Support Crew go racing for Newry City Runners

​Eva Kitchen ran the thirty-fifth Marlow Half Marathon changed from the role of support crew/cheerleader to ‘runner/racer’. Set in a beautiful location on the ‘River Thames’ in within the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, 33 miles west of London.

Setting off from Marlow Sports Club in the centre of the town, the runners had great support from the crowd. There was the challenge of the leg-burning, Chiltern Hills, (Parmooor, Pheasants Hill and Rockwell End to name but a few, the highest of these being over 500 feet) but the scenery through the forest and down through the dales was breath-taking. After mile 10, the toughest part of the course was conquered, and all welcomed a decreasing elevation of 3 miles to the finish. Running a fantastic race, Eva was eighth female overall, just narrowly missing out by 15 seconds, for ‘first in her age category’ at the finish line, with a superb time of 1:42:58.

Ballynahinch 5K – Run to Remember

Another of last weeks support crew racing this weekend was Peter Simpson as he headed to Ballynahinch on Sunday for the ‘Run to Remember 5K’ race. The route took the runners around the back roads of Ballynahinch and had an overall elevation of 142 feet, most of which was in the last mile.

Starting on the Belfast Road passing the Ballynahinch War Memorial, the route, an undulating one, continued onto the Crossgar Road and onto the Ballylone Road where there was the first two hills to climb, from here there was about half a mile downhill before turning sharp left on the Moss Road, this is where there was the challenge of an uphill climb for the last mile and a slightly meandering path. The road levelled out for a short distance, before one short steep hill to the finish line at Ballynahinch School gates, requiring each of the runners to ‘dig deep’ and give their all to cross the line. Peter, who was running on already tired legs, from Saturdays parkrun, had a great run.

Parkruns

Three of the NCR crew were in Craigavon on a very wet Saturday morning for the City Parkrun. The course, which was re-routed owing to flooding at the tunnel under the railway bridge, was an out and back one. Niall Rankin finished in a time of 19:47, Peter Simpson in 24:54 and James McEvoy in 28:54.

Club training

Club Training continues each week St Colman’s Running Track on Tuesday 7pm.Thursday evening club run meeting point is outside Newry Leisure Centre at 19:00 and it is a run for all levels, all are very welcome.

Willies Winter Training

‘Willies’ Winter Training Sessions’ will return this coming Sunday, November 12 at 9:30am. Meeting point will be in the Lower Carpark in Kilbroney Forest Park. The duration of each session will be 1:30 hours, and everyone is welcome. It will run from November through to the middle of January 2024, but should there be an Athletics NI Event on a Sunday (Road or Cross Country) there will be no training that day. We will keep you posted on this closer to that time.

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