North Belfast Harriers Race Report 22nd – 28th May 2023
As the end of May brought the good weather to Northern Ireland, and further afield, the appeal of racing on roads, tracks and trails increased, and as usual, members of North Belfast Harriers relished the opportunity to participate in a variety of events, testing themselves against their peers with some spectacular successes, on a range of distances from 800m to back to back marathons.
First Place Finishes and Category Wins in Abundance at Ballyclare May Fair 5k and 10k Races, Saturday 27th May
In the pleasant, warm, hazy May sunshine, that always seems to accompany the Ballyclare May Fair Races, representatives of North Belfast Harriers ran with some spectacular success in both the 5k and 10k races. Matthew Lavery was the overall winner in the 10k race finishing in the superb time of 31min:53secs, 1min:25sec ahead of the second placed runner, whilst Fionnuala O’Hare picked up a podium spot, in 3rd place, in the ladies’ race. Also, in the 10k, Lawrence Johnston and Helen Weir ran great races to finish 1st in the M60 and 1st in the F50 categories respectively. Meanwhile, Paul Hutchinson had a good race to finish 2nd in the M45 category, and 25th overall.
In the 5k Elisoa Crawford continued to show evidence of her recent great running form, to finish in 2nd place in the ladies’ race. Meanwhile, Holly Collins also continued to show great pace, to pick up 1st place in the FJ category, whilst Carol Clarke lifted first place in the F55 category. Well done to all the runners, in a great morning of racing.
Ballyclare 10k
| Position | Bib | Name | Class Rank | Category | Gun Time | Chip Time |
| 1 | 429 | Matthew Lavery | 1 | MO | 0:31:56 | 0:31:53 |
| 17 | 415 | Lawrence Johnston | 1 | M60 | 0:39:10 | 0:39:05 |
| 25 | 411 | Paul Hutchinson | 2 | M45 | 0:41:27 | 0:41:18 |
| 27 | 503 | Fionnuala O’Hare | 3 | FO | 0:41:29 | 0:41:23 |
| 44 | 404 | Natasha Henderson | 4 | FO | 0:44:16 | 0:44:10 |
| 65 | 541 | Helen Weir | 1 | F50 | 0:47:17 | 0:47:09 |
| 106 | 305 | Gerry Anderson | 7 | M55 | 0:51:08 | 0:51:09 |
| 137 | 348 | John Davidson | 10 | M55 | 0:54:23 | 0:54:12 |
Ballyclare 5k
| Position | Bib | Name | Class Rank | Category | Gun Time | Chip Time |
| 14 | 256 | Elisoa Crawford | 2 | FO | 0:18:40 | 0:18:36 |
| 22 | 40 | Holly Collins | 1 | FJ | 0:19:38 | 0:19:35 |
| 41 | 38 | Carol Clarke | 1 | F55 | 0:22:15 | 0:22:09 |
First Place Finishes and Category Firsts Continue for North Belfast Harriers at the Newry Half Marathon and 10k, Sunday 28th May
The Newry Half Marathon and 10k have gained a reputation for being relative flat, fast courses. On Sunday, Adam Smyth demonstrated what he could do on a fast course, finishing in 1st place in the half marathon, in the superb time of 1hour: 11min: 26sec, almost 4 min ahead of the second placed athlete, whilst Joe Gallagher finished 1st in the M65 category.
In the 10k race Louise Smith ran well to finish 1st in the F50 category, as did Brian Stewart, who finished 1st in the M70 category. Well done to all the runners, who turned out in the pleasant intermittent, hazy sunshine, to run by the canal, and down along the river towards Warrenpoint, and back.
