NI and Ulster Women Debut at the Anglo-Celtic 100k Championship

22 March 2019

NI and Ulster Women Debut at the Anglo-Celtic 100k Championship

The Northern Ireland and Ulster Women’s team will take part in the Anglo-Celtic 100k Championship Plate this weekend for the first time. The 100k Championship will take place in Perth, Scotland on Sunday 24th March and will see a team of 6 athletes representing Northern Ireland & Ulster.

The Women’s team includes Irish 24-hr International athlete Susan McCartney (BARF), who ran a 100k PB time of 8:35.36 last summer at the Crawley A.I.M. Charity 24 Hour Track Race. She followed this by winning the Round Reading Ultra Marathon 50k in 4:28.58.

She will be joined by current Irish 24-hr National Champion Louise Smart (Co.Antrim Harriers), who has regularly been seen on the podium at the Castle Ward Last One Standing Ultra Race and by Gillian Connolly (Seapark AC), who competed in the Energia 24 Hour Race in Belfast last summer.

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Unfortunately, Ward Park Runner’s Fiona Prue will not be joining the team this weekend, as she has had to withdraw because of a serious knee injury. We wish her the best with her recovery.

A Northern Irish Men’s team took part in the very first Anglo-Celtic Plate 24 years ago in 1995, when it was held in Nottingham. The team then returned in 2000 with Ian Anderson (Road Running Club) finishing in 4th place in a time of 7:46.59, leading the team to 3rd place overall. In 2001 the men returned to finish in 2nd place. This has been the first year since that the team has returned.

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The team includes Irish 24-hr International Tim Brownlie (Willowfield Harriers), the brother of Susan McCartney. Brownlie set a 100K PB of 7:47.56 last summer at the Energia 24 Hour Race in Belfast and in February finished 5th at the National 50K Championships in Donadea.

He will be joined by two regulars at the Castle Ward Last One Standing Ultra races, Sean Nickell (North Down AC) and Richard Coey (Ballydrain Harriers).

The team will be joined by Team Manager and organizer of the Energia 24 Hour Race, Ed Smith. We wish them the very best for the competition.