East Antrim Harriers A.C.
Harrier Way, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland
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| McConnell Shield races on Saturday 12th November 2011
2011 Dublin City Marathon Six Harriers took part in Dublin's Marathon on Monday 31st October. The event, a favourite with a number of club members thanks to a great atmosphere and good support from Dubliners, saw EAH runner Martin McMillan run well to cover the distance in 3hrs 46.15. Nichola Kennedy, who had a great year featuring a string of PBs, finished in 3hrs 52.07. Ken Beggs, who is now very close to finishing his 100th marathon, achieved a time of 3hrs 56.59, with Penny Lindsay close behind in 3hrs 57.07. Sandra Mayne was unlucky to miss a PB by nine seconds, finishing in 4hrs 02.44 while Jim Davison crossed the line in 4hrs 14.34.
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon & Half Marathon A party of EAH and friends travelled to Toronto, Canada in October 2011 for a well deserved holiday plus a chance to get in some serious Canadian running and sightseeing. On the morning of Saturday 15th October we went to the Commerce
Court ‘Running Room’ Premises for a talk on the race and light
pre run refreshments. One of the speakers John Stanton, founder
of Running Room (Canada) and author of various running books,
made a point of saying that the Half Marathoners should not
feel in any way lesser than the Marathoners tomorrow as they
were in their own race and doing the FULL Half Marathon. My
wife, Ann, enjoyed this and it became her mantra.
Ken & Ann Beggs, Bobby O'Toole, Geoff Swann, John Stanton, Eddie Blayney and a runner from England. Walter Faion, Penny Lindsay, Nichola Kennedy & Jennifer Ashby
Prior to our trip Club Secretary, Carol Annesley, was emailed by Brian Millar, son of Matt and Jean (nee Fenton) who immigrated to Canada in the 50’s. Matt had been a keen member of EAH in the mid 40’s and early 50’s and had ran with the likes of Jimmy Todd and Steve McCooke. In the email Brian included scans of a cutting from The Advertiser and East Antrim Gazette and photo (Matt's centre of the picture in hooped shirt). Click here for a scanned copy of gazette Article
Matt had been checking out our club website on a regular basis and spotted our planned trip. As Brian and his friend Fred Enns were running the Half Marathon it was decided that this was too good an opportunity not to have a get together with his old running club. We met up at the Expo and Matt was presented with an EAH Track Suit which he wore with a huge smile. Next morning we met up again, by chance, with Brian and Fred at the start of the races.
Concerning the races, some of us were in great shape whilst others like Eddie and Bobby were returning from injury or illness and had not planned to run at all. Despite starting with the intention of only running the half, Eddie decided to push on and complete the marathon in a very respectable time. Bobby had not run for 5 months but again could not resist the temptation and ran with my wife, Ann, in the Half and again both produced excellent times. The results Marathon Geoff Swann 3hrs 25mins 23secs PB Full Half Marathon Fred Enns 1hrs 52mins 25secs
Celebrations continued some time afterwards….. The following day some serious sightseeing took place when we went to the top of the CNN Tower. Not one for us who suffer from vertigo as at the top you could feel the tower sway slightly. On Tuesday we all went to Niagara Falls on sightseeing tours. The Falls at this time of the year are at their highest volume and the ride on board the boat ‘The Maid of the Mist’ to the base of the falls was unforgettable. Unknown to us we had a romantic in our company who took this opportunity to propose to his partner.
Best wishes from all of us to the Happy Couple…
Berlin Marathon 2011 A party of 6EAH completed the Berlin Marathon on Sunday 25th September 2011. Sam Crawford ran well to achieve time of 2hr 49.06 and Colin James in 2hr 50.52 followed by Steve Gibson's 4hr 5.08 and Christine Shields in 4hr 14.18. Michael Coville covered the distance in 4hr 37min and Wesley Wallace in 4hr 26.25.
