Runner of the month -September 2021

“What a month! Who to choose?! There were some fantastic performances this month and if I could nominate more than one person.”


To quote from one of our nominations and it is certainly true of September. A fantastic month with no let up from the Harriers in their running efforts.


Here’s what you had to say about your fellow Harriers:
Alan Ladd, “For his great result in the Berlin marathon”, “Alan’s PB performance at the Berlin marathon is in a class of its own. To run a marathon in that time, under those conditions is outstanding. Congratulations Alan!”


Alan Erwin, “Amazing result in Belfast marathon .. Al just gets better every race”, “Has to be Alan for that huge PB at Belfast Marathon. He has been training really well for months and it has paid off at both Larne and Belfast”.
Dawn Blain, “Dawn gives it every thing in training”.


Suzanne Brennan, “Been putting in the work recently and got herself a pb in London”
However, we can only choose one and this month’s winner is certainly a deserving winner, Anita Piatek, “Anita for the challenge of the Ecotrail Wicklow 30K”, “Completing the very tough Wicklow eco trail race especially after waiting so long for it to happen with last year’s race being cancelled”, “Anita for completing a very tough 30km at the Wicklow Ecotrail race”, “Great dedication in training (multiple times) for her race and which finally went ahead, awesome running”.


Congratulations to everyone who received a nomination and a massive well done to our September Runner of the Month, Anita Piatek.

Harrier of the month – July 2019

As 24 in 24 came to a close, it left July to prep for the best road race in the land. While some Harriers were in full force with the organisation, others were sitting back and relaxing with a beer or ten in sunny holiday destinations.

Paul Skillen was nominated for his efforts and encouragement at training each and every week. This Sunday our Head Coach is taking on a half Ironman, good luck Paul and all the best!

Mairead O’Hare was mentioned as she is one of the club’s treasures. She is understated in her achievements and her ability. She has progressed so well this year and stopping her race to help a friend in Sea to Sky this month shows her true kind nature and Harrier spirit.

Lee O’Boyle was nominated for his amazing performance in the Denis Rankin Round.

We had one clear winner in July and this lady just bursts with Harrier spirit as no job is ever to big and nothing is ever a bother to her. The winner of Harrier of the month is Karen McKee.

Some of what people had to say about Karen include,

“Karen has organised an incredible goodie bag for the club race as well as putting a lot of work into funding applications to help our juniors and coaches”.

“I’m voting for Karen because of her selfless, endless work for the Club Race and the goodie bags in particular and also her work towards the recent receipt of sponsorship from Lidl.”

“Karen really does so much behind the scenes. Working hard on funding, negotiating with Decathlon for 24 in 24, the goody bag for the road race speaks for itself. Karen you are a star”.

“Her support for the couch to 5k. For her work behind the scenes to make sure we have the best race swag bag ever!”

Karen is a very worthy winner of the Harrier of the Month.

“In recent months Karen’s contribution to Mallusk Harriers has gone way above and beyond what we expect from members. However Karen’s contribution to the club has been even more exceptional given what she has done despite suffering a horrendous couple of months on a personal level. Karen was one of our super 24 in 24 team. She did brilliantly, but was personally very disappointed that she was not able to finish all 24. A few days later while on holiday she received the devastating news that her daddy has passed away. Karen did not allow this to stop her helping with club matters. She got on with helping with a minimum amount of fuss and sought nothing in return”.

“The club has being looking to purchase a podium for a number of years. To date the costs associated in such a purchase have proved prohibitive. Karen volunteered and organised to have the podium made. Karen and her brother Gary purchased all the materials and together they designed and made the podium. Both donated their time and efforts and have refused to take any payment for the podium donating it to us in memory of their dad Frankie. For the club to finally have our own podium and no longer need to borrow from others is fantastic. The podium is a fitting tribute to Karen and Gary’s dad – Frankie Matthews and it received its first outing at our Five Mile Race in early August”.

