The main event this week was the annual Belfast City Half Marathon which was a very successful race for the stags with many fine times and positions recorded. The club was also represented at the Gig n’ the Bann 5k in Portglenone and there was the usual large participation in parkrun.
The Gig n’ the Bann is a cross cultural music, song & dance festival on the banks of the Bann. Proceeds from the 5k walk/run were used to support the work of
Northern Ireland Assistance Dogs (NIAD).
For the club James Wallace raced a swift 18:01, finishing 7th overall of the 250 finishers. This was enough to win the M50 category narrowly defeating Noel Connor from Ballymena Runners by a single second.
The harriers numbered over 70 on what has become a popular annual race round the streets of the capital. There were many notable performances demonstrating the dedication of our athletes and proving once again that hard work pays off in races. Highlights included John Black just outside a high quality podium in 4th place, Ed Cooke also in the top ten in 9th position, a new PB for Kent Swann, Jack Carberry 1st in his age group, Sandy Plumb 17 mins improvement from 4 weeks ago in Dublin, Una McConnell a new PB by 6 minutes, Sarah-Jane McFadden another big PB to take 2nd in the FO and 9th lady overall, and Geraldine Branagh 1st in the F50 category.
Notable also for the camaraderie and support that typifies our great sport a young half-marathon first timer, Amber from Bangor was inspired and encouraged by Eileen Keenan and Gemma Lowe to complete the race in fine style and was kind enough to send a message of thanks via the club to the girls.
Full results for club athletes:
| Pos | Name | Cat | Time |
| 4 | John Black | MO | 1:11:51 |
| 9 | Edward Cooke | MO | 1:14:24 |
| 14 | Kent Swann | M35 | 1:14:46 |
| 16 | Joe Malone | MO | 1:14:51 |
| 35 | Neil Carty | M50 | 1:19:00 |
| 38 | Andrew Considine | M40 | 1:19:05 |
| 46 | Paul Curley | M35 | 1:20:21 |
| 51 | Colin Willetts | MO | 1:21:08 |
| 54 | Simon Reeve | M40 | 1:20:45 |
| 63 | John McGuigan | M45 | 1:22:12 |
| 64 | Joe Norney | M35 | 1:22:24 |
| 102 | John Sloan | M40 | 1:24:33 |
| 103 | Stephen Walker | M35 | 1:24:34 |
| 121 | John McConnell | M45 | 1:25:15 |
| 135 | Arran Rutledge | M40 | 1:26:46 |
| 174 | Sarahjane McFadden | FO | 1:28:21 |
| 210 | Raymond Cameron | M40 | 1:29:22 |
| 381 | Paddy McCambridge | MO | 1:35:47 |
| 389 | Geraldine Branagh | F50 | 1:36:32 |
| 392 | Colin Simpson | M50 | 1:36:19 |
| 404 | Michael McCormick | M55 | 1:36:41 |
| 453 | Paul Williams | M50 | 1:38:37 |
| 484 | Una McConnell | F40 | 1:38:50 |
| 497 | Jim Clinton | M55 | 1:39:34 |
| 507 | Christy Lennon | M45 | 1:39:18 |
| 520 | Jack Carberry | M70 | 1:40:12 |
| 543 | Kevin McCann | M45 | 1:41:09 |
| 648 | Emma Sheehy | F45 | 1:43:21 |
| 771 | Emma Toner | F40 | 1:45:43 |
| 944 | Gordon Glenn | M45 | 1:48:16 |
| 1028 | Lyle Carleton | M50 | 1:49:36 |
| John Steele | 1:50:00 | ||