Click her for the official results
A trio of Harriers includes a World Record Holder*
Ken Beggs and Steve Gibson met up with their old friend Traviss Willcox of Maidstone Harriers prior to the Robin Hood Marathon at Nottingham on Sunday 11th September 2011. Over 12.500 runners took part in the relays, half marathon and marathon distance runs which were very well organised and supported with plenty of feed stations by lucozade etc. More important was the fact that Traviss claimed a new World Record in completing his first 100 marathons in a period of 688 days. (These are actual marathon races which meet the criteria of the 100 Marathon Club UK & Ireland.) The previous British record for 0 to 100 marathons was 1142 days and the World record had been 849 days. One final note and that is to say that the young ginger speed merchant Steve beat me again in a chip time of 3hrs 59mins 39secs. Whereas I trailed home thro the gales in 4hrs 9mins 59secs. Happy days..
August 2011 Update on EAH activities
NORTH Belfast’s Alan McCullough (pictured above) enjoyed
an excellent win in the East Antrim Harriers Scott and Gault
7 Mile event on Saturday 13th August 2011.
First female home was Julie Balmer of North Down (pictured
above receiving Shield from EAH Chairman Sam Crawford) who
ran well to record a time of 44m 22. Lyndsey Hagan was second
with 49m 48. Click
here for Official Results
5 Marathons in 5 Days On the 6th July 2011 EAHs Steve Gibson and Ken Beggs embarked on an epic challenge to complete 5 marathons in 5 days in Sixmilebridge and Quinn in County Clare, Ireland. The event was organised by Tom Enright and Pat O Keefe of the 100 Marathon Club Ireland. A full report has been included on their website including photos, results and accounts from the nine intrepid runners..
June 2011 Update on EAH Activities
ATHLETES from North Antrim club Ballymena Runners made their mark during the East Antrim Harriers Forest Trail Series, which finished in Tardree Forest on Tuesday 21st June 2011. With a time of 18.31, John Steede completed a string of wins, followed by J Wilson of Ballymena Runners (19.32) and J Benson of North Belfast (20.06). John Steede won men's open section of the overall series of four races. G Stitt of Ballymena and Antrim was second, and J Robinson of Larne third. A Harte of Albertville won the female open category, with M Murphy of North Belfast in second and L Teggart of Dub Runners in third. East Antrim Harriers have also been enjoying an extremely busy spell of races near and far, with members taking part in events covering a range of distances. The Harriers were well represented at Lisburn Half Marathon, with runners including Nichola Kennedy (1.49.40) Penny Lindsay (1.52.57), Laura Thompson (2.22.38) taking part. Andy Liddle recorded an excellent time of 1.32.10 while Half Marathon Series entrants Sandra Mayne (1.50.57), Jim Davison (1.47.25) and Michael Colville (2.02.16) continued their challenge to finish all of this year's nominated half marathons. Ulta-marathoner Ken Beggs, not long after finishing his 85th marathon and on way to completing his personal goal of 100 marathoners, ran the Portumna 50k event close to Limerick. His final time was 4.54.21. Ken is now preparing to take part in three marathons in five days alongside fellow Ultra-marathoner Steve Gibson who intends to complete all five marathons at Sixmilebridge Co. Clare. Club stalwart Drew Knox ran well to finish first in the recent Smith Cup club handicap race, a five mile lap through Ballyclare and Doagh via the Templepatrick Road. With the club's prolific marathoners topping the field, Drew was followed home by Raymond Miller and Jennifer Ashby, with Wesley Wallace in 4th and club chairman Sam Crawford in 5th. Fran Wright ran well in the Rotary 10k in Enniskillen to achieve first place in her age category. Nichola Kennedy, who has been enjoying fantastic form, took part in the Dalriada Festival Triathlon, her second such event. The athletes began with an open water swim in Glenarm Bay before taking on a cycling stage and a final transition and run in Glenarm, finishing in the main festival arena. Courtesy of Conor Johnston
Mourne Way Marathon 2011
The annual Mourne Way Marathon was held on Saturday 11th June with bus pickup outside Kilbroney park to the starting point at Slieve Donard Car park Newcastle. A trio of EAH runners set off at 12.30pm on a fine day for this off road gruelling race between Rostrevor and Newcastle along the Mourne Way Trail. Other events taking place were the Ultra (52miles out and back from Rostrevor), a marathon walk, half marathon race, 10km race or walk and a 5km race or walk. First home for the EAH was Billy Reed with an excellent run to finish in 4th place overall and 2nd Vet in a time of 3hrs 43mins 36secs followed by Steve Gibson in 110th position in a time of 5hrs 33mins 31secs and Ken Beggs in 134th with a time of 5hrs 58mins 21secs.