“Karen has devoted a lot of time and effort into researching and applying for grants on behalf of the members of the club. This has allowed the club to purchase a lot of new equipment including new flags and signage that otherwise we would not be able to afford. Karen continues to work on other grant applications that will benefit us all as members. The club hopes to reveal more details in the months ahead”.

“Karen was solely responsible for organising the fantastic goody bags that were given to all our participants at our recent 5 mile race. We have created a monster in a way with how good the bags have been over the years. But this year bags were without doubt the best yet. We got amazing feedback from all our competitors in relation to them. At many races you are lucky if you get a buff. Our bags had a buff, the bag itself, a box (not a sample) of cereal, protein milk, Capri Sun, Chocolate Bars, Pens, Pencils, Stress Balls, Key rings, first aid kits and lots more. The value of the bag and it’s items more the race entry. The time and effort put in by Karen was simply amazing and greatly appreciated”.

“Karen is an amazing asset for the club. She volunteers at all our events. She is normally one of the first hands up to help. She assists with enthusiasm and vigour and seeks nothing in return. She is a complete credit to her family and this club”.

Congratulations Karen you the true meaning of Harrier Spirit

Harrier of the Month – June 2019

June was a super busy month for the club with many harriers taking part and helping in lots of crazy running adventures. June had us see Energia 24 and 24in24.

Special mention to our harrier hero Peter McGarry. Whilst out on his run at the pitches he came across a man who had collapsed and needed assistance – peter instantly ran to find the nearest defib. 

Peter McGarry 
‘ For helping a man while he was on a run who had collapsed and needed to be taken to hospital immediately. Another Harrier Hero’

Patricia Curistan 
‘Patricia is always a great support. I would like to nominate P for her support and encouragement during Energia and 24in24. Always puts others first and always great to see her happy smiley face x’

Neil Campbell 
‘Neil does so much for the club behind the scenes, it was his vision as chairman this year that saw 24in24 return and what a huge success it was. He always leads by example and is first in line to support or offer advice’

‘For being the main supportive and encouraging coach at Energia and for imparting his running knowledge and experience on all occasions.’

‘For the time he puts in for the club whether its taking sessions or just giving someone advice about running.’

Marie McFarlane
‘ For keeping us entertained and sane for 24hrs!!’

It goes without saying the harrier … on this instance HARRIERS of the month goes to two ladies who gave up their time to organise 24in24. This is one of many events they have organised within the club. Without all of their hard work going on in the background they wouldn’t be possible. We all appreciate your efforts. The winners are Laura C & Lee-anne!! 👏

Laura Campbell & Lee-anne Skillen 

‘These 2 ladies really deserve this for there tireless efforts supporting the club and managing busy lives. The carry out amazing work all year round for the club and still find time to run and represent the club in belfast marathon and energia 24. They do need commended for the organisation that went into 24 in 24. They should be so proud. What am amazing day for a wee club in Mallusk. Well done ladies. Careers in event management calling you both’

‘Has to be a joint award this month for all the work that went on to the 24 in 24 event. Many many hours of work went into making sure everything was perfect. And it was.’

‘I could probably nominate Leeanne every month. She is always working on something for the club or supporting someone – and always with a smile and the greatest of patience. All this on top of her own training and incredible performance at Energia 24 shows this girls strength of character and determination.’

‘They did an amazing job organising 24 in 24. Lots of hard work went on behind the scenes in preparation for the fab day we had. They were hands on checking everyone was ok … providing massages ( thank you Laura ) our own personal alarm clocks before arriving at each parkrun and generally good moral boosters throughout the whole experience – when times felt hard. ‘

‘Double nomination here for Laura and Leanne as they couldn’t be split – for the amazing effort organising and delivering a pretty special 24 in 24 ParkRun challenge – definitely way more demanding than running it! ‘

’24in24 unreal effort’

‘For everything involved in the 24’

Go celebrate with some well deserved prosecco ladies!! 🍾🥂

Another brilliant month for the club. Thank you so much for everyone who voted and well done to everyone nominated.

