Good turnout at the NFU Mutual 5 Mile Road Race

The race was organised by Springwell Running Club in association with Ballymoney Sports Development Unit and sponsored by the Ballymoney agency of NFU Mutual.

Before the main race got under way over 45 children took part in the two children’s races. The Primary school children ran 1000m and Secondary School ran 1500m.

Results Fun Run

Primary school 1000m: Boys 1st, Patrick McNiff, Bandbridge 3.33, 2nd Andrew Gordon, Unattached 3.38, 3rd Oisin Brennan, Springwell 3:39. Girls 1st Holly Woodhead, Springwell 3.40, 2nd Megan Brolly, Unattached, 3rd Molly Brennan, Springwell.

Secondary school 1500m: Boys Chris Surgeoner, Springwell 6:02, 2nd Ronan Hamill, Unattached, 6:19, 3rd Alexander Kennedy, Pegasus AC, 7:02. Girls 1st Leah Gilfillan, Springwell 6:40, 2nd Jessica Graham, Unattached 7:05, 3rd Charlotte Parr, Springwell 7:08.

The Mayor of Ballymoney, Councillor Ian Stevenson got the main race under way at 7.00. The Garryduff Road was a mass of colour as the 174 runners set off on their five mile journey. The first mile was easy downhill the second mile was flat through the Riverside Park and onto the Bravellan Road. The next two miles were the toughest mostly uphill on the Bravellan and Lislagan roads. They turned back on to the Garryduff Road with just over a mile to go downhill to the finish at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre.

North Belfast’s Stephen Scullion led the field home followed by Jonny Steede, Ballymena Runners and Matt Wray of Ballymena & Antrim. The ladies race was won by North Belfast’s Kathy McCourt with Springwell’s Gillian Wasson second and North Belfast’s Angela Burns third.

Results

Male Open 1st Stephen Scullion, North Belfast 25:03, 2nd Jonny Steede, Ballymena Runners 26:30, 3rd Matt Wray, Ballymena & Antrim 27:21. MO40 Gregory Walsh, North Belfast 27:39, MO50 Laurence Johnston, North Belfast 29:10. MO60 Irwin Spiers, Sperrin Harriers 32:43. Male Junior Neil Johnston, Springwell 28:35.

Female Open 1st Cathy McCourt, North Belfast 30:11, 2nd Gillian Wasson, Springwell 31:50, 3rd Angela Burns, North Belfast 32:34. FO35 Linda Gillen, Springwell 34:44. FO40 Alison Rankin, Springwell 32:38. FO50 Betty Deighan, Springwell 39:54, FO60 Jean Dolan, East Antrim 44:00.

Springwell Results - Neil Johnston 28:35, Stephen Joyce, 28:52, Bryan Edgar 29:12, Philip Mullan 30:15, Chris Denton 30:32, David Jackson 31:12, Gerard Mullan 31:46, Gillian Wasson 31:50 (PB), Alison Rankin 32:38, Nigel Simpson 32:46, Martin Curry 33:25, Gemma Turley 34:05, Alan McKeeman 34:31, Linda Gillen 34:44, Mathew Hawthorne 34:56, Robert Workman 34:57, Karen McLaughlin 35:27, Mervyn Thompson 36:31, Lee Howarth 36:37, Scott Bell 37:08, David Carton 37:15, Sarah Chestnutt 37:38, Michael Rankin 38:55, David Gault 39:31, Joanne Donnelly 39:38, Betty Deighan 39:54, Brendan McLaughlin 41:04, David Patterson 41:35, Dale Corbett 42:11, Lisa Boyle 43:49, Rodney McMullan 44:57, Caroline Taylor 46:24, Emma McIntyre 46:24, Amanda Simpson 49:43, Lorraine Bell 50:21, Jacqueline McCormack 55:34.

The club would like to thank the sponsors NFU Mutual Ballymoney Agency (Gregg, Calvin and Lennox), Mayor of Ballymoney, Councillor Ian Stevenson and Councillor Jason Atkinson for attending the race, John Faul of Ballymoney Sports Development Unit, Garth Faul, Peter Shields, Paul Lyness and the staff at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre, PSNI, St John Ambulance and all the club members who helped out for making the event a success.

Alistair Shaw was Springwell’s sole representative at the Downpatrick 10K on Wednesday evening. Alistair completed the course in 40:25. The race was won by East Down’s Brendan Teer in 31:50 and Lisburn’s Judith Lowry was first lady in 38:45.