Ards Half Marathon 27/06/25
It’s always one of the toughest local races of the year; a Friday evening half marathon at the end of June on a hilly route starting and finishing in Newtownards incorporating a climb up the Scrabo Road and on to Comber before returning to the Scrabo Road via the Moate Road from the dual carriageway ensures all the athletes are thoroughly tested, and the humidity and even some warm rain this year made the 2025 edition of the Ards Half even tougher than usual. Super support and marshalling around the course form the organising club, Scrabo Striders, provided plenty of encouragement for all the runners.
As ever North Down AC were well represented at our closest local half marathon. Dale Murray was 2nd in 1:17:08 and NDAC Coach Francis Marsh was 7th and 1st M5 in 1:20:46 leading home the next 5 North Down runners in 8th to 12th place respectively – Ross Murray 1:20:55, Ricky Jordan 1:22:52 and 1st M35 Declan Magee 1st M45 in 1:23:18, Thomas Steele 1:23:29 and Aaron Beggs 1:24:12. Jonathan Gibson was 15th in 1:28:04. Aaron McAuley 1:29:12, David Massey 1:29:13 and Sam Lloyd 1:29:15 all finished just in front of 1:30 pacer Marc Neil. Andy Lowry 1:30:20 and Matthew Norman 1:31:10 were followed by 2nd lady and 1st 40 Fiona McQuillan 1:34:30. Tom Agnew 1:35:22 and Darren Edgar 1:36:39 were the next club finishers. Sarah Gibson was 4th female and 1st F55 in 1:38:01 with Alan Massey not far behind in 1:41:20. Clair Quigley’s 1:42:10 secured 3rd F45 ahead of Mitchell Brown 1:42:26, Fiona McVicar 1:43:31, Luke Hamilton 1:44:25 and Keith Gilmore 1:48:25. Olivia Cumming and Mat Ormesher shared the same chip time of 1:49:37 with Olivia recording a course PB. Mark Johnston 1:51:33 was followed by Emma Fox 1:51:48, Katlyn Massey 1:53:09, Claire Scott 1:54:07, Stephanie Graham 1:54:20, Nicola Ingram 1:54:24, Allister Patton 1:54:26, Sarah Wilson 1:56:14, Gerry O’Boyle 1:59:20 and Wendy Neely 1:59:45. Paula Simpson 2:00:24 was 2nd F55 with Richard Garrad 2:04:06, Sophie Hamilton 2:04:49, John Ferguson 2:07:43, Beth Mulree 2:07:49. Kim McCourt 2:10:53 and Cara Jefrey 2:12:34 rounding off the club’s finishers.
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Bob & Bert’s 5k & 10k, Portrush, 27/06/25
The shorter, flatter but hardly less humid option to the Ards half for some NDAC runners on Friday evening was the Bob & Bert’s 10k in Portrush. Helen Byers, 46:44, Michael Cunningham 54:18 and David Press 57:22 were the NDAC trio who opted for the beach instead of Scrabo.
Spelga Skyline 28/06/25
North Down AC’s David McKeague is a regular at most races in the Mournes so it was no surprise that he laced up his trail shoes for the Spelga Skyline. The 20k race with @1800m of ascent started at Slievenaglough and took in the 8 peaks surrounding the Spelga reservoir. David finished in 19th place in 3:25:01.
National Juvenile Outdoor Championships, Tullamore 28/06/25
There were more excellent results from North Down’s junior athletes at the National Juvenile outdoor Championships in Tullamore on Saturday.
Tomas Montgomery was 2nd in his heat in the U17 boys’ 400m in 53.78, the 2nd fastest time of the day and 8th in the final.
Poppy Earl recorded 2 PBs in the U14 girls’ 75m hurdles, finishing 4th in her heat in 12.30 then 7th in the final in 12.20.
Sophie Rankin was 12th in the u14 800m.
Thrower Emma Reid added to her ever expanding medal collection with a silver in the U16 girls’ discus and finished 4th in the U14 girls’ shot.
Ethan Constable finished strongly in the U16boys’ 3000m to place 7th in a PB of 9:17.80.
Irish Milers Club, Dublin 28/06/25
Daniel Dines went from 7th to 1st with a final lap surge in the Irish miler’s men’s 1500m C race, breaking 4mins for the first time with a new PB of 3:59.27. In the men’s 5000m A race, Craig McMeechan clocked a solid 14:47.43 in warm humid conditions. At the same meet, John Ewing took his 800m season’s best down to 2:08.30.
UTMB Lavaredo 120k, 27/06/25
None of the UTMB trail races are easy, but the Lavaredo 120k race in the Italian Dolomites is one of the toughest in the race series. The fact that ultrarunning legend Courtney Dauwalter also raced highlights how highly this tough course is regarded by the world’s best mountain trail runners. Athletes have almost 6k of vertical ascent through stunning mountain terrain on a looped course from Cortina d’Ampezzo. The 11pm start in the mountains tests athletes from the very beginning of the race, although they are rewarded with a glorious mountain sunrise. Matty McParland battled stomach issues form 90k, struggling to keep food down in the heat, but finished strongly in 214th place out of almost 1200 finishers in 19:09:06.
Matty McParland pc sportograf.com
Irish 5 Mile Championships, Dublin 29/06/25
4 North Down runners raced in Phoenix Park on Sunday at the Biofreeze Irish Runer 5 mile championships.
Simon Boyle was the first of the clubs finishers in 32:26 and 4th M60. Sarah Gibson was 4th F55 in 34:10, Glynis Boyle was 4th F60 in with a PB of 35:43 and Paula Simpson ran 47:17. Sarah, Glynis and Paula ensured that North Down AC were the 4th F50 team.