| 1060 | John Beggs | M50 | 1:50:43 |
| 1081 | Donna McLaughlin | F45 | 1:50:51 |
| 1125 | Anthony Fleming | M40 | 1:51:54 |
| 1193 | Elaine Holmes | F50 | 1:52:43 |
| 1233 | David Kennedy | MJ | 1:51:28 |
| 1518 | Lynn McCullough | F45 | 1:57:44 |
| 1575 | Philip McIlwrath | M40 | 1:59:00 |
| 1591 | Thomas McKinstry | M50 | 1:57:47 |
| 1714 | Clare Ohara | F45 | 2:00:58 |
| 1743 | Megan Beggs | FO | 2:00:45 |
| 1760 | Diane Taylor | F35 | 2:01:05 |
| 1761 | Andrew Taylor | M35 | 2:01:06 |
| 1954 | Eimear Nugent | F35 | 2:04:44 |
| 2024 | Joe Wilson | M55 | 2:06:13 |
| 2077 | Kelly Weston | FO | 2:07:43 |
| 2157 | Matthew Carleton | MJ | 2:09:47 |
| 2198 | Fiona Magill | F35 | 2:08:41 |
| 2200 | Gary Blythe | M45 | 2:10:48 |
| 2205 | Cailein Curley | FO | 2:11:13 |
| 2266 | Anne Marie Clarken | F40 | 2:12:27 |
| 2268 | Lauren Hollyoak | FO | 2:12:00 |
| 2270 | Kirsty Breen | F40 | 2:11:59 |
| 2457 | Marie Murphy | FO | 2:16:20 |
| 2563 | Kelli Crawford | F35 | 2:19:55 |
| 2586 | Sonia Millar | F40 | 2:20:48 |
| 2609 | Katrina McAuley | F35 | 2:22:02 |
| 2736 | Michelle Doogan | F40 | 2:27:36 |
| 2737 | Gemma Lowe | F45 | 2:26:43 |
| 2738 | Eileen Keenan | F50 | 2:25:08 |
| 2832 | Elaine Crawford | F40 | 2:31:12 |
| 2833 | Kathleen O’Neill | F50 | 2:29:38 |
| 2841 | Michael Lawlor | M55 | 2:32:12 |
| 2842 | Jacqueline Lawlor | F50 | 2:32:12 |
| 2937 | Caroline Hill | F40 | 2:34:34 |
| 2952 | Roslynne Sheppard | FO | 2:38:16 |
| 2964 | Dermot McGrath | M45 | 2:38:20 |
| 2967 | Lorna McGrath | F55 | 2:37:41 |
| 2987 | Catherine Carleton | F55 | 2:40:03 |
| 2988 | Paula O’Reilly | F50 | 2:40:00 |
Saturday’s parkrun results for club athletes were:
| Waterworks parkrun, Belfast # 362 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 1 | Simon REEVE | 18:21 | PB stays at 00:17:48 | 184 |
| 4 | David CURRAN | 19:26 | PB stays at 00:19:01 | 86 |
| 6 | John Gerard MURPHY | 19:43 | PB stays at 00:18:49 | 319 |
| 9 | Drew KNOX | 20:23 | PB stays at 00:18:42 | 216 |
| 18 | Ray CAMERON | 21:20 | PB stays at 00:19:15 | 100 |
| 19 | Paul CURLEY | 21:21 | PB stays at 00:17:40 | 112 |
| 23 | Terence MCATAMNEY | 21:45 | New PB! | 12 |
| 34 | Tony REID | 22:50 | PB stays at 00:21:50 | 327 |
| 35 | Orla CASH | 22:54 | New PB! | 31 |
| 37 | Ita MCCAMBRIDGE | 23:04 | PB stays at 00:20:55 | 111 |
| 38 | Paddy MCCAMBRIDGE | 23:04 | PB stays at 00:20:36 | 74 |
| 40 | Eamon MCCAMBRIDGE | 23:17 | PB stays at 00:20:54 | 10 |
| 42 | Brendan MCCAMBRIDGE | 23:24 | PB stays at 00:20:56 | 43 |
| 45 | Gerry ANDERSON | 23:31 | New PB! | 73 |
| 70 | Paul WILLIAMS | 25:01 | PB stays at 00:20:23 | 234 |
| 71 | Joe NORNEY | 25:02 | PB stays at 00:17:48 | 48 |
| 72 | Maurice PALMER | 25:03 | New PB! | 25 |
| 81 | Sean MCSHANE | 25:21 | PB stays at 00:18:34 | 146 |
| 82 | Joe WILSON | 25:27 | PB stays at 00:24:26 | 49 |
| 83 | Lyle CARLETON | 25:29 | PB stays at 00:21:22 | 67 |
