Runner of the Month – July 2018

As always, July was another month with great representation by the club’s athletes in both training sessions and various race distances. Many have started their marathon and half marathon plans whilst others are putting in the work to knock down those 5k times.

Despite the efforts of many, July’s runner of the month was as close to a sweep as we’ve ever seen it, which just goes to show how deserving the winner was.

Mark Smith was the only nomination to break the trend with his regular podium appearances and consistent training getting a mention. Impressive running as always Mark.

But July’s standout runner was none other than Pamela McCafferty! Since joining the club Pamela has gone from strength to strength and perhaps most notably picked up an age category win at the Portaferry 10 miler this month. Well respected and noticed for her constant support for other club members, Pamela is a great example of what it means to be a Mallusk Harrier.

Congratulations Pamela, we’ve no doubt there’ll be more trophies in the future!

Club Report – Sunday 26th August

Seems as if the heavens have opened today but that hasn’t stopped us hardy Harriers. We usually prefer hard liquor with our water but needs must….

I said I’d start this week by catching up on the Connswater results from last week. Unfortunately their results page requires a name search and cannot be searched by club. Therefore I only have the results posted on Team App:

Lord Ian Brennan 48:32 and Louise Ladd 30:48.

Special mention should go to our new female head of the Harrier Header Department.

Hilary Faith took on the full Ironman Challenge in Copenhagen, finishing in 13:57:44.

Not bad for swimming over 2 miles in open water, then cycling over 100 miles then just doing a full marathon. I’m tired even typing that. Club salute.

Back in the real world, on Friday, ADav and all his mates went to the Portrush 5 Mile Race:

ADav 32:31

Saturday saw the latest running of the popular and scenic Rathlin Run, a 10 mile run around the hills of the island:

Elaine NY Kennedy 1:49:50, Frances Kane 1:51:05

Patricia Kane competed in the 5k race, coming home in 36:10PB.

The same day saw our regular header rep Neil McCready take on the Mourne Sprint Triathlon, finishing in 1:27:28.

To make things easy, y’all only went to 11 different parkruns this weekend:

Valley parkrun:

Alastair CHO Houldsworth 20:21, Owen Fulton 24:11, Nuala Muldoon 25:25, Brendan McGeown 27:26, Philip Fleck 27:48PB, Clare Teer 28:48, David Esler 28:55, Sharon Dunn 30:05, Oran McKee 32:41, Karen McKee 32:42, John Teer 34:16, Mairead O’Hare 34:20PB, Louise Ladd 34:31, Brenna McGeown 38:27, Niamh McGeown 39:00, Kate Todd 49:59

Waterworks parkrun:

Eamon Donaghy 24:37, Maeve Kennedy 25:33PB, Jim Hewitt 26:44, Catherine Mullan 29:21

Antrim parkrun:

Alan Kerr 23:52, Anita Piatek 28:33, Tina Steele 29:35

Victoria parkrun:

Jo Smyth 45:02

Wallace parkrun:

Jim Guinn 26:23

Ormeau parkrun

Ken “takin’ it easy like the Eagles” McAuley 20:16PB, Susan Thompson 23:41

Carrickfergus parkrun:

Lorraine-Ann Forsythe 47:29

Comber parkrun:

Danny Donaldson 19:31, Tiffany Donaldson 30:50, Suzanne Brennan 42:58, Lord Ian Brennan 42:59

(all first timers at the course)

Dungannon parkrun:

Aidy Hughes 24:06

And this week’s parkrun tourists were at Portrush:

Ben Davidson 25:22PB, Deborah Ewing 25:55, Sophie Davidson 31:52PB

And ADav was there too 31:54PB (good Daddy!)

And at Castlewellan:

Ryan McCready 26:59PB, Odhran Skillen 37:51, Paul HOTM Skillen 37:52

Waterworks junior parkrun:

Joseph Eager 9:36, Leo McAuley 10:19, Eloise McAuley 11:45

Hopefully we’ve now picked up all the new members in the parkrun results. If anyone is missing, please ask them to add Mallusk Harriers as their club in their parkrun profile. Thanks.

Then today the big event was the club’s wettest ever 10@10.

Actually, no, it was Seapark AC’s Storming the Castle race in Carrickfergus.

