Newcastle AC Notes and Junior Race Report

Newcastle AC Notes by Joe McCann Anne gets an international call Before readers jump to any conclusions from the misleading headline, Newcastle AC are not providing the replacement to Nigel Worthington, though Marty McVeigh has yet to join Martin O’Neill and officially rule himself out!  Anne Sandford competed in the first Cross Country race of the season at the Dub Pavilion, Belfast.  This has become the new adopted venue of the former Comber Cross Country.  Anne finished 3rd in her category (F45) and has duly been selected to represent Northern Ireland in the British & Irish Cross Country Championships on 26th November in Glasgow.  Well done Anne. Anne was also in action at the World Masters in Italy in September and joined an Irish F45 team.  She ran very well and came 14th out of 41 ladies in her category.  Moreover her team captured a team bronze medal. Congratulations are also extended to Hill and Dale stalwart Neil Carty, who at the same meeting was first Irishman home in the M40 category, finishing a highly respectable 15th, leading the Irish team to a silver medal. PB for Sam Samantha McNeilly has started her winter training and is running shorter distances to try and improve her speed endurance.  The early signs are that this is paying off as she recorded an impressive new PB, clocking 23:01 at the Runher event at Stormont Estate on Sunday October 9^th.  This time was good enough to secure 15^th place overall in a huge field of female athletes.  No doubt the work will continue with the club sessions organised every Tuesday evening, where speed is of the essence. Altitude training commences again Meanwhile, Kerry Harty left the country for the first of two phases of intense attitude training in Font Romeu in France.  Before leaving, Kerry informed me that the training was targeting a number of key short, medium and long term objectives. The immediate focus is on preparing for the Irish trials for the European Cross Country Championships which will be held on Saturday 26^th November in Sligo.  The immediate aim is to qualify for the European Championships which will be held in the Slovakian town of Valenje on December 9^th. The Stac is back! Rumours of the demise of ‘Big’ Alan Strachan appear somewhat premature.  Despite being lambasted and berated in this very column last week, the newly labelled ‘Flying Scotsman’ by his mates in Tadworth, ventured out in his maiden cross-country race on Saturday October 8^th at the Surrey Men’s XC League Division 3 at Lightwater Country Park.  Given the title, he was expecting to face Queen of the South or Greenock Morton, but alas neither showed up and the ‘Yin’ was forced to run 5 miles in the mud.  He performed well, finishing 44^th out of 204 competitors and scoring as 8^th man for the team.  Regrettably the organisers did not manage to spell his name correctly!  Alan was in town last weekend for a bit of recovery and relaxation; this consisted of a hard run on Friday evening, 16 sub 6:50 miles on Saturday and a 55 minute trot around the Gr8 Dundrum course on Sunday morning.  He is seriously looking forward to getting back to work on Monday for a rest!!!! A final run around the Bay Otis Redding may have immortalised the phrase ‘sitting on the dock of the bay’, but there was ‘shifting around the rim of the bay’ as the Newcastle members paraded for the last time around Dundrum and over the course of the big race next week.  I had a simply philosophy, ‘if you can’t beat them, make it as tough as you can for them for as long as you can.’  This worked perfectly for 400m and the rest of the run was a nightmare.  There were times when I regretted not getting up and going with ‘Hen’ at 4:30am. Needless to say most of the ‘big guns’ were out, so the pace was relentless.  Even Audie, a man known never to voice a complaint was overheard complaining about the unremitting hammering on at the front of the pack.  Every man in the group completed the course well within the hour, though most of us were less than comfortable on the final run in: in fact one could argue we were titubant! To make matters worse, my plodding along at what I considered breakneck speed was put in context when McNeilly came loping past me at what looked like a jog, smiled a gormless grin and left me tailing in his wake!  One by one they caught me, passed me and soon were out of sight.  All in all, a good dress-rehearsal for next week, and a timely reminder that enjoyment is more important than finishing position.  To my further bewilderment, my good friend Damien hung around for a cup of coffee, but declined a scone, claiming that he had one in 2007 and was not yet ready for another. Things went from bad to worse in the café when John Kelly, making a rare appearance at the club wiped his jam covered knife on his top. He soon realised that it was in fact the top he borrowed from Audie at the end of the run, as the eyes of the town man turned to daggers! Good luck to everyone taking part next week and I look forward to reporting on the success in the run and of Mr Kelly is removing the stains from his former friend’s favourite top. JUNIOR CROSS COUNTRY RACES Different Setting – Same Outstanding Racing The gazebo’s had multiplied; one had obviously told his mate to come along and witness the spectacle that is the McGrady Financial Services Junior cross country series.  