 

Harrier of the Month – May 2019

May has been a busy month for all the harriers. We have seen many events including Belfast Marathon and the beginning of our C25k programme.

A huge thank you to all the club members you came out to support at these events. Without you these wouldn’t be as successful or as memorable 💕

There have been quite a number of nominations for HOTM this month 😁

Karen McKee
•Karen works hard behind the scenes scoping out and applying for grants as well as securing sponsorship for 24in24 with Decathlon.

Karen McKee, Laura Rose & Jenny Maguire
•For stepping forward to help run the C25k.

Laura Campbell
•Putting all her time and effort sorting all out for our 24in24 challenge

Peter McGarry
•Peter set a new club record at the Belfast marathon in May which is testament to his dedication to training, determination and love of running. Well done Peter.

Sarah McCafferty
•Despite a serious injury Sarah is there supporting and encouraging everyone. Sarah you will an amazing coach! Shining bright in the face of adversity

•Sarah was injured for the marathon but all her hard work and improvements deserve to be recognised. She turned up at the line and gave it her best shot.

Suzanne Brennan
•Dealing with the high demands of the BCM bus and lots of stressing harriers

HOTM this month with majority vote and most definitely a worthy winner – it can only be our number 1 social boy

 

•Ian has given up his time to take c25k. Always at social events setting up the club gazebo providing refreshments and most importantly – beers! No other social boy like him. Thank you ian!!!

•Unassuming and ever working hard in the background, Ian has been slogging away at the C25K. Fantastic work Ian

•A great day at the Belfast Marathon was made possible with Ian putting a lot of effort into the Gazebo setup at the finish line and the after party BBQ at the hub

•For the job he done at belfast getting after drinks sorted and bbq for runners.

•Ian worked just as hard, if not harder, than the marathon runners at Belfast. A massive amount of time and effort in to looking after the runners with the Gazebo, refreshments and single handedly BBQ-ing for all the Harriers. On top of all that he has still had time to step in and take the C25K.

•Ian has put in so much work behind the scenes, organising everything before and after the Belfast Marathon, plus overseeing the C25K programme.

•Marathon beer and BBQ, this guy knows how to make running less terrible

Thank you Ian for all your hard work. 😊We really appreciate your time and effort in all you do.

Well done to everyone nominated 👏

 

Harrier of the Month – April 2019

Connemara, London and Belfast marathons have been and gone and let’s hope with the weather forecast for this week that the rain and hailstones are done and dusted too. Like the Runner of the month report there was a few nominations for May that will be carried over to next month.

A number of harriers were nominated for Harrier of the Month for the month of April and rightly so for going that extra mile for the club and its members.

Alan Ladd was nominated for all the time he puts in with the training plans and setting aside time to deal with anyone’s queries. Alan’s Monday night clinics at Bothy, gave support with advice, he is so patient and understanding with us all. Thank you Alan.

Ian Simpson aka Social Boy was mentioned for giving so much time and dedication to MH, with his organisation of social events, providing of tea, coffee and cheer, he’s a more than worthy winner of HOTM.

Janet Grew and Mairead O’Hare got a joint nomination as one member could not choose between these two amazing ladies who both ran London Marathon. Both have shown true spirit – Janet’s determination in running for her Meningitis charity while injured and Mairead’s grit and perseverance through her training and the marathon itself. These ladies could rule the world.

Sarah McCafferty was mentioned for showing dedication and commitment to her training and always being supportive to everyone.

As always there can only be one winner, and this Harrier stood out as no matter what the event, he was there using planes, trains and automobiles to support Harriers at events. This harrier will brave all weather elements and was stuck up a hill for hours, in the freezing cold with nothing but a flask of tea for company (in fairness it was probably to get away from the gurning of Ian Brennan and Joanne Milne).

