Locals set off for Lisburn

Locals set off for Lisburn

5 August 2020

THE Eikon Exhibition Centre in Lisburn was the venue for the second event in the ChampionChip Ireland Race Series on Saturday.

Runners had the choice of a half marathon, 5K or 10K. All registration was online and social distancing was enforced on the day.

To keep within the Covid-19 guidelines for competition, the runners were divided into multiple groups according to pace.

The half marathon got underway at 9.45am with a reasonable turn out of 60. It was won by Colin Heron of Keep’er Lit in a time of one hour and 10 minutes. The quickest female was Dawn Houston, of Eglinton Road Runners,  in 1.29.40.

The East Down AC contingent however were holding back for the shorter events and so the open 5K was a popular choice with the club.

It started at 10am with two laps of the flat circuit. While gradient was not an issue, there were a lot of turns on the course which made sure that everyone kept their concentration. There was a grand show of EDAC vests with a mix of juniors and seniors out to test their legs.

Most of the juniors, who were aiming for competition this season, did not stop their training when lockdown happened. They were just forced to complete the sessions solo or with family members.

As restrictions eased, small groups were able to meet and judging by some of the performances there has been little lost in terms of fitness.

Anna Gardiner is a prime example. She fairly flew round the course and recorded a time of 18.01 which takes a full 50 seconds off her previous 5K personal best.

This is a fantastic achievement and will spur her on to chase a sub 18 minute time without a doubt.

She picked up first female and was in the top 10 of the full 110 who took part. The quickest time overall in that race was David McAfee, of Ballycastle Runners, in 17.07. 

Anna was followed in by Dee Murray (18.53), Lauren Madine (19:06) and Paul Lloyd (19:14) all safely under the 20-minute barrier.

Oliver Robinson found himself out of sorts and had to content himself with 20:52, despite much quicker times in training and in previous 5K events.

Sharon Madine was delighted with 21:25 which was a PB and Adam Morgan bettered his recent 22.11 at Down Royal by quite a margin, finishing in 21:47.  He is whittling his way back to his best time so this is good progress.

Emily Burns ran a strong  22:15, which is very close to her previous personal best, so she is in good shape, and Alexander Robinson posted 23:01, despite having taken a bit of a break from his training regime. All very encouraging performances.

Kelly Smith just seems to improve with every outing  and went out hoping to break 24 minutes after completing the Down Royal 5K in 24.21. She surprised herself when the results came in as she smashed her target with a 23:41.

Marguerite Robinson was happy enough with 25:07 for a last minute decision to run and was the filling in the Smith sandwich. Suzy Smith was not far behind her in 25:13, taking an impressive half a minute off her personal best set only a couple of weeks earlier.

The Smith ladies are certainly doing something right in training and have caught the racing bug. They are both intending to complete the Series as they feel that it keeps them motivated when they know they have races to attend. 

The third race of the day was an open 10K. There were 80 in this, but none from East Down. Our neighbours at Newcastle AC will no doubt have plenty to report as they took first and second place with Frank Cunningham and Philip Murdock. Well done to them.

The fourth race was the “Elite” 5K aimed at those hoping to do sub 18 minutes and truth be told most were keen to go as far below that time as possible.

The pack split open from the start with the front runners hitting the circuit with intent. Jimmy Sloan is still a novice in terms of racing experience and has yet to confirm which distance will be his forte. Having performed well at the Down Royal 10K a few weeks back, he decided to switch to the 5K.

He has been recording fast times in training and the way he tackled Saturday’s distance shows that he is versatile as well as talented. His time of 15.36 deserves high praise indeed. He was fifth overall in a fast field. His only dilemma now will be which distance to choose when he races next.

Mackenzie Murray was disappointed with his race as a stitch in the early stages took away any hope of breaking the 17-minute target. His training had set this as a realistic challenge, but things do not always go to plan.

He did well to hang on and certainly did not disgrace himself with 17.31. He is maturing well mentally and physically and so he will chalk this up to experience and look forward to the next race.

The final race was the elite 10K with a streamlined field of 18 with only one female in the ranks. The quality was apparent with the top three spots going to visiting runners in very fast times.

James Hunt, of Cardiff AAC, broke the 30 minutes comfortably with 29.43. His clubmate Josh Lunn was denied second place by one second (30.34) when he came in on the heels of Paul Graham, from Pontypridd (30.33). Clara Evans, of Cardiff AAC, was the lone female and ran a speedy 34.02.

EDAC’s Aaron McGrady had to settle for fourth overall with 32.52. He is typically hard on himself but as first local man he should allow himself a little satisfaction. His time would please many but he will not be happy until he is regains the form that he had pre-Christmas. 

Neil Curran, a man of great focus at the best of times, has kept on with his training during lockdown and was justly rewarded with a PB of 35.12. Keep at it, Neil!

With Athletics Northern Ireland moving to step three of the Exit Plan, affiliated clubs can now meet to train in groups of 30. This is welcome news as it will allow formal sessions to take place albeit with social distancing and hygiene protocols in place.

East Down AC seniors will met on Monday for the first time since mid March. This is a welcome occasion.

We have received enquiries from some who have started running during lockdown and are now looking to join like minded people with a view to continuing. The club is always open to new senior members and this remains the case so feel free to get in touch to see how joining a club can enhance your enjoyment of running.

Due to current restrictions, attendance must be pre arranged so please contact Donal at membership@eastdownac.co.uk and he will provide the details so that you can join in safely. Please note that Junior Membership is restricted to previous members for the time being.