Johnston Carrol and Bickerstaff win at Malcolm Cup XC

Competitors from across the province descended on Sixmilewater Park in Ballyclare, for the Annadale Striders hosted event, which was the third race of the ongoing Athletics Northern Ireland Cross Country League 2017/18.

QUB student Neil Johnston broke the tape first in the 4 mile Malcolm Cup race, clocking an impressive 21:36 (1^st place).  Mark McKinstry (North Belfast Harriers) followed a mere five seconds later in 21:41 (2^nd place), while 2016 third place finisher Seamus Lynch again completed the top three in 21:46 (3^rd place).  In the Under 20 category, Ballymena & Antrim AC athlete Isaac McCollum emerged victorious in 24:31 (1^st place).

Meanwhile, in the ladies 3 mile race, Dromore AC duo Laura Bickerstaff and Rebekah Nixon, winners of the opening races of the ANI XC League, went head to head in an epic encounter.  In the end, Laura edged it by one second, crossing the line in 18:02 (1^st place).  Rebekah took 2^nd place in 18:03, before North Down AC’s Rachel Gibson recorded 18:29 for 3^rd place.

The host club’s Paul Carroll again collected the Veteran 3 mile race top prize, after leading the field home in 16:55 (1^st place).  Neil Carty (North Belfast Harriers) claimed the runners up prize in 16:58 (2^nd place), with David McNeilly (Newcastle AC) running 17:29 for 3^rd place.

The exciting programme of races kicked off with the Under 11 800m event, which was won by North Belfast Harriers’ Max Reid (1^st place – 3:15) and Willowfield Harriers’ Lilly Jackson (1^st place – 3:49).  This set the tone for the highly competitive junior races that followed – City of Lisburn AC’s Jack McCausland (5:22) and East Down AC’s Lauren Madine secured 1^st place in the Under 13 1 mile race.

In the Under 15 2 mile event, in-form Sean McGinley (Olympian YC) won the boy’s race in 11:04 (1^st place), while Megan Briggs (North Down AC) took the girl’s title in 13:24 (1^st place).  North Down AC’s Thomas Patterson won the Under 17 3 mile race in 17:22 (1^st place), with Bethany Nixon of Dromore AC securing top honours in the girl’s equivalent 2 mile race in 12:30 (1^st place).

Elsewhere this weekend…

Northern Ireland and Ireland international Paddy Hamilton (Slieve Gullion Runners) put in an impressive performance to secure victory at the Waterford Half Marathon.

The recently crowned AAI National Vet35 XC Champion saw off a talented field to break the tape in 1:06:26 (1st place). Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) claimed 2nd place in 1:06:34, with Thomas Hayes of Kilkenny City Harriers AC completing the top three in 1:06:43 (3rd place) - David Flynn (Clonliffe Harriers) secured 4th place in 1:07:09.  Irish Olympian Maria McCambridge (DSD AC) won the ladies races in 1:17:47 (1^st place).