| 84 | Emma SHEEHY | 25:31 | PB stays at 00:22:53 | 37 |
| 85 | Jack CARBERRY | 25:32 | PB stays at 00:21:14 | 217 |
| 86 | Christopher LENNON | 25:32 | PB stays at 00:22:20 | 14 |
| 98 | Catriona MCCAMBRIDGE | 25:59 | PB stays at 00:24:31 | 27 |
| 125 | Thomas MCKINSTRY | 27:26 | PB stays at 00:23:09 | 160 |
| 127 | Paul ARMSTRONG | 27:29 | New PB! | 7 |
| 128 | Thomas Peter NORTON | 27:30 | New PB! | 13 |
| 133 | Jim CLINTON | 27:52 | PB stays at 00:21:37 | 333 |
| 140 | Lynn MCCULLOUGH | 28:05 | PB stays at 00:23:37 | 92 |
| 141 | Marian HAYES | 28:08 | PB stays at 00:24:30 | 97 |
| 170 | Nuala MAHON | 29:13 | PB stays at 00:27:02 | 105 |
| 201 | Dirdre MURPHY | 33:16 | PB stays at 00:29:43 | 44 |
| 219 | James TOAL | 36:57 | PB stays at 00:29:51 | 20 |
| 225 | Sinead TOAL | 38:18 | PB stays at 00:34:27 | 11 |
| Belfast Victoria parkrun # 334 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 4 | Matthew LAVERY | 18:21 | New PB! | 56 |
| 9 | Rory KANE | 18:53 | PB stays at 00:18:23 | 14 |
| 59 | Bryanna CATNEY | 24:03 | First Timer! | 14 |
| Queen’s parkrun, Belfast # 286 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 2 | Martin REA | 18:28 | PB stays at 00:17:58 | 38 |
| 29 | Ciaran HUNTER | 22:03 | PB stays at 00:20:24 | 211 |
| 48 | Damien GILL | 24:20 | PB stays at 00:20:03 | 195 |
| 54 | Paula WALLACE | 24:34 | PB stays at 00:23:09 | 30 |
| Falls parkrun, Belfast # 267 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 38 | David JOHNSTON | 31:07 | First Timer! | 22 |
| Wallace parkrun, Lisburn # 223 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 6 | John MCCONNELL | 20:27 | PB stays at 00:18:24 | 232 |
| 66 | Eadaoin DONALDSON | 26:45 | PB stays at 00:26:11 | 137 |
| 100 | Philomena DONALDSON | 29:26 | New PB! | 175 |
| 117 | Bernadette DUFFY | 30:53 | First Timer! | 160 |
| Forest Rec parkrun # 221 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 1 | Conor O’RAWE | 18:16 | New PB! | 137 |
| Ormeau parkrun # 220 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 1 | Paul HORAN | 18:01 | PB stays at 00:18:00 | 17 |
| 66 | Anthony FLEMING | 23:50 | PB stays at 00:22:18 | 38 |
| Larne parkrun # 193 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 1 | Nat GLENN | 18:38 | PB stays at 00:17:48 | 65 |
| 2 | Ethan GLENN | 19:46 | PB stays at 00:19:13 | 36 |
| 7 | Penny LINDSAY | 21:47 | PB stays at 00:20:45 | 16 |
| 12 | Carol CLARKE | 23:04 | PB stays at 00:21:54 | 36 |
| 14 | Trisha CAMPBELL | 23:16 | PB stays at 00:21:04 | 31 |
| 20 | Harry PLUMB | 25:05 | PB stays at 00:22:24 | 70 |
| 56 | Sandy PLUMB | 34:13 | PB stays at 00:22:17 | 112 |
| Limavady parkrun # 129 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 20 | Philip MCILWRATH | 27:02 | First Timer! | 109 |
| 29 | Rosy RYAN | 43:04 | PB stays at 00:39:50 | 108 |
| Stormont parkrun # 107 – 16/09/2017 | ||||
| Pos | parkrunner | Time | Note | Total runs |
| 6 | Mark SHIELDS | 20:47 | PB stays at 00:20:17 | 162 |
