Wily William lifts coveted crown at Hill & Dale Series

Wily William lifts coveted crown at Hill & Dale Series

15 June 2016

MOURNE Runners’ William McKee was crowned King of the Mountains on Thursday night when he won the ninth race in the Hill and Dale Series and is now in an unassailable position at the top of the points table.

The mass start with the stream of runners heading off up Hen Mountain is always a great sight to behold. In the early climb William McKee led out Dromara’s Zak Hanna and David Hicks (both Newcastle AC). Diane Wilson (Dromore AC) was already clear and stamping her mark on the women’s race.

Meanwhile, the runners sprinted off the back of Hen Mountain, across the bog and onto the climb of Cock Mountain, up and down the famous grass gully. There is much debate about the use of the scanners on the mountain summit with some not thinking it worthwhile and others simply refusing to be scanned at the summit. 

Anyway the record shows that 20 year-old Hanna reached the summit first just 18 minutes and 12 seconds into the race with McKee some eight seconds behind. 

McKee is a stronger descender, but still trailed at the top of Hen on the way back. However, he overhauled Hanna to win in 28:15 with Hanna 14 seconds behind. There’s a great rivalry building up between the two boys.

In third was Hicks coming back from the top of Cock via the summit of Hen on only 9:43, the only runner inside 10 minutes on the night. Wilson came home in 15th overall and a comfortable winner in the women’s section in 33:04 ahead of Shileen O’Kane (35:54) and Mari Troeng (38:17).

Congratulations to William who secured his first ever Hill & Dale title with his victory giving him five wins and a second place. Congratulations also to Diane Wilson who regained the Hill & Dale title that she won in 2014.

What makes the Hill & Dale series to appealing to so many people? It’s probably the sense of achievement. Every race is different and has a different set of challenges and there is clearly a buzz about the finish and at the prize giving that says “I’ve achieved.”

Thanks are due to Mary who looked after registration and Paul Fegan and Noel Gallagher on parking. Thanks to Darragh McCrickard who very quickly processes the entries and results and posts them online.

Thanks also to the summit marshals Stevie Rice and Declan Magee on Hen and Mountain Rescue personnel including Mark Hanna, Mary and Ian McCracken plus Butcher Kelly and Audey McVeigh on Cock. 

Thanks also to the many other volunteer helpers too numerous to mention, but help the race run smoothly. And finally thanks to the Doran family who once again made the runners to welcome at the Mourneview Bar near Hilltown after the race.

Tomorrow night is the Meelmore/Meelbeg race organised by the McCrickard Clan with the direction being anti-clockwise as confirmed by the Oracle McBurney. Registration at the 

Happy Valley from 6.15pm.