Only the 36 Harriers were swimming the castle today:

Mark Smith 35:32 (and 5th place), Lee O’Boyle 37:36PB, Joe Mathers 38:02PB, Danny Donaldson 38:04, Alan Ladd 38:40PB, Keith Waring 42:27, Stephen Semple 46:06, Sharon Dunn 47:52, Suzanne Brennan 49:21, Gabrielle McMillan 49:20PB, Sarah McCafferty 49:53PB, Tracey Whittley 50:16, Lord Ian Brennan 50:17, Tony McKeating 50:27PB, Maeve Kennedy 51:02, Yasmin Lynn 52:09PB, Andrew Kerr 55:29PB, David McMillan 55:50PB, Leeanne Skillen 56:17PB, Lisa Kerr 57:20PB, David Esler 57:37, Neil McGlinchey 58:08, Tiffany Donaldson 58:52, Fiona Wylie 1:00:11, Lee-Anne Hutchinson 1:01:32, Marie McFarlane 1:01:36, Debbie Sterritt 1:02:29, Michael Whittley, 1:04:03, Alyson Taylor 1:04:34, Maeve McGinley 1:04:59, Heather Barker 1:06:41, Freda Stubbs 1:08:06, Josi McKeating 1:09:10PB, Mairead O’Hare 1:09:32, Dermot Boyd 1:09:50, Sharon Thompson 1:10:58, Jackie McCreesh 1:19:07, Miriam Clarke 1:19:07, Dawn Dubois 1:19:16PB

This week’s tune needs no explanation for anyone who ran today.

https://youtu.be/7NrLBlw9WZE

Until next week, behave.

CAVILLATOR

Club Report – Sunday 19th August

Well, another week, another 7 days closer to retirement. Plenty of running this week so let’s get on with it.

Let’s start by updating the results from last weekend’s Dublin Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon:
Patricia Curistan 1:45:13, Stephen Semple 1:52:41, Maeve Kennedy 2:01:44, Wes Barker 2:12:48, Heather Barker 2:12:48

Friday night saw quite a few Harriers (mostly female plus Alastair) get the bingo bus to Castle Ward for the Atlas Running 5k Prosecco Run. Can’t think what the attraction was…

I can’t see any official results (and Team App Results Section remains as neglected as my back garden) but there were podium finishes for Alastair Houldsworth (2nd male) and Laura Rose (3rd female). Otherwise there was some running, general mayhem, bad behaviour and hangovers as befits our Harrier crew.

On a different tack, Friday night also saw Neil McCready take 3rd place in the Kirkistown Duathlon Sprint event, finishing in 43:00. It is believed that prosecco was not involved.

Saturday saw several Harriers head off to the Mourne Mountains to take part in the Born 2 Run Dambusters runs. Taking on the Half Marathon distance were:
Mark Smith 1:25:04 (6th overall), Lee O’Boyle 1:27:06PB (9TH overall), Karen McKee 1:51:11, Sarah “slightly delicate” Ross 2:09:25, Elaine NY Kennedy 2:15:08
Great to see 2 Harriers in the Top 10. Well done gents!

There were also the usual rounds of the local parkruns:
Valley parkrun:
Damien Cole 22:07, Nuala Muldoon 25:22, Andrew Kerr 26:13 PB, Nikki Fleck 28:22, David Esler 28:52, Clare Teer 29:08, Frances Kane 30:08, Fidelma McCoppin 32:13, Dawn McCann 32:41 PB, John Teer 33:01 PB, Debbie Sterritt 34:10, Janine McNevison 34:18 Patricia Kane 51:11

Waterworks parkrun:
Jo Mathers 19:11PB, Brendan McGeown 21:30PB, Ken “top pacer” McAuley 21:31, Patricia Curistan 22:25 (and 1st female finisher), Laura Rose 22:55 (2nd female finisher), Lord Ian Brennan 23:13PB (probably not 3rd female finisher but we’ll check), Noel Bloomfield 23:45, Neil Campbell 23:58, Robert Gould 24:20, Jim Hewitt 24:50, Owen Fulton 25:22, Neil McGlinchey 29:49, Jennifer McCoppin 31:39, Jennifer Maguire 32:22, Maureen Ward 36:28, Brenna McGeown 36:29PB, Niamh McGeown 36:39, Rosalind Stitt 37:09, Miriam Clarke 39:45, Jo Smyth 42:04, Deirdre McCann 42:05
Well done Lord Brennan on completing your 50th parkrun, and getting a PB in the process. Not enough to regain the house crown (yet) but we have faith and the choir is still practising. And a PB is a PB is a PB!

Antrim parkrun:
Mairead O’Hare 34:37

Ormeau parkrun:
Patrick McGuckin 20:28

Carrickfergus parkrun:
Alan Kerr 24:52

ECOS parkrun
Stephen Semple 22:22, Maeve Kennedy 24:52

Queen’s parkrun:
Dermot Boyd 33:26

Larne parkrun:
Alan Ladd 20:17 (and 2nd place)

And this week’s tourists were those who headed to Dungannon for their first ever parkrun event:
Aidy Hughes 23:48, Odhran Skillen 40:05, Paul Skillen 40:06
Best of luck with it folks!

