weekly roundup 18/05/25: Ulster Schools T&F Championships, Hill & Dale – Luke’s Mountain, Scottish 5k Road Championships – Edinburgh, Coastal Half Marathon &10k – Killough, Irish 5k Championships, Seskinore Forest 5k, Strabane Lifford Half Marathon, Race for Life – Glasgow

 

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week several North Down AC athletes represented their schools at the Ulster Schools Track & Field Championships.

 

Sophie Rankin was 10th in the minor girls 800m.  Isaac Hall was 5th in the mini boys 800m while Jessica Fowles finished 6th in the mini girls 800m. In the mini girls 4×100, Jessica and Eve Sloan were part of Glenlola’s silver medal winning team. 

Eve Sloan

 

Emma Reid

 

Isla Wiltshire stormed the last 100m of the junior girls 800m to take bronze and secure her place at the Irish schools championships. Seb Mair (2:24) raced again in the minor boys 800m final, while Caitlyn Dickenson set another good time (5:20) in the junior girls 1500m final. Ollie Playfair took a well-earned silver in the senior boys 2000m steeplechase clocking a PB of 6:42.

 

 

The latest installment of this year’s Hill & Dale Races in the Mournes saw runners assemble at the start/finish area at Meelmore Lodge for a kit check before they set off  towards the Mourne Wall and the climb to Slievenaglogh where they dropped down before climbing Luke’s Mountain and returning via a variety of fast looking routes to the stile and the track back down to Meelmore Lodge. With @420m of ascent over @7.2k or @4.5 miles on a warm evening, athletes were thoroughly tested once again.

First of the North Down runners to return to the Lodge was once again David McKeague in 48:02 closely followed by Gareth Hardy 48:12. Abby Andrews continued her excellent debut H&D season in 57:00 narrowly ahead of Ben Jenkins  in 57:16. Clair Quigley was next in 1:00:10 with Cameron Jenkins 1:03:17 and Kevin Mulligan 1:03:51 followed by F665 winner June McMinn 1:04:45. John Adgey picked up another AG win taking 1st place in the M80 category in 1:11:14 with Kim McCourt 1:11:32 and Trevor Patterson 1:15:12 completing the NDAC results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scottish 5k Road Championships, Edinburgh, 16/05/25

In Friday night’s Scottish 5k road champs in Edinburgh, Luke McDowell took  his 5k PB down to 16:25 while helping Glasgow University take an under-20 team bronze.

Coastal 10k & Half Marathon, Killough, 17/05/25

Born 2 Run’s winter Run Forest Run race series have long been popular with local runners and their latest races – a 10k and half marathon around the scenic village of Killough and out to the St John’s Point Lighthouse proved equally successful. Several North Down AC athletes made the trip to East Down for these events on Saturday morning. 

Steve Wise completed the half marathon in 1:44:56 and Sarah Wilson finished in 1:47:03.

7 NDAC runners tackled the 10k with Roberta Dornan first of the club’s runners to finish in 49:36. Sandra Hall 54:58, Chris Connolly 55:46 and Mick Hall 56:28 were followed by Andrea Green 1:00:20, Selina Patchett 1:06:05 and Pat O’Driscoll 1:10:50.

https://www.born2runevents.com/results-the-coast-half-marathon-10k/

Irish 5k Championships, Phoenix Park 17/05/25

While most runners were content to get their Saturday morning 5k fix at a local parkrun 6 North Down athletes headed to Phoenix Park for the Irish 5k Championships over an undulating course in the park with a particularly tough hill at the 3k mark.

Josh McDowell was the first of the club’s finishers in 17:34 and Tara McDonough was the first female finisher in 18:41. Simon Boyle claimed 5th spot in the M60 category in 19:10 while Glyinis Boyle confirmed their status as the fastest couple in their age group taking 3rd F60 in 22:21. Terry Eakin’s 22:20 scored him a convincing win in the M75 age group and Paula Simpson showed no fatigue from her recent marathons finishing in 24:30.

https://myrunresults.com/events/biofreeze_irish_runner_5k_2025/5565/results

 

Tara McDonough, Simon Boyle, Terry Eakin, Josh McDowell, Paula Simpson & Glynis Boyle

Seskinore Forest 5k, 17/05/25

3 more club members found another alternative to parkrun as they tackled the trails at the Seskinore Forest 5k near Omagh. Each of the Mairs came home with a prize;  Harrison was 3rd in the U12 race in 21:32 while Sebastian was 2nd in the U18 race in 18:36 and dad, Alasdair took 2nd  in the open race in 18:05.

Strabane Lifford Half Marathon, 18/05/25

One of the more unique half marathons on the island, the Strabane Lifford Half, starts in Strabane before crossing the River Finn and the border to Lifford. From there runners follow the course of the river to Cloghfin before crossing to Clady and heading back up the Northern Irish side of the border to Strabane.  

Emma Hegarty ran a perfectly paced half marathon, bordering just on the right side of 2 hours to complete the course in 1:59:32.

Katlyn Massey