Harrier of the month for April is Owen Fulton. His support to other Harriers while he is unable to run himself shows what a lovely guy Owen is. He will travel some lengths to support his friends and this is much appreciated by the runners and the other cheerleaders. Some of the comments include:

“Owen is a friendly face in the club and despite his own injury always comes along to races or club events to cheer – he supported at Larne, Connemara and London to name a few”.

“Because of his quiet demeanour Owen’s support and dedication to the cheerleading role often gets overlooked and I think he deserves some recognition for the selfless effort he makes to cheer on the Harriers everywhere and anywhere”.

“Always a great supporter of other runners at the club whether it be a message to wish you luck or out on the course cheering on as he was at Connemara and London. He also does this despite his own injury issues”.

“Owen deserves a HOTM for being such an amazing support to his club mates. Despite himself being injured, there’s hardly a race goes by that Owen doesn’t turn up to cheer, support, take photos and lots more. He stood in the cold, wet freezing rain on top of a hill in Connemara for hours on end – he deserves a medal for that alone, and also supported at London, Larne and in Belfast”.

“Owen has not been able to run this last few months due to injury to most this would put them off getting involved in events. He is always at races cheering everyone on, taking pictures and motivating others. He was at Larne and Connemara encouraging all club members. For me him coming to London to support me just shows what true harrier spirit is and I will forever be thankful for him and the others being there to push me when I didn’t think I couldn’t go on any further”.

“Owen is at just about every Harrier race/event and gives up so much of his time to support club members and I know this is greatly appreciated throughout the club. In addition to this he is also a regular volunteer at parkru.n”

A long overdue HOTM!!!!!! We salute you Big O !!!!!!!!”

There are lots of opportunities in the next coming months so get involved and support your fellow harriers and you too could be a worthy winner of the Harrier of the Month Trophy. Be good and keep running, until next next month…….

Harrier of the Month – March 2019

Harrier of the month – March

It was great to see so many nominations this month for Harrier of the month and for so many different people too. The success of the club shines through in many ways. In the winter months the team spirit was so evident at the XC races where the vociferous support helped our runners round each course and climb the league.

In March, as many of us started to tackle our big goals of the year, the support may not have been so concentrated in one place. For many there have already been huge ups and downs, PBs and injuries.

What makes being part of a club great is the arm round the shoulder following disappointment or the quiet words of encouragement after a hard session and of course celebrating each other’s successes. The nominations this month prove that this kind of support in the club is widespread and appreciated.

In March there were nominations for:

Cavillator – where would we be on a Sunday night if we didn’t have our weekly dose of Mallusk Harriers news and a tasteful tune (mostly!).

Emily Dowling – collected all our packs for Larne half marathon and waited around in our typical baltic weather to distribute them.

Ian Brennan – “Ian’s progress through his current marathon training shows his strong spirit and determination.”

Karen McKee – “Karen is such a positive person to be around in the club, always encouraging and supporting others.”

Lee O’Boyle, Alan Ladd and Neil Campbell – deservedly described as ‘rookies’ in the fell running arena, were nominated for helping Micky on the Denis Rankin round with “Military precision and true Harrier spirit”. Alan was also nominated for the Monday night ‘drop in clinic’.

Micky McAuley – as well as his numerous nominations for ROTM was nominated for HOTM “This man is a true inspiration and doesn’t allow anything beat him!”

Suzanne Brennan – was nominated for all the work she does as ladies’ captain and coach on top of training for her first ultra! “Suzanne constantly attends events encouraging folk; that’s just what she’s does.”

Well done everyone who was nominated and also those who weren’t this month but who are still doing great work for the club – you can’t all be nominated every time!

This month’s winner by a country mile (if that country mile is the last mile of the Larne half marathon) was Patricia Curistan. Patricia always has a kind word to say to others and her own running feats are an inspiration to many at the club.

