Sun Shines on Road Relays
30 September 2021
Photos Credit: Paul Lawther
Athletes converged on the scenic Victoria Park on Saturday 25th September for the annual NI & Ulster Road Relay Championships, amid glorious sunshine.
Annadale Striders had plenty to celebrate with both their Men and Women’s Senior teams claiming the top spots. The Women’s team of Hannah Gilliland, Dearbhla Cox, Roseann Spence and Robyn McKee ran strong to finish in 47:00, with the Letterkenny AC team of Nakita Burke, Eimear Gormley, Shauna McGeehan and Noeleen Scanlon in 2nd place in 47:06 and the Beechmount Harriers team of Cathy Diver, Maria Morris, Helen Lavery and Sarah Lavery in 3rd place in 48:50.
The Annadale Striders Men’s team of Neil Johnston, John Craig, Adam Spratt and Luke Dinsmore finished in 1st place in the Senior Men’s in a new course record time of 38:20, beating the previous time of 38:45 which was set by North Belfast Harriers in 2019. The North Belfast Harriers team of Matthew Lavery, Conan McCaughey, Gavin McCaffrey and Andrew Milligan finished in 2nd place in 39:08 and St Malachy’s AC’s team of Callum Morgan, Conall McClean, Conor Gallagher and Antony McCambridge claimed 3rd in 39:23.
The North Belfast Harriers Masters Men team of Conor Curran, Paul Horan, James Trainor and Phil Goss retained their Championship title from the previous event in 2019, where they had set a new course record with a time of 40:55. The team finished in 41:04, ahead of City of Derry Spartans team of Declan Reed, Brendan Murphy, Steven McAlary and Colin Roberts who claimed 2nd place in 41:28, followed by North Belfast Harriers team of Lawerence O’Hara, Gareth Lyons, Colin McDowell and Ryan Moore who finished in 41:55.
First in the Masters Women, with a stand out performance was the North Down AC ladies team of Fiona McQuillan, Lindsay Doulton, Laura Neely and Clair Quigley in a time of 52:55. The Ballymena Runners ladies team of, Naomi Hutchinson, Sinead Scullion, Geraldine Quigley and Paula Worthington finished in 53:58, moving into 2nd place for the NI & Ulster Championship after a disqualification, while Willowfield Harriers ladies team of Kelley Haniver, Carol McAdam, Martina Elliot and Joanne Foster took 3rd place in 54:54.
Congratulations to all the runners who took part and to Victoria Park & Connswater AC on a well organized event. The full results can be found on our website: https://athleticsni.org/Results