Click here for official results Click here for an amusing article from the 100 Marathon Club Ireland website written by my good friend Mo on his first Mourne way Marathon
East Antrim Harrier and Ultra Marathon Runner, Steve Gibson at the finish line of this years Comrades Marathon, South Africa. Steve completed the 89km (56 mile race) from Durban to Pietermaritzburg (the Up Run) in a gun time of 10hrs 18mins 02secs on Sunday 29th May 2011. He's now looking forward to taking part in next year's Comrades which runs in the opposite direction. Any volunteers to join him?????
EAH 7th Series of Summer Trail Races
Race 1 held at Tardree Forest on Tuesday 10th May 2011
Race 2 held at Tardree Forest on Tuesday 24th May 2011
Race 3 held at Randalstown Forest on Tuesday 7th June 2011
Race 4 held at Tardree Forest on Tuesday 21st June 2011
May 2011 Update on EAH Activities We've enjoyed another busy fortnight of races. Many of ushave been running well to achieve excellent times across a range of distances, with Steve Gibson completing a 56 mile South African challenge and another runner completing his 84th marathon. A number of us travelled to the STRANRAER HALF MARATHON and brought home a string of place successes across the categories: Chairman Sam Crawford was 4th overall and won his age group, Drew Knox won his age category and Jennifer Ashby took second place in her age category. Penny Lindsay was also third place in her age group while the ladies team of Jennifer, Penny and Christine Shields achieved a well deserved second place. Wesley Wallace, Bobby O’Toole, Eddie Blayney and Fiona McMurtry also tackled the tough Stranraer course and ran well on behalf of of the Harriers. We were also represented by Jeanette Burton and Marian Hayes at the DUBLIN MINI-MARATHON, a women’s 10k event which drew over 40,000 entrants, making it the largest event of its type in the world. At the NEWRY MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON, Colin James was 9th overall in the 26.2mile event with a chiptime of 2.56.19. Ken Beggs finished in 4.01.20. In the half marathon, Jim Davison (1.44.34), Sandra Mayne (1.49.21) and Michael Colville (1.51.15) all ran strongly as part of their Athletics NI Half Marathon Series challenge. Ultra-marathoner Steven Gibson not only completed the 56 mile ultra-distance COMRADES MARATHON in South Africa, but achieved a time of 10hrs 18m.02. The gruelling event, which follows a course from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, is one of a series of long-distance challenge events tackled by Steven, who is also a well-travelled marathoner. Fellow East Antrim Harriers ultra-marathoner Ken Beggs finished the CORK MARATHON in 3.56.20 and will aim to complete his 85th 26.2mile event by running the Mourne Way Marathon. Ken is aiming to achieve the milestone of completing his 100th marathon soon. Members took part in the recent MCKILLEN SHIELD club event, running an 8 mile cross-country course in Sixmilewater Park. A total of 23 runners raced for the handicap shield, one of the oldest and most impressive trophies in the club. It was first competed for in 1908. Laura Thompson started first and was leader for three laps before being overtaken by Jim Davison - who was running well and cutting his way through the field - on lap four. By lap six the last two runners to start - Steven Beggs and Sam Crawford - were making rapid progress and catching the majority of the runners. By the last lap Jim Davidson had a 40 second lead over Steven Beggs and Drew Knox, with Sam Crawford a further minute behind. Steven took lead with 600 meters to go and won by 30 seconds from Jim Davison with Sam Crawford finishing six seconds behind. The next club race is the five mile Smith Cup road race in June. The third race in the EAST ANTRIM HARRIERS SUMMER TRAIL SERIES was held last Tuesday evening in Randalstown Forest, where James Turtle achieved a third win for Ballymena Runners. James was closely followed by Harriers tri-athlete Steven Beggs, who has been running extremely well and displayed a strong performance. John Steede of Ballymena Runners won the first two races at Tardree. The final race is also being held on Tuesday 21 June at Tardree forest as available venues for this year’s races have been restricted due to plant disease.
