Locals have cracking time over Christmas

Locals have cracking time over Christmas

4 January 2012

EAST Down AC’s finest were extremely busy over the Christmas period.

Declan Teague took part in the Burren Townland 12 mile race on Boxing Day which turned out to be a real cracker of a different kind.

After the gentle slopes of Rathlin, Tollymore and the Griddle, Teague coped admirably with the undulating terrain to claim a magnificent fourth place in 84.38, having shadowed the leaders throughout and harboured hopes of an even higher placing until Everest appeared at 10.5 miles.

The next day was the Castlewellan Christmas Cracker Day.

The uniqueness of the Cracker race is that it has to be run in pairs so all anyone has to do to take part is grab a partner, pay the entry fee and run.

East Down’s fancied pairing of Liam Venney and Brendan Teer were in the leading group with Newcastle’s McKibben twins and Newry City Runners Dale Mathers and Don Travers when the runners came back into Castlewellan again.

Unusually, though, Deon McNeilly and Eamon McCrickard, the pre-race favourites, were further back in the second group, though not yet without hope of retaining their title.

East Down had 12 pairs this year out of a record entry of 191 teams and Venney and Teer came home clear of the 189 finishing duets in 62.12. Brendan was half of the winning duo three years ago accompanied by Deon McNeilly, but this was the first ever full team victory for the club. Liam, in fact, led the way almost from the start and finished like he could have done another lap. Deon and Eamon finished a creditable 7th and there is no doubt they’ll be back.

Philip Vint and Mark McDowell were the next to finish for the County town-based club, 24th in 74.37 with Gavin Oakes and Michael McKeown following in 68th in 84.49.

Just ahead of that duo the club mixers, Anne Sandford and Megan Wilson, took the female under 70 category in 84.05. Brian Hamilton, looking resplendent in club colours, almost got past unnoticed with unattached partner Michael Hunter, on the way to clocking 86.09. And Paul Rodgers did appear in the results accompanied by Gary Kendall.

The club’s first and only mixed duo, Cheryl Denvir and Peter Morgan, weighed in with a splendid 89.59 while another half-attached pair in the form of Michael Cultra and Mark Galloway clocked 91.09.

Francis Nugent and Gary McLaughlin, masquerading in the results under Newcastle AC, recorded a handy 93.33. Father and son duos Jim and Paddy Erskine and John and Ewan Findlay could be well pleased with 96.33 and 99.31 respectively with Lisa Milligan and John Manley making it look easy with 101.45.

Colum Surginor, Denis McKay, James Magennis and Paul Rogan were more like a gang of four as only one second separated them at the line and Deirdre Mount and Emer Moore looked like it was a stroll in the park, certainly no indication that either was in need of a holiday.

The next local event is the Rollercoaster Races at Downpatrick racecourse on Saturday, January 28. Meantime a Happy New Year to runners, walkers and everyone who can still put one leg past the other.