NBH Race Report, 4th – 10th Dec 2023

by

A mixture of hard work and partying was the order of the day this week as XC spikes and muddy shorts were replaced by very fetching high heels and frocks. And the women made an effort too!

.

Sat 9th Dec 2023: Irwin Speirs XC

MUSA playing fields in Cookstown was the venue for the Irwin Speirs Memorial Cross Country race. The Harriers were well represented in the men’s, women’s and M60+ races. The course was more like a quagmire after a lot of rain, but that didn’t stop our intrepid Harriers scoring some notable victories.

The men swept the board with Cathaoir Purvis, Philip Goss and John Black claiming 1st, 2nd and 3rd podium positions respectively.

David Clarke took 1st place on the podium in the Men’s 60+ race.

The icing on the cake was the men winning the overall team prize with the women claiming 3rd place.

Well done to all those that ran, especially under such conditions.

.

Ladies

Pos Bib Firstname Lastname Club Cat Finish
8 536 Debbie McConnell North Belfast Harriers W35 00:23:38
9 547 Louise Smith North Belfast Harriers W50 00:23:46
18 540 Fionnuala O’Hare North Belfast Harriers SW 00:25:00
22 538 Una McConnell North Belfast Harriers W45 00:26:33
40 549 Diane Taylor North Belfast Harriers W40 00:28:29
41 537 Helen F Weir North Belfast Harriers W50 00:28:39
53 533 Alina Biskupska North Belfast Harriers W40 00:30:18
60 541 Donna McLaughlin North Belfast Harriers W50 00:30:57
73 545 Lorraine Hibburt North Belfast Harriers W50 00:32:14
101 544 Philomena Donaldson North Belfast Harriers W65 00:38:47
111 542 Eadaoin Kelly North Belfast Harriers W35 00:43:12

.

Mens

Pos Bib Firstname Lastname Cat Finish
1 747 Cathaoir Purvis SM 00:26:42
2 750 Philip Goss M35 00:27:00
3 745 John Black M35 00:27:02
13 743 Mark Cornett SM 00:29:06
23 748 Neil Carty M55 00:30:13
27 744 Stephen McCullough M40 00:30:42
32 751 Matthew McCombe SM 00:31:04
120 749 Ray Cameron M45 00:42:20

.

M60+

Pos No Firstname Lastname Club Cat Finish
1 548 David Clarke North Belfast Harriers M60 00:22:12
17 546 Brian Stewart North Belfast Harriers M70 00:30:40

.

Sat 9th Dec 2023: Run for Rescue

The NIMRA Run for Rescue Trail Race is a hilly trail race and a great opportunity to test the legs before the winter training kicks off. This race is organised by NIMRA and the cost of entry is a donation to the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team.

The route took runners a distance of 6 miles and an ascent of 625m through the picturesque Mournes Area of Outstanding Beauty.

Gareth Lyons was the sole representative of the Harriers who ran the course in a time of 45:57 winning his category [MV45]. Great work Gareth.

Sun 10th Dec 2023: European Cross Country Championships 2023

Laeken Park, Brussels, was the venue for the European Cross Country Championships 2023. Matthew Lavery was a member of the team representing Ireland in the U23 Men’s 7000m coming 61st.

Well done Matthew.

Fri 8th Dec 2023: North Belfast Harriers’ Christmas Party

Having missed out partying over the past few Christmases because of COVID-19, it was time for the Harriers to have some fun that didn’t include splashing around in the mud or busting a gut trying to get a PB.

Fortwilliam Golf Club was the venue for this year’s bash where Harriers scoffed a lovely meal washed down with a glass or two.

Our thanks go to the organising committee – Joe, Roy, Denise, Nola, Gillian, Eadaoin and Matthew, not forgetting our shy and retiring MC: Andy ‘Tails’ Taylor. Great work by a great team.

Congratulations to Matthew McCombe and Graham Foster who secured places in the 2024 London Marathon.

Participation medals were awarded for those who completed in a given number of races over 2021/22, so well done to: Andy Taylor, April Clarke, Brendan McCambridge, Brian Stewart, Carol Clarke, Catherine Seawright, Chris Callaghan, Ciaran Sloan, Conal McCambridge, David Hurst, Diane Taylor, Emma Taylor, Erin Beattie, Fionnuala O’Hare, Gerry Anderson, Gillian Roden, Joe Gallagher, Karen McClean, Laurence Johnston, Matthew McCombe, Moira Leheny, Natasha Henderson, Patrick McAuley, Philip Goss, Philomena Donaldson, Ray Cameron, Sarah-Jane McFadden, Simon Reeve and Una McConnell.

