Graeme’s ultra success in Good Friday race
THE race between two bars saw Graeme Black taking on the Belfast to Dublin ultra cross border race on Good Friday.
Starting at the Crown Bar in Belfast and finishing at Arthur’s Bar in the heart of Dublin, the race 107 miles long and a stern test of human endurance.
Graeme finished the event in joint seventh having run with a training partner.
Next up was Ballygalget on Easter Sunday when two Striders took part in the GAC club’s 10K. Martin Conroy and Janice McCartney were flying the flag on this occasion with Martin completing the run in 53.21 before competing in the London marathon next Sunday. Janice completed the 5K in 34.41.
Easter Monday was the 101th running of the whitehead five mile road race which is the oldest running race in Northern Ireland.
The hilly three lap course provides some significant fast downhills with an evenly tricky uphill section but a great traditional race none the less. Graeme McGowan finished the five mile in 35.35.
Now one of the oldest and most prestigious marathons in the world, the 129th Boston Marathon had three Striders in attendance – Norman Mawhinney, returning for a second time, former club captain Andy Haylett and Maxine Dynes.
Andy finished in a time of three hours, four minutes and 50 seconds with Norman finishing in three hours 25 minutes and 58 seconds. Maxine finished in three hours 50 minutes and 46 seconds.
As always the weekend wouldn’t be complete with the weekly trip to parkrun with 43 members running at 17 different locations. Maxine Dynes ran at Danehy Park before travelling to Boston, Catherine Lavery ran in Northampton, nine Striders travelled to Comber and 13 made the journey to the Stormont park run.
Other parkruns included Belfast Victoria, Falls, Derrynoid Forest, Bangor, City Park, Hillsborough Forest, Glenfarne Wood, Knockbracken, Larne, Montalto, Paisley Park, Portrush on their 600th event and Wallace parkrun.
The next public race is less than three weeks away when more than 600 athletes are expected at Ards airfield for the annual Grant Estate Agents Run the Runways event.
Our half marathon in June is open online for registration and is the headline event encompassing the great scenery of Scrabo as well as taking in parts of Comber before returning to Ards Blair Mayne.
Plenty of time to get those miles in and get registered by visiting our events page on our club website at https://www.scrabostriders.com/open-races.
Scrabo Striders train on Monday and Wednesday at 7.15pm at Londonderry Park, and also offers injury and progression group sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, also at 7.15pm, mainly at Londonderry Park.
There are also social runs which are non coach led but are for everyone at a social pace and also involve the social side with tea and coffee after 6.30 Friday evenings and 9am Sunday morning, both at Conway Square Newtownards.
