Busy week for Springwell runners

Connor Duffy Glaslough Harriers) led the men home in 31:36. In the ladies race, Ann-Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC) broke the tape to win in 34:39.

Springwell Times - Alistair Shaw 38:00, Mervyn Thompson 46:40, Lesley Irwin 52:22 (PB), Catherine Byers 59:21 (PB), Denise Walker 1:05:50 (PB).

Before the main event Springwell junior Niamh Conway took part in the 1 mile race crossing the line in 9:31.

On Sunday, six Springwell ladies completed the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris in very warm conditions. Alison McAllister was first Springwell runner home in 4:00:14 followed by Lynda-Jayne Parkhill 4:04:46 (PB), Rebecca Clarke 4:51:34, Caroline Taylor 5:03:01, Debbie Tutty 5:08:19 and Zara Hunter 5:53:33.

Nearly one hundred athletes toed the line of the Sperrin Harriers 5 Mile Road Race in Magherafelt on Saturday.  The popular event returned to the calendar this year after a break in 2014.

Omagh Harriers Paul Barbour led the field home in 26:05 and the ladies race was won by Cheryl Cardwell, from the host club, in 33:16.

Springwell’s Gary Moore 33:02 and David Boorman 39:13 both recorded PB’s for the distance.

On Saturday, seventy mountain runners from across Northern Ireland turned out for the Donard-Commedagh Mountain Race in Newcastle. The event, which started and finished in Donard Park measured 10.9K in distance with 1,050m of ascent and was the second race in the ongoing Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association (NIMRA) Championship Series.

In bright and sunny conditions, the field set off from Donard Park and uphill towards the snow capped mountains, where they would head towards the summit of Northern Ireland’s tallest mountain, Slieve Donard, before descending to ‘the Col’ and onwards, back uphill towards Slieve Commedagh – from there, the field negotiated their final descent back to Donard Park.

The in-form Seamus Lynch (Newcastle AC) was first home in 1:05:06. Shileen O’Kane (Lagan Valley) clocked 1:22:25 for top spot in the ladies race.

Springwell’s sole representative Dave Holden finished 17th in 1:21:35.

Hundreds of athletes and spectators descended on the village of Eglinton on Friday evening for the inaugural running of Derry City Track Club’s Dental Solutions 5K Road Race.

The well-organised event offered participants a fast and flat course, and with perfect weather conditions, the scene was set for personal bests and quality performances.  The athletes duly obliged and it was Kenyan star Vincent Kiprotich (Project Africa) who stole the headlines, securing victory in 14:46. In the ladies race, pre-race favourite Selinah Kangogo (Project Africa) put in a classy performance to win in 17:32.  

Springwell Times - Jim Breen 19:41 (1st M60), Fran McFadden 20:17 (1st F35), Warren McIlmoyle 20:35 (PB), Conor McStravick 21:05, Bob Purcell 23:14, Peter Butcher 23:15 (PB) and David Boorman 23:42 (PB).

Stephen Joyce and Alistair Shaw travelled to Whitehead on Easter Monday for the annual 5 Mile Road Race. The weather was perfect as the athletes took on the challenging three lap course with Stephen completing the 5 miles in 30:19 closely followed by Alistair in 30:28.

The major prize winners where Paul Rowan (Willowfield Harriers) 26:20 and Cathy McCourt (North Belfast) 29:18.

Springwell’s Gary Moore (1:39:41) and Catherine Pinkerton-Moore (1:53:15) completed the Algarve Half Marathon on Saturday 4 April.

On Saturday 4 April Springwell athletes made the short journey to Castlerock for the TVW Sports Mussenden 10K Challenge. The race started at the Peter Thompson Hall and made its way to Downhill Estate before returning to Castlerock and an out and back section on the beach finishing back up at the start.

Allen Bogle was the first runner home in 33:53 and Shalene McMurray first lady in 38:20

Springwell Times - Aidan Devine 40:32, Catherine Jamison 42:30, Fran McFadden 43:35, Hugh Deighan 44:07, Greg Magee 44:44, Kerry McIlmoyle 45:11, Warren McIlmoyle 46:00, Brian Overend 55:04, Sharon Bingham 55:02, Angela Calderwood 1:01:55, Lorraine Abernethy 1:07:42.

It was another sunny Saturday, although cooler by comparison to the rest of the week, and just about remained dry long enough for all the runners to cross the finish line at Portrush parkrun. The biggest challenge was the strong headwind on the return leg of the course.

Before the run Victoria Smyth was congratulated on being nominated Sweatshop parkrunner of the month for March. In addition to the usual tourists from the UK and Ireland, there was one runner taking part who travelled all the way from Moscow. There were 142 runners, 17 first timers, 12 PB’s and 15 athletics clubs represented.

First finishers were husband and wife Keith and Elizabeth Dawson in times of 19:24 and 22:43 respectively.

Springwell Times - Glenn Millar 19:27, Bryan Edgar 19:35, Richard Baker 22:40, Noel McAllister 23:24, Linda Gillen 23:57, Mervyn Thompson  24.05, Roslind Overend 27:02, Brian Overend 28:14, Connor Kendall 28:29, Melanie Millar 28:35, Kay Hack 29:05, David Patterson 29:48, Molly Blee 30:18, Gary Kendall 30:56, Norma Snelling 31:12 (PB), Louise Feeney 31:59, Emma Birrell, Kenny Bacon 33:43, Donna Mulligan 33:46, Chris and Luke Denton 43:02.

Limavady parkrun - Sonia Knox 19:13 was the first finisher at Limavady with event director Kieran Coyle first male in 19:36.

Springwell Times - Anthony Higginbottom 20:20, Roger Poland 20:51 (PB), Stephen Fillis 20:57 (PB), Eoghan Gormley 21:40, Kevin McLean 22:27 (PB), Donna Brolly 24:01, Ellen Knox 24:30, Valerie Hunt 24:44

Springwell Alistair Shaw was the second runner home at the Waterworks parkrun in 18:28, Elaine Montgomery ran 26:57 at Belfast Victoria parkrun.