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20th
Aug 2010
Weekend Track Action -Starter
for the Spar Dessies Run
Following last nights Super 5 track meeting at Mary Peters
in Belfast in which a few locals participated--no results
available as we go to press- Antrim is tomorrows venue for
the NI Team Trophy which should see Olympian attempt to defend
the title won last year.After their Nationl League heroics
in Tullamore last weekend City of Derry are unlikely to put
in anything other than a token appearance at this one which
probably suffers from the late season date.
The NI 100m and 400m Relay championships will conclude the
extensive programme tomorrow and these too would appear to
be somewhat undervalued by the late season timing but then
the winners tomorrow are unlikely to complain about the competition
quality!
Road race action for a change takes a back seat this weekend
but there are several big ones in the pipeline,starting with
the Spar Dessies Run in the Gransha Grounds on Sunday week
29th August.This very popular local 10K moves to a weekend
date for the first time and as part of the inaugral Spar 10K
Series is expected to attract a massive enrty on Sunday week.While
the standard Gransha loop will be employed,to cope with the
bigger numbers a runners lane will be created on the Limavady
Rd Dual Carriageway--similar to that used for the Waterside
Half Marathon which follows on Sunday 12th September.
The start and finish areas have also been moved but the basic
three lap circuit remains.The flat terrain is conducive to
fast times,is spectator friendly and should guarantee a top
quality event for runners of all abilities to enjoy.Start
time is 12noon and race HQ will be Oakgrove Integrated College
where changing,showers and the Awards Cermoney will be located
on race day.
Online entry is available at www.niathletics.org Entry Forms
can also be downloaded from that site or from www.spar10kseries.com
and www.sparta-athletics.co.uk
More information on the race on these sites or on 07766477533
or 07702006667.
Half Marathons
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A bit like the bus,two major Half Marathons come along together
with the National championship in Carlow on Sunday 5th September
followed on Sunday 12th by the Derry City Council organised
Waterside Half Marathon based as usual in the Gransha Grounds.
Local runners will be prominent in both as the City of Derry
men travel to Carlow to defend their National team title won
convincingly in Ballybofey last year and will then line up
a week later on home ground,alongside city rivals Foyle Valley
and the other leading clubs in search of NI championship honours
in the 29th staging of the prestigious Waterside.
The red vests face a tough task in this back to back test
with Gregory Roberts not available both weekends.He will however
line up nin Dessies Run where he hopes to improve on his sub
31m clocking from last year.Declan Reid,Diarmuid Grant,Emmet
McGinty,Brendan Murphy and Gary Slevin will head up the local
challange in Carlow and they are also likely to line up in
Dessies Run where a four to score team race will add spice
to the individual battles.
M40 and M50 squads representing the local club will also challange
in Carlow and race fit again,Christy McMonagle will defend
his M65 individual crown from last year. More details on this
race closer to the date but a final reminder for now that
early entries for both Dessies Run and the Waterside are recommended.
The Dessies Run details have already been indicated above
and the Waterside details can be accessed on www.derrycity.gov.uk/halfmarathon
Enrty forms are available at all Derry City Council Leisure
Centres and information is also available on 02871343941 or
02871347695.
Reed and Duddy In Ballyclare
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Finally well done to Declan Reed for his runners up spot at
last weekends Ballyclare 10 mile and Gerry Duddy who was the
M45 runner up.Declan ran 55m 08s behind Willowfields Alan
McCullagh on 54m 42s while Gerry posted 58m 58s for 12th overall.
Derry native Lisa Tracey ran 67m 05s to win the Womens race.
Some photos here
Gerry Lynch 18/8/10
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