The coaches were there in force, looking resplendent in their newly laundered club tracksuits and going about the McGrady Financial Services Junior Cross Country Series – Race 2 Tollymore Forest Park – By Joe McCann It’s all about the organising business of organising things in their customary diligent and purposeful manner.  The weather was threatening to misbehave; showery clouds and bright sunshine were vying for supremacy like two great cosmic wrestlers.  The cases of water were standing tall and the crisp shining apples were begging to be munched.  The vests had been laundered after the rain and much of Castlewellan.  In summary, all was in place for the second race in the increasingly popular series.  The crowds began to arrive; they had brought change; they had downloaded and completed the forms.  One could almost be forgiving for thinking that they had given due credence to the previous reports! Who needs a megaphone anyway? With the usual precision the entries were taken and despite a battery malfunction, the young athletes were called as scheduled at exactly 10.45am to begin the pre-race ritual of warming up and stretching.  The younger athletes were taken by Eamon and PJ and Messers Steele, McCann (plural – as if one was not enough!) and Brannigan took the P5s and above on a lap of the 1000 metre course carefully marked out by ‘Big Engine’, under the direct supervision of the course marking supervisor, earlier in the morning.  After some intense stretching everyone was ready and the first competitors were called to the line. Primary school kids are top of the class! The first race of the morning proved to be the closest.  Eoin McCartan recorded his first ever race win, narrowly outsprinting Giacanno Ballocchi and Ronan McVeigh in a tense and exciting finish; only one second separated the three boys.  Amy McCrickard was also a first time winner: in another close finish she narrowly overcame Emily Steele and Alea Brannigan.  Conor Murray and Eve Kenneally maintained their 100% records as they were triumphant in the P5 races, though Eve was forced to push all the way to the line as she was being hounded all the way by a determined Kate Lenny.  Ben McGuigan led home the P6 boys, the first 5 finishing in the same order as they did in Castlewellan.  Ellen Boyd claimed East Down’s first victory of the morning with a typically strong run, dominating from gun to tape and beating most of the boys in the process.  The P7 race was once again the highlight of the morning and witnessed a strong display of front running from Caolan Hawkins and an astute piece of tactical racing from Tim Prenter.  In a lightning fast race the latter prevailed and finished very strongly to add to the East Down roll of honour.  Michaela Quinn and Sarah Dougherty once again made life difficult for the finishers as they approached the line in tandem. This time Michaela just about edged out her close rival. The bigger they are the harder they race! In the post primary races there was a double celebration for the visiting club as they captured first in both year 8 races.  Matthew Carrick, making his first appearance of the season, and Laura Green recorded impressive victories over the 1700m course.  Ellen Boden finished third in the race and was also the winner of the spot prize voucher, generously donated by Jack O’Hare from O’Hare’s Bar and Restaurant, Newcastle.  Conversely the Year 9 races went Newcastle’s way.  Jack Quinn won the boys race, though he was pushed all the way by James Magennis and forced to work extremely hard for his victory.  The Year 9 girls’ event was a case of seeing triple, with Doyle, Doyle and Doyle occupying the podium positions.  Eilis, Niamh and Catriona made it a family affair on the podium.  The last race of the day was greeted with splendid sunshine.  Niall Rogan ran hard all the way to win the Year 10+ boys’ race, while Dearbhla Magee was in her usual commanding form as she strode majestically to a well-deserved win. November 20^th – a date for the diary The next race of the series is at 1pm on Sunday 20^th November at Delamont Country Park Killyleagh.  No doubt the renowned and celebrated East Down catering machine will be in full force that day and the Newcastle coaches are already looking forward to delving into the plentiful hampers of assorted goodies that will be on offer.  Damien is already looking forward to all the things he can turn down! Well done to all Finally, well done to every one of the 84 athletes who raced on Saturday; you can be very proud of your performances and achievements on a tough course in damp conditions.  It would be remiss not to extend our thanks to the many parents for making the commitment to bringing their child(ren) to the event and in offering encouragement to all other participants.  A great event is only a great event when it is well-orgainsed, well supported and enjoyed by all.]]>