Belfast Marathon 2nd May 2011 Many of the East Antrim runners were forced to ignore their planned pace for the event and instead concentrate on running their best possible race despite the tougher than expected weather conditions (sunny with a strong breeze). First Harrier home - and with an overall finish of 19th place from the entire field - was Colin James with his impressive 2hrs 48.51. Martin McMillan, as always, ran well to cross the line in just over 3hrs 15. Andy Liddle's 3hrs 30.32 was a just reward for an excellent run, while Nichola Kennedy, who has been on great form and is fresh from a huge PB in the London Marathon, finished in 3hrs 37.13. Nichola was followed by Jennifer Ashby's 3hrs 44.28 and Raymond Miller in 3hrs 44.58. A number of experienced East Antrim marathoners put in solid performances to finish in under four hours: Drew Knox (3hrs 47.35), Eddie Blayney (3hrs 48.21) and Steve Gibson (3hrs 55.36). Another group of EAH finishers was led by Penny Lindsay and Jim Davison's 4hrs 06.13, Fiona McMurtry followed in 4hrs 11.29, Wesley Wallace in 4hrs 13.43 and ultra-marathoner Ken Beggs in 4hrs 24.14. The East Antrim Harriers relay team of Sandra Mayne, Conor Johnston, Michael Colville, Bobby O'Toole and Lisa Jackson finished in 3hrs 49.26. Christine Patterson, who ran well during the London Marathon to achieve a finishing time of 4hrs 47.16, was forced to pull out of the Belfast Marathon due to injury. Meanwhile, in the Belfast Marathon club Chairman Sam Crawford ran as an official sub-3hrs pace runner on behalf of race organisers - bringing his 'followers' home in 2hrs 58 - while Jeannette Burton served as a race marshall.
Spring 2011 Update on EAH travels and races
Members have also been taking place in other events including an unusual Glasgow to Edinburgh race in Scotland and the Mud Madness five mile event in Portadown. Nichola Kennedy ran extremely well during the famous London Marathon - which attracts over 35,000 runners - to finish in 3hrs 34m, a well deserved personal best by around five minutes. Penny Lindsay put in a steady performance to cover the 26.2 mile distance in 4hrs 18m. In Boston, club treasurer Norman Caughey achieved a solid 4hrs 10m in the prestigious event. Fellow club official Sam Crawford, East Antrim Harriers Chairman, ran the Madrid Marathon with honorary member Iain Bailey, finishing in 2hrs 46m. Iain achieved a huge PB in the same time, while Harrier Marty McMillan ran an excellent 3hrs 19m. Sam's time was 70th overall, followed by Iain in 71st. Sam was also 6th in his age group. Among the 40,000 runners taking part in the Paris Marathon were Drew Knox, Jim Davison and Conor Johnston. The three East Antrim runners fought against temperatures which rose to almost 30 degrees and all three agreed that while their final times were slower than they had hoped for - 3hrs 45m, 4hrs 12m and 4hrs 46s respectively - the experience of running such a large event in stunning surroundings made the journey more than worthwhile. Ultra-marathoner Ken Beggs completed an unusual 56 mile race from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Ken was 25th from the 75 who attempted the challenge. The route followed the routes of the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Falkirk Wheel and before joining the Union Canal to finish at Edinburgh Canal. Meanwhile, fellow long distance athlete Steve Gibson ran well in the Brighton Marathon in 2hrs 38m. Ken and Steve, as always, have a packed schedule of marathons and ultra-marathons this year. Steve will be taking part in the Comrades Marathon - the oldest ultra marathon in the world - in South Africa while both will be taking part in the Mourne Way Marathon in June. Brave Mud Madness entrants Jean Dolan, Craig Doherty and Marian Hayes represented the Harriers at the muddy Portadown obstacle-based five miler which more than lived up to its name! A number of East Antrim Harriers are now finishing their preparations for Belfast Marathon in May - with Sam Crawford serving as a 3 hour pacer for the race organisers, while members have also been taking part in the weekly 5k Park Run series in North Belfast and the NI Athletics Half Marathon Series. The club will plan to take part in the excellent Stranraer Half Marathon and members will also travel to marathons including Berlin and Toronto later this year as well as taking part in a range of events across a range of distances in NI. The club were represented by award nominees Jeanette Burton and Sam Crawford and a numbers of members at the Newtownabbey Borough Council Sports Awards. Meanwhile, at least one injured Harrier has been enjoying a chance to rest and cycle, and we would wish him a speedy recovery.