However, Patricia probably managed to clock up more miles on the day of the Larne half marathon than anyone else that day despite only running the last half mile, by running it over and over again to give each weary harrier a final push over the line.

Here’s what some had to say:
“Patricia showed brilliant support at Larne, running alongside plenty of Harriers on the final stretch. I was in pain, but her encouragement helped me over the line.”

“After a long run, Patricia ran back and forward getting Harriers over the line. I wouldn’t have finished without her, the epitome of true harrier spirit.”

“For running so many in in Larne giving them that final push. A fantastic girl and always smiling”

“Selflessly helping other Harriers across the line at Larne. Always offering support to her fellow Harriers and a hug to those in need. A true asset to the club.”

A very worthy winner Patricia, we wish you all the best in London at the end of the month!

Harrier of the Month for February 2019

Thank you all for your nominations for Harrier of the month, we have had some worthy mentions for the first award of 2019.
“Janet Grew” was nominated for organising the annual Cherryburn 10 mile fundraiser.  A great event, hospitality and fantastic sum raised for a very worthy cause.  Well done Janet!

Several members received nominations for the motivation and support given to their fellow Harriers:
“Ken McAuley” for helping new members through initial training sessions and sharing his “knowledge and wisdom” with them.
“Emily Dowling” for taking the initiative to set up a morning group to help members stay motivated for early morning training runs.
“Suzanne and Lee” for their work and support in putting together the XC teams for a successful season finale in the league.
“Paul and Leeanne” for the incredible amount of work they put in behind the scenes, organising the club’s XC event and giving up so much free time to coach junior and senior sessions.

A special mention this month and multiple nominations for our social guru “Ian Simpson”.
Many Harriers commented upon the success of the final XC race in Lurgan and how much work Ian put in
“..arranging a fantastic day out for the Harriers to end our XC season. It was a great day and wouldn’t have been possible without Ian organising the bus and refreshments!”

And now on to the winner!
Yes they can be a nuisance…
Yes they can be demanding…
Sometimes it is hard to find logic with what they are doing on a day to day basis, but none the less we love them, and our lives would not be the same without them…
No, I’m not talking about Benny and Ian and their season long race for 12th place, I am of course talking about the Harrier kids!

“Karen O’Boyle” received many nominations this month for “Karen’s Creche” at Harrier races and events throughout the year.
“Karen had dedicated a lot of time to looking after many Harrier children at races over the last few months. This is a massive help and allows all involved to get sufficient warm ups and cool downs for races, particularly on XC events.  We are a club with a lot of young families and I know if it hugely appreciated, this is what being a HOTM is all about.”
“During XC Karen has given up her own time to look after all the mini harriers, don’t know what we would have done without Karen’s creche”
“Karen has been very generous in looking after various kids at recent running events so that others could run and support their team members. She never complains, and it is very much appreciated!”
Well done Karen, thoroughly deserved and true HOTM spirit!

Harrier of the month November 2018

November has been and gone in the blink of an eye and many Harriers are getting into the festive spirit, some more than others as we seen from hungover XC.

Some Harriers stood out again in November, including Louise Ladd who was nominated for stepping up and being part of a fantastic ladies XC team, commitment to training and self improvement, oh and for delicious banana bread!!!

Next, Lee O’Boyle, for promoting XC and driving up the numbers for both male and female teams and in most races achieving the magic number of 12 per team. Massive difference from last year.

Karen McKee, was nominated for giving her fellow Harriers support during training and always will to help and volunteer in all club related activities.

Alan Ladd also deserved a shout out for always being there to talk through plans, concerns and training, he is a great asset to the club. Congrats again on the podium finish at Kirkistown Alan!!!

Harrier of the month can only go to one person and November’s winner, well and truly deserves it. Elaine Kennedy battled with injury during her New York Marathon training, but despite this, she completed her New York Marathon and raised an amazing amount of money for the Children’s Heartbeat Trust. The true heart of a harrier.

Congratulations Elaine there has never been a more worthy winner and good luck with your training for the London Marathon.