Newry Half Marathon
| Position | Bib | Name | Category | Gun Time | Chip Time |
| 1 | 849 | Adam Smyth | MO | 1:11:28 | 1:11:26 |
| 142 | 302 | Joe Gallagher | M65 | 1:36:10 | 1:36:02 |
Newry 10k
| Position | Bib | Name | Category | Gun Time | Chip Time |
| 41 | 10446 | Louise Smith | F50 | 0:40:17 | 0:40:14 |
| 88 | 10452 | Brian Stewart | M70 | 0:44:53 | 0:44:43 |
| 440 | 10512 | Robbie Speers | MO | 1:30:20 | 1:29:47 |
| 441 | 10134 | Elizabeth French | F50 | 1:30:21 | 1:29:48 |
Athletics NI Open Meet, Mary Peters Track Wednesday 24th May
On a pleasant Wednesday evening, four member of North Belfast Harriers participated in this open meet organised by Athletics NI, and tested themselves against some very fast opposition. Well done to all the athletes, who participated. The results are listed below.
5000m and 800m Races
| Event | position | Bib | Name | Time |
| Men’s 5000m | 4 | 53 | Colin McDowell | 16:38.26 |
| Men’s 5000m | 5 | 51 | Ian Keys | 17:10.18 |
| Men’s 800m, Race 2 | 5 | 49 | Conor Curran | 2:00.26 |
| Men’s 800m, Race 2 | 7 | 52 | Gareth Lyons | 2:03.74 |
It’s Silver and a New Club Record for Andrew Milligan, and a New Club Record and PB for Róise Roberts, in Manchester at the British Millers Meet, Saturday 27th May
Andrew Milligan seems to build success upon success. Continuing an ever upward trajectory, Andrew secured another podium place, with another personal best, and a new club record for 1500m. Racing at Sports City in Manchester, Andrew finished in a fantastic time of 3min:43.05sec, in a meet organised by British Milers. Meanwhile, running in the 5000m, Róise Roberts secured a new personal best of 17min:18.53sec, also setting a new club record. Well done Andrew and Róise on more great performances!
Debbie McConnell Wins a Podium Place at the Newell 10k at Coalisland, Sunday 28th May
Debbie McConnell ran a great race on Sunday to pick up 3rd place in the Newell 10k in a time of 39min:10sec, whilst Stephen McCullough, running in the M40 category, finished in 37min:36sec. Organised by the Keep Er Lit Running Club, over 1000 runners took part in the various races from 1k fun run to 3k, 5k and 10k, which started in the centre of Coalisalnd. Well done Debbie and all the runners, who took part.
| Position | Bib | Name | Category | Gun Time | Chip Time |
| 31 | 704 | Stephen McCullough | M40 | 37:37 | 37:36 |
| 42 | 694 | Debbie McConnell | FO | 39:12 | 39:10 |
Marconi 5 Mile Race, Sunday 28th
Three members of North Belfast Harriers took part in the Marconi 5 Miler, hosted by Ballycastle Runners. Staged as part of the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival, the race proved popular and was sold out. The race started at Ballycastle tennis courts. The route then took runners past Ballycastle Golf Club, and left along the coast to Marconi’s Cottage. It was an out and back course, with a slight detour on the way back, in the form of a challenging climb up to Corrymeela. Well done to all the runners, who took on the challenge. Information and photo courtesy of Peter Dolan.
| Position | Bib | Name | Category | Gun Time | Chip Time |
| 16 | 173 | Christopher Murray | M40 | 33:11 | 33:09 |
| 70 | 50 | Peter Dolan | M35 | 42:04 | 42:01 |
| 153 | 87 | Nola Jamieson | F35 | 52:22 | 52:14 |
Daphne Hamill Memorial Open Track Meet, Mary Peters Track, Sunday 28th May
Five senior and masters athletes from North Belfast Harriers took part in the open track meet organised by North Down Athletics Club, at Mary Peters Track on Sunday. Congratulations to Gavin McCaffrey, who recorded a new personal best time in what turned out to be a fast series of races. The results are listed below.
