Despite the challenges brought by the weather and a lack of races this month, our members have still seen some fantastic achievements in January!
There was a superb turnout for the Race Over the Glens—well done to all 14 Harriers who took part!
A big congratulations to Irene Downey and Aaron Anderson for proudly representing the Club at the Mallusk Cross Country.
Hats off to Claire Oliphant, who conquered a marathon as part of the We Run Wild’s January Blues event.
February was a fantastic month for our Harriers, with milestone runs, cross-country challenges, and some impressive race performances. Here’s a recap of all the action in order of events!
1st February – WeRunWild Rabbit Run, Ballypatrick Forest
A chilly, windy morning greeted our Harriers at this tough new venue in Ballycastle. The undulating trails and strong headwinds made for a challenging course across the marathon, half-marathon, and 10K distances.
Suzanne Dickey – 1st female finisher in the marathon!
2nd February – Malcolm Cup XC (Ormeau Park)
Our Harriers battled through a muddy, energy-sapping course at Ormeau Park, where our club gazebo made a rare outing! The relatively flat course still provided plenty of challenges, but the spring sunshine helped lighten the mood.
Everyone put in a fantastic effort over the 3-mile (ladies) and 4-mile (gents) courses—well done to all who took part!
8th February – Born2Run Antrim
A crisp but sunny morning saw our Harriers tackling the 10K and 5K courses around Antrim Castle Grounds.
10K PBs:
Michael Childs
Fiona Mitchell
A great morning’s running, with fantastic support from the team!
Parkrun Milestones
Congratulations to:
Sarah Kinnear – 50th milestone Parkrun
Rhonda Barkley – 50th milestone Parkrun
Jonathan Bell – 25th milestone Parkrun
Aaron Anderson – 100th milestone Parkrun
8th February – Stormont XC
Four of our Harriers took on the challenging 5K course at Stormont Estate, featuring three tough laps of climbs and descents. A strong performance from everyone in testing conditions!
23rd February – London Winter 10K
A massive well done to four of our Harriers who joined 25,000 runners to take part in the London Winter 10K!
March
From the streets of Tokyo to the canals of Portadown, our Harriers have been smashing races all over the world (and right here at home). Here’s the scoop:
Tokyo Marathon – 2nd March
Chris Hopkins braved the bustling streets of Tokyo and totally crushed it! Despite a few training niggles, Chris still finished strong with a big smile, surrounded by cheering crowds. What a legend!
Spar Craic 10K – 17th March
Saint Patrick’s Day fun was in full swing as our fabulous squad raced through the streets of Belfast and around Ormeau Park. So many PBs and first-timers earning their 10K debut medals! Shoutout to: Chris Magill – PB! Michael Childs – PB!; Laura Deering, Melanie Parkinson, and Jen McGurgan – PBs & Debuts!
Barcelona Marathon – 16th March
Patrick McLain took on the sunny streets of Barcelona in one of the best-organized marathons around! From the city’s iconic landmarks to coastal views, Barcelona did not disappoint.
Bentley Group Walled City 10-Mile Race – 8th March
Six Harriers hit the scenic (and hilly!) roads of Londonderry/Derry for this 10-mile race. The weather was warm, but the Harriers were even hotter!
Portadown Half Marathon – 23rd March
Last but certainly not least, four Harriers took on the Portadown Half Marathon. With canal views and a tough headwind to battle, they pushed through to the finish line in style. Huge congratulations to Suzanne Dickey for her awesome new PB and Anna Small for completing her first ever half marathon!
And a big shoutout to Noreen Reid for hitting her 25th milestone run and Rachel Lloyd for smashing her 150th Parkrun!
And last but certainly not least, a huge well done to our amazing team of volunteers for the Antrim Parkrun TAKEOVER on Saturday, March 29th! You all did an incredible job helping promote our upcoming Mayfair Races.
ENDS
