A cold week lead to many runs and races being cancelled due to hazardous conditions. The number of parkruns was significantly reduced, cross-country was called off and seasonal pre-Christmas races postponed. However, there was some running to report.
photo from Atlas Running and We Run Wild NI
Lecale Way 50k
This ultra had originally been scheduled for September but had moved to later in the year and luckily the thaw had arrived in time for We Run Wild NI and Atlas Running to host the event on Sunday. Most participants were bused from Newcastle to Strangford where they would then follow the Lecale Way back along the coast for roughly 33 miles to the Slieve Donard hotel. The route includes trail, coastal path, quiet country lanes and roads. The weather was blustery and threw up plenty of sea spray on the first section to the halfway mark at St. John’s Point Lighthouse. Conditions worsened heading to Tyrella beach and by the time the runners got to Dundrum Bay the sideways showers had them saturated. Fortunately/unfortunately the beach run section from Murlough wasn’t permitted and it was slightly more sheltered under the street lights and Christmas illuminations taking the footpath into Newcastle and the much welcomed finish line.
Simon Reeve and Greg McClure finished the Lecale Way 50k in 5:27:51 and 6:34:01 respectively.
photos from Atlas Running
parkrun Results:
Waterworks parkrun, Belfast
5 5 David CURRAN 00:19:32
11 11 Oscar PURVIS 00:20:14
20 19 Paddy COYLE 00:21:15
25 2 Fionnuala O’HARE 00:21:36
26 23 John Gerard MURPHY 00:21:39
36 33 Dara CASSIDY 00:22:18
42 39 Joseph GALLAGHER 00:23:05
60 53 Tony REID 00:24:56
73 64 Peter DOLAN 00:26:07
84 9 Sabrina NULTY 00:26:58
85 73 David HURST 00:27:03
102 85 Thomas MCKINSTRY 00:27:58
125 100 Chris O’DONOGHUE 00:29:07
127 102 Jim CLINTON 00:29:17
148 117 Matthew PURVIS 00:31:36
152 30 Sandy CARR 00:31:56
153 31 Margaret STEPHENS 00:31:58
157 32 Eadaoin KELLY 00:32:52
158 33 Grainne STEPHENS 00:32:56
172 36 Bernadette DUFFY 00:38:06
178 134 Milo PURVIS 00:40:03
183 45 Elisabeth FRENCH 00:46:10
187 49 Rosy RYAN 00:58:22
188 135 Philip MCILWRATH 00:58:23
189 136 Liam SMYTH 00:58:24
Portrush parkrun
97 74 Jason REID 00:29:19
Malahide parkrun
162 95 Paul JENKINS 00:29:23
Valley parkrun, Newtownabbey
46 37 David JOHNSTON 00:28:12
Orangefield parkrun
30 27 Matthew CARLETON 00:21:59
49 44 Paul WILLIAMS 00:23:22
274 175 Paul LAVERY 00:35:39
310 188 Fergus JAMISON 00:59:33
Landesgartenschau Park parkrun
13 7 Glenn BEATTIE 00:48:27