Conor Johnston
Larne Half Marathon 2011 The Larne half Marathon took place on Saturday 19th March 2011 and a strong field of east Antrim Harriers took part. Excellent running by the EAH saw three of the club finish in the top twenty. Iain Bailey was first Harrier home in 6th place overall followed by Sam Crawford in 8th position and Colin James in 20th position. A good turnout by the harriers with a few PB's recorded.
Click here for photos (courtesy of Jeanette Burton)
Trafford 10km Road Race, England Agroupof runners represented East Antrim Harriers at the Trafford 10k road race in Greater Manchester on Sunday 13th March 2011. The event, which attracted 623 entries including legendary marathoner Ron Hill, saw East Antrim Harriers Chairman Sam Crawford take third place in his category with a 33.43 chip time. Sam was 64th finisher overall. The Harriers were welcomed by associate member Jean Dolan, whose first club is Altrincham AC. Joe McBride continues to run well, recording a time of 38.03 (3rd in category). Norman Caughey finished in 46.46, 6th in his category, while Carol Annesley in crossed the line in 51.43 (16th in category) and Marian Hayes in 56.07 (9th in category).
Click
here for the official results
Race over the Glen, New years Day 2011 A GROUP of four East Antrim Harriers took on a cold and hilly ‘Race Over The Glen’ course at Glenariff Forest on New Year’s Day. Hosted by Ballymena Runners, the infamous race follows a punishing 5.5mile multi-terrain route, starting close to Waterfoot. First in for the Harriers, and 34th place over all from 197 race entrants, was Joe McBride with a solid time of 44m29. Sam Dunne finished in 51m53, with ultra-marathoners Steven Gibson and Ken Beggs crossing the line in 55m 24 and 1.00.16 respectively. Thanks to the harsh road conditions - hopefully
- now behind us, a number of Harriers are now training for
spring marathons, while other members are beginning to pour
over the 2011 race schedules to chose their target races.
