Weekly Race Report - 15th June 2025
The past week has been relatively quiet on the racing front compared to the last few weeks. However, Springwell was very well represented mid-week at Sperrin Harriers ladies only race ‘Stunnerz n Runnerz’ at Loughry College in Cookstown. Closer to home, Coleraine Grammar School had a weekend full of activities to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. Among the events organised by the school were 2km and 5km races, that were held on the school grounds on Friday evening.
Stunnerz n Runnerz
Last Wednesday night was ladies night in Cookstown with over 300 in attendance at Sperrin Harrier’s annual Stunnerz n Runnerz 5k race. There were thirteen ‘Purple Ladies’ who made the way to Cookstown for the race, where they hurried to join fellow competitors for a group dance warm up planned by the race organiser fifteen minutes before the race started.
The race consisted of a lap of the Campus of Loughry College, before an out and back section on the road and returning to the campus, where the finish line and some well-earned ice cream awaited to cool the competitors down.
There were fantastic runs from all our ladies, with notable mentions for Christine Bonham, who came 1st place in her age category (for the 2nd time in less than a week!), and to Alison Duncan who ran a personal best 0:24:03!
29th Pauline Mullan 0:23:38; 37th Alison Duncan 0:24:03 (PB); 51st Christine Bonham 0:24:53 (1st F60); 54th Leisa McKenna 0:24:59; 59th Louise Hanna 0:25:15; 76th Sinead Graham 0:25:56; 99th Karen Campbell 0:26:54; 184th Heather McLaughlin 0:30:45; 206th Ingrid Hamilton 0:32:35; 211th Linda McMichael 0:32:59; 229th Hannah McCaw 0:34:19; 230th Angeline Platt 0:34:20; 239th Iris Wilson 0:34:54
Coleraine Grammar 2k & 5k
In the midst of Coleraine Grammar School’s 10 Year Anniversary celebrations at the weekend, the school hosted 2k and 5k runs on Friday evening. There was a festival atmosphere around the running track, where the races started and finished before embarking on an adventure around the pitches and trails in the vast school grounds.
Springwell had several members take part in the 2 races on a hot and humid evening.
2k: Aimee Miller 0:12:49
5k: George Brien 0:24:34; Stephen Fillis 0:18:10; Ivan Goldsworthy 0:29:09; Lynn Stewart 0:33:47; Andrew Wilmot 0:25:37
Hill and Dale: Meels
The penultimate race of the 2025 Hill and Dale Series was run in the toughest conditions yet. The Hill & Dalers have struck gold with perfect conditions each Thursday so far, but conditions for the Meels were, let's say…. 'a tad damp'.
Due to the heavy rain throughout the day the race directors decided to roll out the bad weather course now affectionately known as Meel. Still 6km in distance with 1,500ft of elevation, the bad course elimated Meelbeg, leaving just Spellack and Meelmore for competitors to conquer.
Leaving his best overtaking manoeuvre until the very end to skip past two fellow runners, Fergus Thompson finished 92nd in 0:53:58. Contrary to every other runner on the night, Adele Tomb was thriving in the heavy downpours and finished 114th & 2nd F50 in 0:56:49. Kate O’Loan finished 139th in 1:01:25, and having now competed in 6 races in the series, got her hands on one of the prized Hill and Dale Series 2025 mugs. Sarah Milligan was hot on Kate's heels and finished 140th in 1:01:29. Sarah described the race as “brutal’’ however she managed to stay upright this year and didn't break any fingers like she did at the same fixture last year.
It's the last fixture of the 2025 Hill and Dale series next week as it switches to a Friday night at Drinahilly.
Mourne Way 10k
It was that time of year when 26extreme take over Kilbroney Park for their Mourne Way series of events, with race distances from 10k right up to 84k. The weather was changeable, as has been the case for any race in the last few weeks, but the rain held off for the 10k race on this occasion.
Deborah McPhee & Sheila McConnell were the representatives from Springwell in Rostrevor, with both taking on the 10k trail race which starts from Leitrim Lodge at the base of Rocky Mountain.
Deborah overcame the early climbs and a rolled ankle to finish strong for 10th place overall in 0:50:23, and Sheila 31st in 1:07:27.
Parkrun
Last weekend saw another 60 Springwell Runners out at 16 parkruns around the UK. The runners who have travelled farthest are normally highlighted in this section, however, this week it is our member who attended the best named parkrun who gets a mention. This week the winner was David O'Neill at the wonderful sounding Frogmary Green Farm parkrun in South Somerset. Elsewhere the tourists got to Harwich (Alison Clarke), Cinder Track Whitby (Fiona Martin) and Cunigar Loop in Glasgow (Ali Shaw).
A group of 5 club members got let in (and out) of the Lower Drummans parkrun (in the grounds of Magilligan Prison) with Deborah McPhee setting a PB for that course. There were also a few PBs at the relatively new parkrun in Christie Park, Coleraine with Brian Harper, Heather Harper and Kay Hack setting PB's there.
Hitting a PB in parkrun is particularly difficult if you have already done that route loads of times, but that's what 2 dedicated Springwell members did this week. Alison Duncan, who has had a great season across many different races, set a PB in Limavady on her 142nd run there, and in Portrush Alanna Millar set a PB on her 281st parkrun on the sand.
