Sat 8th May 2021: Day of 5000m PBs
This was a very significant event for NBH. Seamus McCann was on hand to provide this analysis:
The 8th May saw many Harriers returning to racing and in particular, track racing. For some it was their first track race since school or ever.
The day of nine 5,000ms track races at Mary Peters Track was also very special because this was an event coordinated and organised by the club. It had been coordinated since March by top NBH male runner John Black and NBH club coach Séamus McCann, with the ongoing support of the club’s committee.
On the day NBH club members utilised their skills and developed new ones by coordinating 100 plus runners under Covid19 conditions and AthleticsUK Level2 permit requirements, while providing over four hours of livestreaming (Provided by East Down AC Youtube with 3,000 views on the day) of the races, interspersed with interviews of winners and experts.
NBH club members volunteering on the day included: Barry Reid, Max Reid, Alan O’Hara, Conor Curran, Diane Taylor, Andy Taylor, Nat Glenn, Ethan Glen, Sean Lavery, Davey Kennedy, Fionnuala 0’Hare and Stephen Kelly. These events to receive appropriate permits etc. needed appropriately trained track officials and on the day these were provided by AthleticsNI and coordinated by Liz Glover. A number of NBH club members have recently volunteered to train as track officials and used the day to gain some valuable and necessary practical experience. These included: Helen Weir, Roma Doherty, Gerry Gribbon and Paddy McAuley.
The aims behind the meet were threefold. Firstly, to provide the opportunity for good road 5km runners to try out 5,000m track races. Secondly, to provide the opportunity for aspiring athletes to compete at an elite National Level and even potentially run times that could enable them to compete internationally and thirdly for some runners to run not only National, but World age category best times.
From the very first race, the Female elite race, that started in damp grey conditions, it was clear that all three aims would be splendidly met as the female athletes delivered outstanding performances, with two or three running times to potentially secure international honours later in this track season. As the day went on and the sun came out so the outstanding performances continued with the second-last race having a third of the field running sub 15 minutes, and in the final men’s elite race, all the runners ran sub 14:45. Half the field ran sub 14:15 with the winner breaking 14 minutes. The other races were densely scattered with athletes achieving Personal Bests (PB’s) and some running world-class category times. These included notable times from: Paralympian and NBH athlete Michael Mc Killop, master athletes Davey Clarke, Sarah-Jane McFadden, Conor Curran & Paul Horan (all NBH Athletes) and Tommy Hughes (Strive Athletic Club) and Junior athletes Nick Giggs (Mid Ulster AC), Gavin McCaffrey, Mathew Lavery and Luke Kelly (all NBH athletes).
General consensus on the day, and via a range of social media platforms, was that the day was a huge success with many highlighting the great work that North Belfast Harriers had done to arrange it and make it run so smoothly on the day, with athletes availing of the opportunity to deliver outstanding and inspiring performances.
North Belfast Harriers is your local running club providing local Couch to 5k programmes and coordinating the Waterworks Parkrun. However, as this meet reflects, we also provide national class training and competition. So, if your dream is to get round a 5k for the first time we can help you do that and for some it may be to run internationally we can also help you do that, your first step is to join the club.
