North Belfast Harriers Race Report 28th September – 4th October 2026 

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North Belfast Harriers Dominant at the Cross Country Trials, as a total of 19 Members are Selected to Run for N Ireland in the 5 Nations International this November.   

Some of the Harriers at the finish of the 6k race at the Cross Country Trials. Photo courtesy of Orla LeMahieu.


NI Masters Cross Country Trials, Queen’s Playing Fields, Saturday 3rd October.

The iconic vests of North Belfast Harriers were everywhere at Queen’s Playing Fields on Saturday, as an astounding number of 19 club members were on podiums, picking up medals of all colours, as well as winning selection to teams and reserve places for the British and Irish International Cross Country, to be held in Dublin on 14th November. There were tremendous performances all round as a bumper number of Harriers, some vying for an international vest for the first time, tested themselves against the best cross country runners in N Ireland, over 6k and 8k distances.  

Amongst the great performances were Gold Medals for Matt Shields M70, Davey Clarke M65, Elisoa Crawford F55 and Eamon White M55, Silver for Brian Stewart M75, Louise Smith W55, Nat Glenn M60, Mark Smith M55, and Bronze for Carol Clarke W60 and Paul Blaney M55. 

Congratulations to Brian Stewart, Matt Shields, John Casey, Greg McClure, David Clarke, Joe Gallagher, Carol Clarke, Elisoa Crawford, Louise Smith, Orla LeMahieu, Natasha Hersom, Nat Glenn, Eamon White, Mark Smith, James Traynor, David Foster, Michael Lamont, Frances McMullan and Philip Goss, who all won international vests for the Five Nations International. Results of the various age categories are listed below. 

6k Male 75 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
49 778 Brian Stewart M75 2 27:40 

6k Male 70 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
47 772 Matt Shields M70 1 27:15 
57 712 John Casey M70 4 29:04 

6k Male 65 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
7 715 David Clarke M65 1 23:22 
25 725 Joe Gallagher M65 4 25:39 

6k Female 60 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
61 714 Carol Clarke W60 3 30:02 

6k Female 55 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
2 716 Elisoa Crawford W55 1 22:28 
14 776 Louise Smith W55 2 24:41 

6k Female 45 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
27 748 Una McConnell W45 8 25:54 
31 779 Diane Taylor W45 9 26:08 
36 757 Nuala Muldoon W45 10 26:34 

6k Female 40 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
50 736 Orla LeMahieu W40 6 27:41 

6k Female 35 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
11 730 Natasha Hersom W35 4 23:43  

8k Male 60 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
45 28 Nat Glenn M60 2 30:46 
63 66 Ian O’Neill M60 8 33:46 
69 6 Chris Callaghan M60 11 37:29 

8k Male 55 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
9 84 Eamon White M55 1 27:35 
18 77 Mark Smith M55 2 28:37 
20 2 Paul Blaney M55 3 28:47 
56 9 Neil Carty M55 11 32:18 

8k Male 40 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
10 80 James Trainor M40 4 27:49 
16 80 David Foster M40 5 27:49 
40 17 Marcel Corry M40 15 30:36 

8k Male 35 Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Age Position Time 
22 40 Michael Lamont M35 6 28:58 

Photos at the NI Cross Country Trials courtesy of Norther Ireland Masters Facebook/Rhonda’s Post and Andy Taylor.

April Clarke at the podium presentation, lifting bronze in the Ladies’ Race in the Belfast Bay 10k on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Belfast Bay Facebook.

Harriers Out in Force, as April Clarke Lifts Bronze in the Belfast Bay Run 10k Race, Sunday 4th October.

A total of 20 Harriers turned out for this new 10k road race on Sunday. April Clarke was on the podium as the third lady home, second in her F18-34 category, whilst Ryan McDonald lifted a category third in the M35 and Roma Doherty also lifted bronze in the F40 category. The Belfast Bay 10k is a new event, similar in location to some previous races staged in and around the Titanic area of the Belfast waterfront. Starting and finishing near to the Titanic Centre, it took runners on a flat, fast circuit adjacent to the shipyard, aircraft factory, airport and Victoria Park. Well done to all runners on Sunday. 