Until next month Harriers, have a great Christmas and we will see you all in 2019 for some more great running.

Harrier of the month – October 2018

Another busy month and some great selfless displays of club spirit which is what HOTM is all about.
 
Two of our most experienced coaches received multiple nominations this month. Some say it is because they brave the rubbish Mallusk weather week in week out to take our training sessions. Some say it is due to the fivers for votes Alex is handing out…you decide 😉
 
Paul Skillen received this award a few months ago and was a main contender again this month. He dedicates so much of his free time to our club, looking after junior and senior training every week. As if that wasn’t enough, he also goes above and beyond for club members when they are trying to achieve their goals
 
“incredibly supportive and encouraging helping Lee with fueling at EAMS and cheering us all on in Dublin.. A great guy to have on your side.”
 
“..I watched him stop during decathlon 10k to bring along and encourage new Harriers to get them across the line. Completely selfless and showing true harrier spirit. “
 
Likewise, Alex Davidson received votes this month for the support he has shown to Harriers when trying to meet their goals:
 
“always there to give advice when its needed. Always willing to help others”
 
“Alex completed Dublin marathon whilst injured, using the run to encourage and support other Harriers around the course”
 
In a similar vein, Owen Fulton received nominations for his support to the crew during Amsterdam marathon:
 
“Supported 3 events within 24hrs this month and cheered us all on during Amsterdam marathon. Always good to see a friendly face. Go Big O!”
 
Alan Ladd, Lee O’Boyle, Neil Campbell and Kevin Donnelly also received nominations for their support over the recent marathons, well done guys.
 
October saw the start of the XC Season and it has been great to see so many Harriers getting involved this year.
 
Karen McKee has been nominated for her part in drumming up support within the lady’s team:
 
“rallying the troops and help promoting XC”
 
“I think Karen deserves the recognition for being a friendly, supportive face in our club, as well as her amazing running achievements!”
 
But this month’s Harrier Of The Month goes to….
 
Mairead O’Hare!
 
For months now, we have been receiving nominations for Mairead for this award, she truly represents Harrier spirit and so many club members admire her attitude and willingness to work hard and give anything a go. She has participated in all XC events to date and has been of great help in raising its profile within the club and getting more members to give it a go.All of this after being side-lined for a long period earlier in the year due to injury.
 
These 2 votes sum it up better than I can:
 
“Mairead is a real asset to the club. It’s great to see her back after such a long injury when others might have just given up on running. Always keen to get stuck in for the club, it was brilliant to see her try out (and even enjoy!) the cross country as well as the relays recently. Above all, Mairead has such a positive outlook and is all about encouraging and building the confidence of others.”
 
“For someone I barely know, she has been so supportive and always sends me motivational messages on my running attempts. She has helped me through a frustrating time as I was very keen to get up and running but my legs weren’t strong enough. Anyway, through many recovery runs nursing the injury, I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel. It has been made so much easier with Mairead’s wee boosts and messages. I’d say it’s because of her that I will return to the club soon and make a second attempt to start running again. She deserves the recognition for her behind the scenes work for this new member.
 
Well done Mairead, thoroughly deserved! And well done to all the nominees!

Harrier of the Month – June 2018

Well done everyone, another great display of Harrier team spirit on show this month, especially during the support of the Coast Road Marathon and Run Newtownabbey C25K programme.

Many Harriers stepped up and went the extra mile for their fellow club (and non-club) members in June, you all deserve a round of applause for your efforts.

On to the nominees for June….

Ian Simpson      

“Has attended every session of C25K. Printed T-Shirts, Printed certificates, Fixed speakers, Stood in for sessions when needed. Organised the safeguarding training. Organised the charity night.”

Kevin Donnelly

“Even though Kevin had a long journey recovering from injury he continued his support of the club and its members. His work in promoting the club and his reports on social media is much appreciated and always welcomed. I’m so pleased to see him back running again.”