The results were:
| RACE 2 | |||||
| Pos | Bib | Firstname | Lastname | Cat | Time |
| 3 | 113 | John | McGuigan | M45 | 18:31.52 |
| 5 | 118 | Sarah-Jane | McFadden | F35 | 18:38.51 |
| 6 | 110 | Laurence | Johnston | M60 | 18:39.60 |
| 9 | 119 | Rory | Kane | M45 | 19:21.59 |
| RACE 3 | |||||
| Pos | Bib | Firstname | Lastname | Cat | Time |
| 7 | 99 | David | Curran | M50 | 18:15.79 |
| 9 | 104 | Natasha | Henderson | FO | 18:31.41 |
| 11 | 105 | April | Clarke | FO | 19:14.98 |
| RACE 4 | |||||
| Pos | Bib | Firstname | Lastname | Cat | Time |
| 2 | 83 | David | Clarke | M60 | 17:03.44 |
| 6 | 85 | Colin | McDowell | M50 | 17:39.59 |
| 11 | 80 | Conor | O’Rawe | MO | 17:56.92 |
| RACE 5 | |||||
| Pos | Bib | Firstname | Lastname | Cat | Time |
| 3 | 67 | Paul | Horan | M45 | 16:25.61 |
| 4 | 70 | Jack | Steenson | MO | 16:30.67 |
| 7 | 69 | Brendan | McCambridge | MJ | 16:39.27 |
| 11 | 73 | Aaron | Rush | MO | 16:46.60 |
| RACE 6 | |||||
| Pos | Bib | Firstname | Lastname | Cat | Time |
| 5 | 59 | James | Trainor | M35 | 16:29.21 |
| 8 | 52 | Mark | McAvoy | MO | 16:38.37 |
| 11 | 53 | Brandon | McMinn | MO | 16:59.02 |
| RACE 7 | |||||
| Pos | Bib | Firstname | Lastname | Cat | Time |
| 3 | 30 | Matthew | Lavery | MJ | 15:39.13 |
| 4 | 35 | Gerard | Heaney | MO | 15:41.34 |
| 8 | 41 | Conor | Curran | M45 | 15:51.34 |
| 10 | 44 | Michael | McKillop | MO | 15:54.90 |
| 13 | 40 | Conal | McCambridge | MO | 16:16.65 |
| RACE 8 | |||||
| Pos | Bib | Firstname | Lastname | Cat | Time |
| 2 | 17 | Conan | McCaughey | MO | 14:48.59 |
| 6 | 21 | Mark | McKinstry | M35 | 15:10.51 |
| 7 | 20 | John | Black | MO | 15:12.61 |
| 9 | 23 | Gavin | McCaffrey | MJ | 15:17.58 |
| 10 | 25 | Peter | Donnelly | MO | 15:20.76 |
| 12 | 24 | Phil | Clarke | MO | 15:33.29 |
| 13 | 28 | Peter | McGarry | MO | 15:57.21 |
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Sun 9th May 2021: EAMS VE Day Marathon
Sunday saw the return of the East Antrim Marathon Series’ events. The first EAMS event since March 2020 took place on Sunday at Greenisland. The route comprised the 6.5m loop familiar to EAMS regulars, via Upper Road, Monkstown Road & Wood, the Shore Road and Greenisland Station Road, with the marathon runners completing the loop 4 times with the extra 0.22m added on at the start. Weather conditions were relatively favourable, with mild temperatures, little rain, and a southerly wind that became a headwind only on the descent through the Monkstown Wood.
| Place | Bib | Name | Gender | Time | |
| 13 | 255 | Greg McClure | Male | 3:58:13.4 | |
| 26 | 269 | Thomas McKinstry | Male | 4:52:53.7 |
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Sun 9th May (Not) PARKRUNS
It is understandably too soon yet to return to the normal Parkruns. Meanwhile, why not try the (not)Parkrun?
There’s no need to re-register to take part in (not)parkrun, your existing parkrun profile will allow you to log and view your (not)parkruns.
Seventeen Harriers took part in the (Not) Parkrun this week.
| Day | Runner | Gender | Cat. | Time |
| Mon | Rosy RYAN | Female | VW45-49 | 01:06:45:00 |
| Mon | Philip McILWRATH | Male | VM45-49 | 01:06:45:00 |
| Mon | Karen McCLEAN | Female | VW50-54 | 27:07:00 |
| Tue | Ita McCAMBRIDGE | Female | VW55-59 | 25:15:00 |
| Tue | Paddy McCAMBRIDGE | Male | VM55-59 | 25:35:00 |
| Tue | Joseph GALLAGHER | Male | VM60-64 | 24:57:00 |
| Tue | Maurice PALMER | Male | VM60-64 | 26:02:00 |
| Tue | Greg MCCLURE | Male | VM60-64 | 28:16:00 |
| Wed | Margaret STEPHENS | Female | VW60-64 | 29:12:00 |
| Wed | Anne Marie CRAIG | Female | VW45-49 | 36:00:00 |
| Thu | Michelle McLOUGHLIN | Female | VW35-39 | 25:05:00 |
| Fri | Matt SHIELDS | Male | VM65-69 | 25:25:00 |
| Fri | Bernadette DUFFY | Female | VW60-64 | 33:02:00 |
| Fri | Philomena DONALDSON | Female | VW60-64 | 32:50:00 |
| Sat | Thomas Peter NORTON | Male | VM40-44 | 26:31:00 |
| Sat | Lyle CARLETON | Male | VM55-59 | 25:45:00 |
| Sun | Jacqueline LAWLOR | Female | VW55-59 | 34:00:00 |
NBH acknowledge with thanks all photos which were from Facebook.
