches to navigate the course and carried all necessary food and drink for the duration of the event, Rather than event specific medals they were rewarded with a lucky dip into the bag of leftover bling from previous events!
Half Marathon runners took on a road loop through the town and through Greenisland and Monkstown and the Shore Road back to the Castle while marathon runners ran a second loop with significant elevation and lengthy off road sections made more treacherous with puddles several metres long across the trails whilst negotiating fallen trees and debris from Storm Darragh.
3 North Down AC runners took on the marathon. Donald Smith won the marathon in 3:50:46 only 2 seconds clear of North Down team mate, Seán Nickell in second place. Kim McCourt finished strongly in 5:32.
