Bumper weekend for Newcastle AC juniors

Bumper weekend for Newcastle AC juniors

30 April 2025

THE streets of central London were alive with energy and excitement on Saturday morning as hundreds of young athletes took part in the 2025 TCS London Mini Marathon. 

Against a back of cheering crowds and bright spring sunshine, runners aged 11 to 17 tackled the famous course, showcasing not only their speed, but also incredible spirit and determination.

The event, a key part of the marathon weekend, celebrates youth participation and talent, offering a platform for the next generation of sporting stars. 

As part of the British Road Running Championships, alongside local first-timers chasing personal bests across a range of categories, the atmosphere was one of unity, encouragement, and celebration.

For two Newcastle AC athletes, Hermione Sheridan and Connaire Óg McVeigh, the day marked a special milestone. 

Both were selected to represent Team Northern Ireland following their impressive performances during the schools’ cross-country season, alongside outstanding achievements with their club over the past year. 

With only six athletes chosen for each age category, earning a place on the team is a significant honour.

The 2.6 km course runs through the final stretch of the full London Marathon route, meaning these young runners get the incredible experience of finishing on the same iconic roads as the elite marathoners.

The Mini Marathon has a huge reputation for launching future stars, with lots of current Olympians and World Champions once racing this exact stretch, including County Down’s own European 1500m gold medallist, Ciara Mageean. 

It was no surprise that both young athletes brought their A-game to the event. Travelling with the team, staying overnight in a hotel with their teammates and soaking up the atmosphere could easily have been overwhelming. 

However, when the hooter sounded for the start, all nerves and doubts were cast aside and for the next 2,600 metres, their focus was unshakable.

Connaire Óg, proudly pairing his international vest with his St Malachy’s High School shorts, was seen by many as the underdog of the squad, but he was ready to make his move from the very start. 

Early morning training sessions at school had clearly paid off, preparing him well for the pre-9am race start that caught many of the other U-13 boys off-guard. 

Using the early hour to his advantage, he turned onto the Mall at full flight, crossing the line as the second Northern Ireland athlete home and securing an impressive 54th place in the championship standings in a time of 9.08.

Assumption Grammar School’s Hermione, who is often spotted running the streets of Newcastle with focused determination, has been steadily building her speed and endurance with tough track sessions under the watchful eye of her big brother, Patrick — this year’s winner of Jimmy’s 10K. 

With a family legacy clearly in the making, Hermione has already established herself as a runner to watch, shining every time she takes to the start line. 

Like Connaire Óg, she set her nerves aside when it mattered most, battling for every position. 

Her determination was clear all the way to the finish in the U-15 girls championship race, where she crossed the line in 62nd place and a time of 9.41.

On Thursday evening, the second event of the ever-popular Lagan Valley Fab 5 got underway. 

With the series in such high demand, entries had to be capped, and it sold out within a matter of hours. 

The lucky athletes who secured a spot made the most of the opportunity, delivering some outstanding personal achievements across various events and creating a night to remember as they cheered on their clubmates.

Eight juniors took part across the various events and age categories, with Sophie Kerr proving herself as a multi-event extraordinaire, tackling the 150m sprint, javelin and 600m. 

In the 600m, she showed that although she may be one of the youngest in the age group, she has plenty of grit and determination to make her mark in the U-12 category. 

She battled well to finish right in the middle of the pack, securing 9th place out of 18 competitors. 

Donal McDaid also embraced three events, taking on the 200m, 800m and shot putt and proving he is also one not to shy away from a challenge. 

Harry King made his return to the Fab 5 series as part of his preparations for the upcoming School Districts next week. 

He ran a strong sprint to finish third, but it was his 1000m that truly stood out, producing a beautiful display of self-awareness and composure. 

With a clear plan to sit tight until the final 300m, Harry entered the last lap in fifth place, yet it was as if a switch had been flicked.

He glided into the second lane, powering up the back straight, and by the top corner, he had surged into the lead. 

He never let up over the final 100m and even he seemed stunned by the margin of victory, having been locked in the pack just moments earlier. 

He proudly went home with two medals around his neck and a huge boost of confidence as he heads into the schools’ competition.

In the U-14 girls 800m, track regulars Emily Kerr and Lily McMurray took to the start line, alongside newcomer Ellie Moore, who was making her track debut. 

Emily and Lily made sure Ellie felt supported and ready to race. After watching Harry’s thrilling performance, Ellie decided to adopt a similar race strategy, taking to the track like a duck to water. 

The fight and determination she showed were clear to see, suggesting the beginning of a promising future on the track.

Emily crossed the line first in 2:52, followed by Ellie in 2:58 and Lily in 3:14.

Over on the field, the full Grant contingent was competing in the throwing events. The evening kicked off with Siobhan securing a new personal best in the javelin, as she works towards defending her Ulster Masters Championship title in June. 

However, with no time to recover, she had to transition straight into the ladies’ shot putt competition after her final javelin throw. 

The quick turnaround proved challenging and despite her efforts, she could not quite pull off a massive result that she was capable of. 

Still, for her first shot putt competition of the season, Siobhan secured 6th place in the with three consistent throws.

Following her, Aoife and Rónán both competed in the U-16 shot putt. Aoife, having moved up a weight category to 3kg, due to her age group change, showed good form and technique to finish in 9th place.

Rónán’s training has paid off across all the throwing events so far this season. When he stepped into the shot put circle, he improved his previous 4kg throw by 1.30m. 

The most hotly contested battle of the evening, however, was the friendly rivalry between mother and son, both of whom throw similar distances. 

Rónán narrowly edged out his mum, winning by just 4cm and while Siobhan celebrated her son’s new personal best, she reminded the young man that the season is still young and not to get too confident.

Hill and Dale continues to be a Thursday night staple for many of the Newcastle Juniors. This week, the mountain runners tackled Slieve Martin, the first open mountain race of the series, following the more gradual introductions of the first two events at Castlewellan and Tollymore. 

Patrick McDaid led the charge, finishing 30th overall in a time of 42:56, while Euan, making up valuable time on the descent, finished in 88th place. 

With the Race to the Top on the cards at Binnian on Thursday, the entire Hill and Dale contingent is thrilled to see the weather prospects looking promising for the week ahead. The team is hopeful for clear skies and glorious views after the challenging climb up and over 700 metres of elevation.