McConnell Shield 6th November 2010 A large number of athletes of all ages battled
tough weather conditions in the annual McConnell Shield cross
country events. Further results can be viewed by clicking on
the title above
McCalmont Cup 4 Miles Cross Country 30th October 2010
The Annual McCalmont Cup Cross Country Race was held on Saturday 30th October 2010 and was won by EAH veteran Marty McMillan. Further results can be viewed by clicking on the title above
Amsterdam Marathon 17th October 2010 A large group of EAH and their supporters travelled to Holland for the Amsterdam Marathon series of runs. In cool weather conditions which were ideal for running, the experienced marathon runners ran well while a number of newer members celebrated the reward for months of hard work when they completed the distance to record their first marathon finish. Starting and finishing in the stunning Olympic Stadium, the large EAH travelling group enjoyed the slick organisation, flat course and unique atmosphere created by thousands of runners. East Antrim were well represented by the club's faster runners, led by club Chairman Sam Crawford's 2:43:23 finish (times shown are 'chip times' as opposed to total time), followed by Colin James' solid 2:47:06 performance (a personal best), Billy Reed's 3:08:49 (a huge PB, previous best was 3:25) and Raymond Miller's time of 3:36:00. Accomplished marathoner Sam Crawford's time took him to 96th place from over 8,000 runners, with Colin James not far behind (131st, 71st in category). Sam's run, which represented fourth place in his age category, marked his 50th marathon. His club-mates celebrated the achievement by organising a surprise trophy presentation. First home among the Harriers ladies was Nichola Kennedy, with 3:44:10, who will be pleased with an outstanding effort and a well-deserved time. Jennifer Ashby shrugged off a recent injury to record a 3:46:00 finish with Penny Lindsay (3:51:33). Ultra-marathoner Steven Gibson was close behind in 3:53:07 with veteran marathoner Ken Beggs following in 3:54:33. Christine Shields and Amanda Peoples beat the four hour mark to finish in 3:59:02 (PB) and 3:59:50 while Christine Crawford finished in 4:55:20. The Harriers are proud to congratulate first time marathoners Wesley Wallace (4:19:50), Laura Thompson (5:19:32), Bobby O'Toole (5:23:26) and Carl Househam (5:35:17). All four runners trained extremely hard and their achievement is a credit to their hard work and to the support of other members who supported them along the way. Wesley fought to shake off injury this year while Laura's achievement was even more notable as the Northern Ireland Hospice charity will benefit from her fundraising efforts ahead of the event. Michael Colville (2:03:40) was joined by Lisa Jackson (2:17:16) and Eddie Blaney (2:17:15) for the half marathon distance race, held on the same day. Lisa's recent training has been hampered by injury, however Lisa and her fellow Harriers won't wait long to regroup and pick new target races for next year. The 35th Amsterdam Marathon, which takes in a park, city centre and suburban route, was won by 23-year-old Ethiopian Getu Feleke, with a course record of 2:05:44. First female was Alice Timbilil of Kenya (2:25:03). A great weekend was had by all and the Club will be looking forward to 2011 to try and repeat this type of outing. Photographs will be added shortly
Wilson Cup - Sunday 3rd October 2010
Click here for photographs of the race taken by Jeanette (click on title for results)
Causeway Coast Marathon 2nd October 2010
An excellent run by Billy Reed to finish in second place in a time of 3hrs 26mins 16secs in this endurance off road event. He even manages to grace the webpage for this event in the club black and white hooped vest. (click on title for Billy's picture) Steve Gibson produced a credible result in completing the marathon his twelth this year in a time of 5hrs 15mins 38secs. The steps around the Giants Causeway took their toll on the day and for a few days after.
Experian Robin Hood Marathon 12th September 2010 A quartet of EAH runners had a great day of running in sunny breezy conditions around Nottingham. Sam Crawford finished 16th place for the Half Marathon Race and claimed the 3rd placed prize for the over 40's age group in a time of 1hr 16mins 44secs. In the marathon Iain Bailey produced a personal best time of 2hrs 52mins 32secs and finished in an excellent position of 12th overall. The remaining two EAH Ken Beggs and Steve Gibson finished in a dead heat for 708th position in a time of 4hrs 6mins 43secs. This was after they met up for the first time since the start at just over 24 miles. After a couple of failed attempts to pass each it was decided 'What the heck' let's finish together. The first half of the race was very undulating which leveled off but underfoot conditions became more changable through paths and tracks etc. The race was very well marshalled and had excellent and plentiful water/ energy gel and isotonic drink stations provided by lucozade. A great day out!