Well done all and hopefully 2024 will be an equally successful year!

.

.

Sat 9th Dec 2023: PARKRUNS

A total of 54 North Belfast Harriers took part in 14 parkruns.

Well done to this week’s First Lady Finishers: Janice PLUMB (Larne parkrun) and Holly COLLINS (Sixmilewater parkrun) and to the First Male Finishers: Cormac LEHENY (Waterworks parkrun) and Nat GLENN (Larne parkrun).

Congratulations to Cormac LEHENY, Lorcan MCCANN, Martin REA and Bo MORRISON on achieving PBs.

Finally, well done to everybody who took park in this week’s parkruns and a big thank you to the army of volunteers.

.

Waterworks parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
1 1 Cormac LEHENY   00:18:05   First Finisher / New PB
3 3 Thomas COY   00:19:02    
5 5 Paul MCALLISTER   00:19:47    
6 6 Thomas MCLAUGHLIN   00:19:51    
8 7 Alex REID   00:21:03    
9 8 Simon REEVE   00:21:21    
15 13 Seamus LEHENY   00:21:58    
19 17 Dermot COY   00:22:12    
27 25 Martin RAFFERTY   00:23:06    
33 29 Greg MCCLURE   00:23:47    
37 32 Sean MCSHANE   00:24:20    
38 33 David HURST   00:24:45    
42 36 Tony REID   00:25:19    
57 10 Eimear COY   00:26:44    
75 58 Jack CARBERRY   00:27:52    
76 59 Sean FEIGHAN   00:28:00    
77 60 Matt SHIELDS   00:28:12    
78 61 Conal MCCAMBRIDGE   00:28:12    
82 65 Philip MCILWRATH   00:28:22    
84 67 Patrick HAMILL   00:28:28    
90 71 Gordon GLENN   00:29:12    
115 24 Stella HARRISON   00:31:51    
118 88 Jim CLINTON   00:32:03    
123 28 Sandy CARR   00:33:00    
124 29 Margaret STEPHENS   00:33:27    
127 32 Bernadette DUFFY   00:34:32    
137 93 Matthew PURVIS   00:36:09    
139 41 Kathleen MONTGOMERY   00:39:17    
141 43 Jennifer GOODFELLOW   00:42:42    
147 47 Rosy RYAN   01:00:43    
.            
Belfast Victoria parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
6 6 Lorcan MCCANN   00:16:49   New PB
13 13 Martin REA   00:18:17   New PB
.            
Queen’s parkrun, Belfast
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
35 23 Kevin LAVERY   00:27:25    
46 27 Vincent BRADLEY   00:28:38    
58 32 John LAVERY   00:33:06    
.            
Citypark parkrun, Craigavon
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
2 2 Colin MCDOWELL   00:17:24    
.            
Ormeau parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
23 21 Matthew CARLETON   00:21:15    
294 176 Paul LAVERY   00:42:17    
311 181 Ray CAMERON   00:58:04    
.            
Larne parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
1 1 Nat GLENN   00:19:38   First Finisher
10 1 Janice PLUMB   00:24:48   First Lady Finisher
13 2 April CLARKE   00:25:07    
29 21 Greg LAVERY   00:33:56    
.            
Valley parkrun, Newtownabbey
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
10 8 Paul WILLIAMS   00:24:12    
35 10 Angela ROBINSON   00:29:16    
38 26 David JOHNSTON   00:29:48    
41 28 Colm SMYTH   00:30:26    
.            
Stormont parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
53 41 John DAVIDSON   00:26:45    
.            
Colin Glen parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
3 3 Bo MORRISON   00:22:35   New PB
.            
Falcarragh parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
1 1 John Gerard MURPHY   00:20:39    
.            
Orangefield parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
60 36 Fergus JAMISON   00:46:54    
.            
Sixmilewater parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
5 1 Holly COLLINS   00:20:38   First Lady Finisher
.            
Knockbracken Reservoir parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
63 45 Jason REID   00:31:37    
.            
Hillsborough Forest parkrun
Pos   parkrunner   Run Time   Notes
5 2 Martsje HELL   00:20:54    

.