| Event | position | Bib | Name | Category | Time |
| Men’s 800m | 2 | 175 | Gavin McCaffery | SM | 1:58.39 |
| Men’s 800m | 6 | 202 | Conor Curran | M45 | 2:01.48 |
| Men’s 800m | 5 | 227 | David Clarke | M60 | 2:15.37 |
| Men’s 800m | 6 | 187 | Niall Armstrong | SM | 2:21.67 |
| Men’s 400m | 3 | 217 | Ramey Adams | M40 | 54.28 |
Woodburn Forest Series, Tuesday 23rd May
Two members of North Belfast Harriers took part in the second of a series of three races run through the scenic trails and paths round Woodburn Forest, near Carrickfergus. This second of the series of three races, starting at 7.30 in the evening, was over the distance of 4.5 miles. The results are detailed below.
| Position | Bib | Name | Category | Gun Time | Chip Time |
| 16 | 123 | Kevin Crossley | M50 | 0:30:08 | 0:30:08 |
| 18 | 168 | John Murphy | M50 | 0:30:16 | 0:30:08 |
Clare Burren Marathon, Saturday 27th May
Sandy Car took on the stunning limestone moonscape scenery of the Burren in Co Clare on Saturday, completing the 26.2 miles of challenging terrain, in a commendable time of 4:45:55, finishing in 89th place.
Lough Cutra Marathon, Sunday 28th May
Not satisfied with the challenge of the Saturday’s marathon, or perhaps inspired by the stunning scenery, Sandy Carr opted to undertake a second marathon on Sunday! Running over a similarly challenging terrain, that was nonetheless as picturesque, and ruggedly beautiful, Sandy completed a second 26.2 miles in an improved time of 4:23:49, finishing 4th overall. Well done Sandy on an amazing weekend of endurance running!
Luke’s Hill and Dale Series, Race 6, Thursday 25th May
Two members of North Belfast Harriers took part in the latest of this series of hill races organised by Newcastle Athletic Club. The results are listed below.
| Position | Bib | Name | Category | Time |
| 7 | 202 | Conor Doris | M40 | 0:41:03 |
| 33 | 362 | Martsje Hell | F35 | 0:46:47 |
Pat Dunbar Memorial Race, Saturday 27th May
Two Harriers undertook this race organised in association with the Irish Mountain Running Association. Covering a 13km course, the race also involved a challenging climb of 3206m, over a terrain that was described as moderate. Results are detailed below.
| Position | Name | Category | Time |
| 25 | Simon Reeve | M45 | 1:26:21 |
| 28 | Martsje Hell | F35 | 1:28:56 |
ParkRuns
As the late May weather continued to improve, many a public park saw an increase in attendance at the weekend, joining the ever-present Saturday morning ParkRunners from North Belfast Harriers, who turn out regularly to partake in the camaraderie, craic and convivial collective engagement, that are at the core of every Saturday 5k ParkRun.
Worth a special mention this week are Paul Horan, Colin McDowell, Glenn Beattie and Conan McCaughey who were first finishers on their respective courses, and Neil Mercer, who was a third finisher. Also, well done to Eimear O’Regan, who recorded a new PB.
Well done to all those who participated, the runners and especially the volunteers, without whom the events could not be staged.