Neil Campbell   

“What can I say? This man just gets better and better; one marathon after another and what a PB at the Coast Road.  Outstanding example for us all!”

Patricia Curistan     

“Despite recent injury setbacks Patricia was in great form in Lisburn and ran me in for my last mile after my legs had decided enough was enough. Always a friendly face and full of positivity.”

Jennifer McCoppin 

“For supporting everyone when they’re under pressure.  For allowing no one to escape a Wed run or Sat Parkrun-no excuse accepted!!”

Dermot Boyd    

“Dermot is a real ambassador for the club. He consistently gets the Harrier vest out, even doing all the Born 2 Run series this year, and when he’s not running he’s out supporting with his camera, whether at the Larne half or at the recent Antrim Coast Road marathon, and lots of other races too. He holds all the club records for his age category and is a real gentleman.”

Lee O’Boyle       

“A friendly face, (though the devil horns are out when creating 10@10s on a Friday afternoon). Lee is not only an ever-improving runner, with amazing PBs in Coast Road Marathon + Lisburn Half this month, but also sets an example to all harriers. His commitment to training sessions, C25K & organising Sunday runs on a weekly basis don’t go unnoticed or unappreciated. A more-than deserving Harrier Of The Month I think!”

“He deserves it for the time and effort he puts in to doing the Sunday 10@10 routes. You can tell he goes out of his way to find the worst hills no I mean find interesting and varied routes!”

Well done to all of you for your nominations 🙂

This month turned out to be a hotly contested HOTM between two of the pillars of Mallusk Harriers.

Alex Davidson,

For another very successful C25K programme:

“Giving up his time to take the C25k programme this year. He continually encourages and motivates people in their training”

“Huge amount of time given to the organisation of C25K programme. He is working hard in the background to ensure this year’s road race will still take place despite new procedures and obstacles facing clubs this year. He is doing all this in addition to his role as coach and a constant source of encouragement to many at the club”

Well done ADav, always very modest, but everyone in the club and all the C25K graduates would like to express their gratitude for the amount of time and dedication you give to putting on such a successful programme and helping every one of them achieve a massive goal in their lives.

On to the Coast Road Marathon, which witnessed a true reflection of the amazing support Mallusk Harriers club members give to our runners on race day.

Indeed, every Harrier running that day was truly indebted to the support given and I’m sure it was a big contribution to so many PBs. As a group you have received a collective nomination for HOTM:

“All of the Harriers supporting at Antrim Coast Marathon.  Massive lift every time we saw a group”

Alas there can only be one winner, and that winner had a big part to play in the above.

He tirelessly cycled back and forth along the route ensuring we all had the supplies we needed and even went as far as to help runners from other clubs who were in need of some extra hydration on such a warm day.

In addition to this, the captains have witnessed first-hand the amount of work, time and dedication he puts in for our club behind the scenes and in particular to the 2 junior sessions held every week.

Our HOTM for June is….. Paul Skillen

“People to not realise the massive amount of work Paul puts in for the club, his dedication to coaching, especially when it comes to the juniors, is a real credit to him.  Everyone doing the coast road marathon was very thankful for his ‘deals on wheels’ in such hot weather and it is for these sorts of selfless acts that he fully deserves to be HOTM”

“For helping everyone at Coast Road, cycling up and down with refreshments but most importantly for cycling by my side (protecting me from crazy drivers!) for 4 miles and pushing me to a PB.”

“Gotta be Mr Paul Skillen – his dedication to the club and its members is second to none. He devotes so much of his time to the club, as head coach particularly, preparing training plans and coaching – but he went above and beyond for the guys at the Coast Road Marathon!

His support was invaluable and he no doubt contributed to the vast number of PBs that were achieved that day.  He is steadfast in nature and as reliable as hell when it comes to being there to support and guide us”

A true reflection of Harrier spirit, congrats Paul and all the nominees for June, very well deserved!