Poor weather unable to ruin runners’ spirit

Poor weather unable to ruin runners’ spirit

16 May 2012

ON a wet and miserable Bank Holiday Monday morning, Murlough AC members gathered at the City Hall awaiting the start of Belfast’s 31st marathon.

The weather did not stop the 20,000 or so runners from taking part and it was great to see so many braving these conditions to raise funds for their chosen charities and doing so in some interesting attire.

It also certainly did not dampen the enthusiasm of Murlough AC’s four marathon runners. As Gerard Rowe prepared for his 15th marathon, Norah Walsh prepared to begin her first, alongside Ann McAlarney and Jacqueline Moore who are not strangers to the 26.2 mile distance.

As well as marathon participation, Murlough AC had two relay teams taking part and some members participating in fundraising teams. Team A consisted of Anne McCormick, Shona Murray, Nicola Mathers, Jane Rowe and Shauna McKenny and Team B consisted of Gavin McNeill, Carol McMenamin, Maria McGuigan and Sinead Mulholland.

Along with the rest of their relay team, Colm McGivern, Marguerite Robinson and Paul Madden’s participation was to raise funds for the Sacred Heart Primary School in Dundrum.

Team Cannon-Power consisted of Michael Power and his family who were raising awareness of Vasculitis and the support group, Vasculitis Ireland Awareness, which was set up by his wife Julie who also took part in the last leg.

As marathon and stage A relay runners headed of in the direction of East Belfast, the remaining relay runners struggled to their starting points while trying to keep warm and dry.

Despite the horrendous weather conditions to which was the first occasion in the long history of the event to be badly effect by heavy rain, the runners seemed to be in high spirits.

Gerard Rowe finished in an amazing time of 3:51 giving him a sub four. Next to finish was first time participant, Nora Walsh together with Ann McAlarney with a time of 4:43. This was fantastic time for Norah’s first marathon and also a personal best for Ann. Jacqueline Moore was not long behind and finished with a terrific time of 5:01.

The first of the relay teams in was Sacred Heart Primary School with a time of 3:30 followed by Murlough AC Team A in 3:50, Murlough Team B in 4:04 and Cannon-Power in 4:24.

After a week’s break in the Hill and Dale series, it was back to the hills with Binnian on Top with a 2,000 feet climb, the highest in the series. Luckily, there was no sign of the Belfast Marathon-type weather and on the dry, but cold evening, 170 runners took to the starting line including ten Murlough warriors.

First of the Murlough runners in was Stevie Wallace with a time of 30.18 shortly followed by Dominic McInerney in 30.54 with Mark King coming in third at 32.47.

Dave Fulcher was next in with a time 33.42 with Hugh Oram on this tail finishing in 33.59 and Gerard Rowe, after doing the Belfast Marathon last Monday, still managed to climb 2,000 feet and finishing in 34.09.

Next finishing were Murlough’s promising females. Vicky Canavan still holding in as the first Murlough female to finish with a terrific time of 34.40 followed by Bernadette Jennings in 38.46, Paulette Thompson in 40.43 and Barbara Carey in 43.52.