Click on Title for full results or pictures: Results for Scott Gault 10 Mile Race held on Saturday 14th August 2010
EAH Smith Cup Club Handicap Race held on Thursday 24th June 2010 First Win For Steven Beggs 26 athletes completed the 5 miles Road Race
for the Smith Cup on Thursday evening 26th June 2010. The race starts and finishes on Mill Road (opposite
bus station) and takes in Main Street, Doagh Road. Doagh Village,
Lindsay's Corners and Templepatrick Road. This was the biggest entry for several years
and congratulations goes to everyone who completed the 5 mile
course especially all running their first club race. CLICK
HERE for pictures
McKillen Shield - 8 Miles Cross Country 16th June 2010 ( Club Handicap Race)
The very warm and dry conditions certainly suited Sam Crawford as he sped from last place on the starting handicap to take victory from Drew Knox by 51 seconds. Sam's winning time was 48mins and 4 secs for the 8 miles. Drew Knox completed the course in 56 mins 15 secs with Norman Caughey in third on 66 mins and 14 secs. Congratulations to all who completed the 8 Miles in very warm conditions.
EAH 6th Series of Summer Trail Races East Antrim Harriers would like to thank all
those who took part in this years summer trail races and well
done to all those who took part. Special congratulations to
the winners of the various categories. Thanks again to Tommy
and Phyllis for doing the timekeeping and to all club members
for their help at the races. Race 4 held at Woodburn Forest on Tuesday 22nd
June Race 3 at Tardree Forest held on Tuesday 8th June 2010. The 2nd of the 4 Summer Trail Races was held on Tuesday 25th May 2010 at Woodburn Forest (Newline Road). North Down AC excelled once again with a repeat of their success from the 1st race (1st male and 1st plus 2nd females to finish).
Four members of East Antrim Harriers travelled to Rome to
run in the City Marathon
Kirkpatrick Cup Club Handicap Race. Colin Davidson Wins Kirkpatrick Cup On Saturday morning 06/02/2010 nine athletes contested the 6 miles Kirkpatrick Cup cross country Club Handicap race at Sixmilewater Park Ballyclare. First off in the handicap system was Stephen McCullough with an 8 minute advantage to defend over the 6 laps. By Lap 4 Eddie Blayney had moved up from 4th to take the lead but was being rapidly caught by Drew Knox and Colin Davidson. At the end of Lap 5 Colin Davidson had moved into a clear lead which he continued to hold until the finish line, winning by almost one and a half minutes from Drew Knox. Eddie Blayney held on to finish strongly in 3rd place just ahead of the fast finishing Sam Crawford. Sam who started last in the handicap ran an excellent race to post the fastest time of 37mins 40secs.
Dublin Success for East Antrim Harriers
Raheny 5 Road Race 31/01/2010
17 East Antrim Harriers travelled to Dublin
on Sunday 31/01/2010 to compete in the Annual Raheny 5 miles
Road Race. This was the club’s 4th consecutive visit to the
prestigious event and by far their most successful.
Baird Cup Sunday 17th January 2010 Congratulations to Craig 14 athletes competed for the 5 Miles Baird Cup
Forest Race held at Woodburn Forest on Sunday morning 17th
January. Parts of the course were still covered in ice but
all of the runners managed to complete the race safely with
the honors going to Craig Docherty. Craig as been a club member
for 10 years and after many 2nd and 3rd place finishes finally
achieved an excellent victory . Craig started the 2 lap handicap
race in 10th position and by halfway was up to 5th. In the
final lap Craig moved up to 1st position and by the end was
38 secs clear of Trevor Taylor in 2nd place. 3rd place went
to Colin Davison who was last man to start but ran an excellent
race to achieve the fastest time completing the course in
31min 23 secs.
McCalmont Cup Cross Country Handicap Race Well done to Fran Wright who was the winner
of EAH McCalmont Cup the 2nd of six Club Handicap Race Series
of 2009 - 2010, held on Saturday 21st November 2009 at Sixmile
River Park, Ballyclare.
Click
Here for more McCalmont Cup Pictures
Dublin
Marathon 26th October 2009 Girls show the way home at the 2009 Dublin Marathon.