And ADav was at Victoria 19:39

Waterworks junior parkrun:
Leo McAuley 10:04PB (again!), Eloise McAuley 11:28, Matthew Hawkins 11:48

Jordanstown junior parkrun:
Tom Fleming 7:41 and 1st place (again!). Well done again Tom! (again).
Riley Kerr 12:59

Today saw our junior, Ben Davidson, take part in Leg-It Events Carnmoney Hill 5k Race. Ben finished in 32:49

Connswater 10k results are not yet available. Looks like the Lord got a 2nd PB of the weekend but we’ll post full results next week.

So, if you’ve had a bad week’s training or are still hungover, just remember the words of the great philosopher, Phil Dunphy:
“The most amazing things that can happen a human being will happen to you if you just lower your expectations.”

This week’s tune is for those ladies who managed a tough 5k on Friday night and an even tougher morning on Saturday.

https://youtu.be/boWM7zvmvcM

Until next week, behave.

CAVILLATOR

Club Report – Sunday 12th August

Well, we all know what the big event on the local running calendar was this week. Yup, the Brennan 5k crown moved back to the female side of the house. And we had the club race too.

But earlier in the week, on Wednesday evening, a couple of Harriers took on the Edwin May Coleraine 5 mile Road Race. First Harrier home (in 7th place overall) was Mark Smith 27:42, then Anita Piatek in 46:49 both earning 5 mile PBs.

Friday night saw the latest, biggest and best running of the now legendary Mallusk Harriers 5 Mile Road Race. Now in it’s 5th year, it continues to gain in reputation, mostly due to the Harrier hospitality and despite that hill. Representing the club on the road were:
Joe Mathers 32:20, Eamonn Donaghy 36:45, Laura Rose 36:53, Orin Calder 37:07, Robbie Gould 39:07, Sophie Magee 39:19, Sarah ROTM Ross 39:37, Aidy Hughes 40:33, Brian McDonald 41:47, David Esler 47:50, Sarah Knowles 50:35, Dermot Boyd 56:38

Those involved, both those on the race committee and those who helped in the build-up and on the day/night, should take a very large bow. Again, we salute you.

It seems quite a few of us celebrated ourselves well into the night (3am drive thru??) and so there was a lot of sweating out to do at the Saturday parkruns the next morning:

Valley Backwards 4th Birthday parkrun:
It seems the results were backwards this week as well as the route. I’ll post next week if they are updated.
Let’s just say everyone was sub 20 and move on.

Waterworks parkrun:
Suzanne Brennan 22:48PB, Robbie Gould 23:29, Jim Hewitt 24:57, Maeve Kennedy 26:18, Michael McFarlane 30:42

A brave move from Mrs B there. As we all know, Newton’s Third Law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. We await the Lord’s response.

Antrim parkrun:
Elaine NY Kennedy 30:49, Sarah Knowles 30:53, Tina Steele 32:13, Dawn Dubois 35:29PB, Jo Smyth 43:35

This week’s parkrun tourist is Deborah Ewing who was lucky enough to be on Inch Beach in Co Kerry, 26:40.

And ADav was at the Valley.

Waterworks junior parkrun:
Leo McAuley 10:42PB, Eloise McAuley 11:10PB
(What are you feeding those kids Micky?)

Jordanstown junior parkrun:
Tom Fleming 7:35 and 1st place (again!). Well done again Tom! (again).

Saturday saw the latest running of the aptly named Lurig Challenge Mountain Race.
First Harrier home was Lee O’Boyle in 36:16 then Micky “what hill?” McAuley 40:13 and Karen McKee in 44:12.

Also on Saturday, Aidy Hughes took part in the BHF Charity 5 mile run/walk, completing in 40:46

Then on Sunday, Alan Kerr took on the Isle of Man Half Marathon completing a hot and hilly course in 1:57:49.

Talking of hilly, the latest Dublin Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon also took place on Sunday with an amended course adding in a few extra hills for the laugh.
Results are not yet available so I will update the details in next week’s report

Same goes for the Subway 5k.

This is another request for you to post your results on Team App. It makes sure you are included in the reports, let’s everyone know about your PB, and saves me having to trawl half the world’s websites. And not the good ones.

Finally, Kevin Donnelly wins this week’s “going furthest away and still managing to fit in a race” award. He completed a 10k in Cartagena in Colombia in 52:27. 6am start and 28C temp. Just like Mallusk this morning!