Some of the Harriers at the Belfast Bay 10k. Photo courtesy of Alison Ryan.

Belfast Bay Run 10k Race 

Position Bib Name Age Category Net Time Gun Time 
11 766 Ryan McDonald M35 36:29 36:29 
17 707 Andrew Gibson M18-34 37:05 37:08 
18 1817 Adam McCleave M18-34 37:11 37:13 
47 1931 April Clarke F18-34 39:26 39:28 
94 902 Roma Doherty F40 41:36 41:37 
104 162 Owen Smith M18-34 41:53 42:06 
166 1197 Bo Morrison M40 44:06 44:22 
449 1173 David Foster M40 51:48 52:27 
558 1558 Alison Ryan M45 53:09 54:57 
938 1059 Mary-Beth Scott F35 59:48 1:02:24 
940 1114 Pascal McHugh M50 59:48 1:02:24 
988 1557 Renee Linton F50 0:01:38 1:03:32 
997 1086 Joleen Magill F40 1:01:41 1:03:41 
998 1160 Catherine McKenna F40 1:01:04 1:03:42 
1081 1031 Deborah McLaughlin F55 1:03:06 1:05:43 
1118 1085 Naoimhin Anglin F60 1:04:06 1:06:43 
1143 907 Fiona McLaughlin F35 1:04:44 1:07:22 
1259 1342 Laurice Falsis-Marsden F18-34 1:10:48 1:12:06 
1418 924 Alun Rolph M50 1:28:16 1:29:39 
1422 1251 Robert Speers M18-34 1:30:06 1:33:15 

Manchester Half Marathon, Sunday 4th October.

Two Harriers made their way to the city of Manchester to test themselves on the city’s ever popular and fast half marathon course. Mark Cornett finished in 1 hour: 16 min: 35 sec, in 323rd place overall, 62nd in his M35 category, whilst Colin McDowell finished in 1 hour: 19 min: 00 sec, in 484th place overall and 8th in his M55 age category. Well done Mark and Colin on some great running.  

Parkruns, Saturday 3rd October 

As ever the Harriers were well represented at Parkruns at home and further afield. 

Worth a special mention this week are Andrew Newell, who was a first finisher, Zac Wilson, Brandon McMinn and Seamus Leheny, who were third finishers, Ita McCambridge, who was a second female finisher and Fionnuals O’Hare who was a third female finisher. 

Congratulations also to Gillian Roden, Ann Craven, Cillian Coy, Nicky Hagan, Michelle Harkley, Brandon McMinn and Séadna O’Hare, who all recorded new PBs on their respective courses. 