Waterworks ParkRun
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 1 | Paul Horan | 82.56% | 17:35 | First Finisher |
| 12 | Oscar Purvis | 66.50% | 20:36 | |
| 13 | John Gerard Murphy | 73.41% | 20:45 | |
| 14 | Thomas Mclaughlin | 67.75% | 20:56 | |
| 15 | Paddy Coyle | 64.59% | 21:08 | |
| 24 | Seamus Leheny | 64.34% | 22:12 | |
| 29 | Chris Callaghan | 70.37% | 22:47 | |
| 31 | Greg McClure | 73.52% | 23:02 | |
| 38 | David Curran | 64.24% | 23:32 | |
| 57 | Ray Cameron | 58.10% | 24:47 | |
| 58 | Joseph Gallagher | 67.61% | 24:48 | |
| 62 | Eimear O’Regan | 64.04% | 24:56 | New PB |
| 66 | Milo Purvis | 64.88% | 25:12 | |
| 68 | Anthony Steele | 53.70% | 25:14 | |
| 85 | Orán Steele | 54.55% | 26:00 | |
| 91 | David Hurst | 51.80% | 26:21 | |
| 92 | Tony Reid | 60.23% | 26:24 | |
| 126 | Frances Stroud | 54.91% | 28:01 | |
| 127 | Angela Robinson | 62.94% | 28:01 | |
| 132 | Joanne Curran | 56.98% | 28:26 | |
| 133 | Catherine Seawright | 58.23% | 28:27 | |
| 136 | Jack Carberry | 71.75% | 28:37 | |
| 140 | Maurice Palmer | 57.41% | 28:41 | |
| 144 | Philip McIlwrath | 50.52% | 28:58 | |
| 151 | Stella Harrison | 67.68% | 29:30 | |
| 176 | Sabrina Nulty | 50.61% | 31:23 | |
| 180 | Ann Craven | 58.10% | 31:35 | |
| 181 | Martin McLarnon | 45.94% | 31:36 | |
| 184 | Magdalena Bisewska | 48.10% | 31:59 | |
| 187 | Margaret Stephens | 61.56% | 32:26 | |
| 188 | Grainne Stephens | 45.61% | 32:27 | |
| 191 | Kerry McShane | 47.60% | 33:03 | |
| 192 | Sean McShane | 44.61% | 33:04 | |
| 214 | Eadaoin Kelly | 38.12% | 39:13 | |
| 228 | Catherine Carleton | 39.05% | 49:41 | |
| 229 | Paula O’Reilly | 37.97% | 49:41 | |
| 230 | Michelle Harkley | 31.96% | 49:42 | |
| 234 | Philomena Donaldson | 38.57% | 53:22 | |
| 237 | Rosy Ryan | 29.60% | 55:58 |
Belfast Victoria ParkRun
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 56 | Nicky Hagan | 59.36% | 22:21 | |
| 136 | Thomas Peter Norton | 51.11% | 27:45 | First Timer |
| 160 | Paul Jenkins | 48.97% | 29:53 |
Queen’s ParkRun
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 99 | Noel McKnight | 53.90% | 29:30 | |
| 100 | John Lavery | 53.31% | 29:30 | |
| 116 | Vincent Bradley | 51.85% | 31:28 | |
| 135 | Paul Lavery | 47.10% | 35:57 |
Falls ParkRun
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 37 | Kevin McCann | 57.84% | 26:08 | |
| 96 | Jim Clinton | 38.29% | 42:37 |
Citypark Craigavon ParkRun
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 6 | Peter Savage | 82.12% | 18:33 | |
| 157 | Debbie McConnell | 50.45% | 29:44 | |
| 161 | Stephen McCullough | 46.22% | 29:58 |
Coffs Harbour ParkRun, Australia
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 53 | Liam Smyth | 59.57% | 26:55 | First Timer |
Knocknacarra ParkRun, Galway
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 1 | Colin McDowell | 79.63% | 18:59 | First Timer & First Finisher |
Valley, Newtownabbey ParkRun
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 13 | Colin Willetts | 57.93% | 23:13 | |
| 16 | Erin Beattie | 63.11% | 23:27 | First Timer |
| 38 | David Johnston | 56.22% | 27:20 |
Knockbracken Reservoir ParkRun
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 3 | Neil Mercer | 78.97% | 18:23 | First Timer & Third Finisher |
Friedrichsau Park ParkRun, Germany
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 1 | Glenn Beattie | 64.77% | 19:55 | First Timer & First Finisher |
Ballinamore Greenway ParkRun, Letrim
| Position | Name | Age Grade | Time | Remarks |
| 1 | Conan McCaughey | 77.99% | 16:44 | First Finisher |