This week’s tune is a tribute to our local Valley parkrun. And to Denis, King of the Zumba warm up! Happy 4th birthday folks.

https://youtu.be/5jm7W1qbruM

Until next week, behave.

CAVILLATOR

Club Report – Sunday 5th August 2018

Abba music, ripped jeans, cassette tapes, Tiger Woods, Dr Legg, The Artic Monkeys.

Yes, these have all made a comeback in recent times and now it’s my turn!

Many thanks to work experience boy for his efforts in my absence.

He cried, he gurned, but he got the job done. We salute him.

But in true work experience style, I have now sent him off for a long stand and some tartan paint #oldonesarestillthebest

But there’s been plenty of running this week so back to business.

On Monday, Tom Fleming filled his school holidays with a 5k at Broughshane. He came home in 9th place in 19:54. Followed by Neil McCready (definitely not on his school holidays) in 21:47, Ryan McCready 26:36, Dermot Boyd 33:03, Anne Boyd 42:50

On Wednesday, Mairead O’Hare continued on the comeback trail, completing the Crawfordsburn 5k Trail Race in a PB time of 37:06.

It was then race hungry Dermot Boyd’s turn for his second run of the week on Friday at the Carlingford 5k, completing in 31:34.

Friday was also the day for Mark Smith to take yet another podium place, this time coming home 2nd at the inaugural Carnlough Quarry 5k in 18:28. (Come on Mark, miss a podium for a change so I have something different to write about!).

A busy day of running was completed by our vest in the west, Aidy Hughes completing the Stanley Reid Memorial 5 mile Road Race in 41:04.

Then on Saturday, it was the turn of our ladies’ division as several Harriers took on the Mount Stewart Half Marathon:

Karen McKee 1:49:53, Suzanne Brennan 1:55:13, Emily McKeown 1:58:26, Elaine NY Kennedy 2:06:15

Our hilly header Micky McAuley, chastened by the loss to his son over 5k the previous weekend, regained a modicum of dignity by completing the Seven Sevens Mountain race over 19 miles and 8,700 feet.

Joining Micky this weekend at high altitude were the Ladd brothers, Alan and Jonny, who completed the Championnat du Carigou in the Pyrenees in southern France with an equally impressive 21 miles and 7,152 feet.

Then earlier today, Martin O’Neill represented the club at the Feile 10k, coming home in 40:29 followed by Orin Calder in 44:31 and Sophie Magee in 48:32 PB.

So much going on this week (thanks folks!) but let’s not forget the parkruns:

Valley parkrun:

Alastair CHO Houldsworth 22:10, Sarah Ross 23:43, Owen Fulton 25:09, Nikki Fleck 27:34 , Neil Campbell 28:05, Nuala Muldoon 29:04, David Esler 29:12, Scott Skelton 31:23PB, Clare Teer 33:27, Odhran Skillen 39:48, Leeanne Skillen 39:50, Laura Campbell 39:51, Patricia Kane 39:59, Rosalind Stitt 40:00, Katherine Todd 47:04PB (despite Alastair not waiting for you!)

And well done Nikki on your 50th parkrun!

Waterworks parkrun:

Patrick McGuckin 20:55, Ken “takin’ it easy” McAuley 21:26, Susan Thompson 23:05, Robbie Gould 23:42, Lord Ian Brennan 27:16, Suzanne Brennan 27:21 (brave man there Ian!), Jo Smyth 41:49,

Victoria parkrun:

Sharon Dunn 23:22, Ryan McCready 25:45PB, Joanne Milne 25:57PB

ECOS Ballymena parkrun:

Tina Steele 25:15PB

Queens parkrun:

Elaine NY Kennedy 26:31

Portrush parkrun:

Deborah Ewing 25:51

Ormeau parkrun:

Danny Donaldson 30:20, Tiffany Donaldson 33:54

And a few Harriers headed east to the new Orangefield parkrun:

Tony McKeating 25:03, Marie McFarlane 30:10, Jennifer McCoppin 30:54, Freda Stubbs 31:57, Josi McKeating 33:50, Maureen Ward 36:59

Best of luck with your new event folks!

And ADav was at Orangefield 20:07 (but don’t let it put you off guys).

Waterworks junior parkrun:

Results not in yet

Jordanstown junior parkrun:

Tom Fleming 7:32 and 1st place. Well done again Tom!

So that’s it. Another huge week of running and racing is over. Your legs may hurt, your bits may be chaffed and your hat may be wet. But at least I’m back.

Until next week, behave.

CAVILLATOR