Penny Lindsay proves 'that you can have your cake and eat
it' prior to a marathon (see attached photos for some serious
carbo loading) by romping home in her first marathon in 3hrs
59mins and 40secs. Penny was followed by Sylvia Clark in a
personal best time, in her third marathon, of 4hrs 8mins and
38secs. Christine Shields followed in again her first marathon
in an excellent time of 4hrs 8mins and 50secs. It was only
left for the old men, Michael Colville 4hrs 15mins and 39secs
and Ken Beggs 4hrs 19mins and 54secs to complete the EAH finishers
list.
The day started with two junior races Under 14 (1 mile) and Under 16 (2 miles) boys and girls' races followed by Senior Ladies, Ladies Vets and Men over 60 race (3miles) and finally the McConnell Shield Men and Male Vets (5 miles). The overall winner of
the men's race was Joe McAllister from In the Ladies Race the winner was Kerry Harty of Newcastle AC completing the 3 mile course in a time of 17.20, closely followed by Kelly McNeice of City of Lisburn with Sperrin Harrier Karen Alexander taking third place. In the team event North Down AC were the winners, the first time North Down have taken home the McConnell Shield in its 75-year history. Click Here for Pictures of the Event
Harriers Waltz along the Danube!!!!!! The elite team of Sam Crawford, Marty McMillen, Raymond Miller and Michael Colville forsoke the Grey Skies of Ballyclare for the Blue Waters of the Danube for the 25 th Budapest Marathon on the 4th Oct. Sam had previously run the Budapest Marathon when Hungary was a Communist country and Ballyclare was an independent republic!!!! Thanks to Michael O,Leary and Ryanair the lads made it in
one piece to Budapest and managed to complete the Breakfast
Run and attract the attention of local TV crews when the Northern
Ireland flag was unfurled for the first time in Hungary !!!
Despite quoting the "Geneva Convention" and making reference to the "European Court of Human Rights" the lads could not negotiate a compromise with the Transport Security Representative and a request for tickets on the tram incurred an on the spot fine of 6000 Hungarian florins each as the opportunity to purchase them had been missed.. Despite Raymonds offer of a seat for the " Bearded Lady " from Transport Security and a charm offensive from Michael it was " Never ! Never! Never! "and money quickly change hands. On the day of the Marathon it was 27 degrees for the duration
of the race and despite the cool breeze from the River Danube,
this was a tough one!!!!!! Those cold wet winter Tuesday evenings
in Ballyclare do not really prepare you for the hot autumn
days in Budapest but when " the going gets tough - the
tough get going " and Speedy Sam Crawford and Marty the
Belfast Bullet showed what they were made of. After all Marathons a careful rehydration plan must be followed and being true professionals the lads decided that the Beckett the Irish Pub would meet their training needs . In the company of the ladies of Crockwell Harriers from Galway who had taken a shine to the lads- tall tales and epic feats of running were discussed and Michael pondered the streets of Dublin and hoped that the guy who ran as an Irish Lepracaun in the Budapest Marathon would not turn up for the Dublin Marathon !!!!! Mourne Way Marathon 13th June 2009 The inaugural Mourne Way Marathon was held on Saturday 13th June at 12.15hrs from Donard Park, Newcastle to Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor. The course was off road except for a short stretch around the top of Spelga Dam and my GPS recorded ascent of 7277 feet and a descent of 7371 feet. The weather on Saturday was beautiful warm sunshine except for some of the slower runners (like me) who finished as clouds and light rain hit Rostrevor. An excellent race by Billy Reed had him finishing in 5th place in a time of 3hrs 51mins and 14secs in a field of about 130 runners. I was happy to finish the race in 115th position in a time of 6hrs 5mins and 29secs. A challenging but enjoyable day with spectacular scenery (if you could lift your head up long enough from watching where you were placing your feet on the rough paths and tracks) and an event which I would really like to experience again. It was also great to meet old friends from the marathon circuit around Ireland. - Ken Beggs
Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon 4th May 2009 Click on the title above to see how the EAH runners performed on the marathon course. Flora London Marathon Results 2009
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