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 
3 Zak Wilson 69.79% 18:29 Third Finisher 
4 Matthew McCombe 71.33% 18:29  
5 Ryan Moore 75.36% 18:32  
12 Paul Curley 69>90% 20:26  
15 Thomas McLaughlin 70.02% 20:54  
17 Frank Hughes 70.67% 21:56  
35 Ray Cameron 65.54% 22:41  
45 Ian Brennan 57.73% 23:33  
48 Georgia O’Shaughnessy 71.11% 24:00  
53 Aidan Hamill 54.71% 24:15  
57 Robbie Gould 52.87% 24:24  
70 Matthew Carleton 52.12% 24:45  
85 Claire O’Shaughnessy 63.85% 25:38  
95 Gillian Roden 61.13% 25:59 New PB 
98 Greg McClure 67.01% 26:01  
99 Emmett sullivan 63.25% 26:02  
101 Stephanie Coy 62.03% 26:07  
104 Michelle McLoughlin 60.05% 26:12  
113 Ann Craven 72.07% 26:33 New PB 
114 John Gerard Murphy 58.55% 26:42  
118 Martin rafferty 54.23% 26:59  
126 Sean McShane 55.37% 27:18  
153 Peter Dolan 48.94% 28:18  
154 Brendan McConnell 50.76% 28:22  
155 Gerry Anderson 55.58% 28:22  
158 Cillian Coy 62.57% 28:27 New PB 
159 Dermot Coy 50.59% 28:28  
165 Keona McAllister 54.01% 28:42  
170 Patrick Hamill 55.77% 29:01  
181 Liam Daniel 50.93% 29:41  
185 Tony Reid 54.95% 29:58  
200 Heather Griffiths 53.97% 31:04  
204 Gerard McKeown 48.98% 31:06  
210 Grainne Stephens 47.30% 31:26  
216 David Waugh 56.96% 31:45  
229 Leanne McConnell 51.24% 32:20  
233 Paul McCusker 49.92% 32:25  
235 Lyle Carleton 50.72% 32:28  
237 Margaret Stephens 63.69% 32:49  
238 Jason Reid 41.57% 32:50  
241 Philomena Donaldson 64.88% 33:13  
244 Cathy Scullion 49.65% 33:22  
245 Nola Jamieson 46.73% 33:25  
252 Aisling Doherty 47.25% 34:17  
253 Martin McLarnon 43.30% 34:20  
254 Aoife McCaughey 44.02% 34:32  
263 Joanne Boal 51.37% 34:47  
277 Alison Dickson 47.81% 36:53  
286 Eadaoin Kelly 37.56% 40:28  
291  Bernadette Duffy 53.23% 40:29  
293 Denise Rainey 41.88% 41:35  
295 Catherine Carleton 48.09% 42:48  
296 Paula O’Reilly 46.63% 42:49  
306 Paul Lavery 36.97% 47:09  
307 Jack Carberry 46.21% 49:18   

Paisley Park Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
6 Nicky Hagan 59.30% 23:01 New PB 
34 Kate Montgomery 52.80% 40:11 First Timer 
35 Michelle Harkley 34.93% 46:51 New PB 

Valley Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
3 Brandon McMinn 68.37% 18:52 Third Finisherand New PB 
4 Paul Horan 78.59% 18:55  
67 David Johnston 50.64% 31:08  
74 Colm Smyth 45.58% 31:51  

Ormeau Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
170 Erin O’Regan 61.15% 25:42  
463 Malachy McKenna 40.29% 32:11  
468 Mannix McAlister 40.12% 32:19  

Queen’s Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
103 John Lavery 55.92% 29:59  
115 Meabh Bradley 47.59% 31:06  
116 Vincent Bradley 53.88% 31:07  

Victoria Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
48 Martin Rea 73.75% 20:00  

Falls Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
16 Bo Morrison 54.49% 25:38  

Levengrove Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
20 Fionnuala O’Hare 65.27% 22:42 First Timer and Third Female 

Falcarragh Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
9 Brendan McCambridge 58.15% 22:11  
13 Paddy McCambridge 69.63% 23:39  
16 Ita McCambridge 79.63% 25:27 Second Female 

Jersey Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
261 Stella Harrison 68.71% 30:25 First Timer 

Antrim Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
151 Lindsay Bell 55.16% 30:02  

Cardiff Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
298 Connor McCann 47.07% 26:50  

University of Sterling Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
58 Gavin McCaffrey 50.85% 25:22  

Larne Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
10 Paul Hutchinson 66.09% 22:19  
36 James Topping 46.63% 27:40  
56 Greg Lavery 29.37% 51:28  

Peel Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
15 Colin McDowell 82.57% 18:56 First Timer 

Rising Sun Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
252 Aine Browne 43.04% 34:23 First Timer 

Buncrana Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
3 Seamus Leheny 64.23% 22:47 Third Finisher 

Tralee Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
74 Philip McIlwrath 55.87% 26:49 First Timer 
315 Rosy Ryan 31.41% 54:42 First Timer 

Carrickfergus Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
13 Jack Wasson 62.33% 22:55  

Claudy Country Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
1 Andrew Newell 67.39% 19:10 First Timer and First Finisher 

The Fisherman’s Walk Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
16 Ian Keys 55.74% 23:48 First Timer 

Riemer Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
44 Glenn Beattie 44.03% 29:18  

Edinburgh Parkrun 

Position Name Age Grade Time Remarks 
59 Séadna O’Hare 74.45% 21:12 New PB 
515 Naoise Lynch O’Hare 49.67% 35:50 First Timer