Belfast City Marathon 2025
Massive turn out for the local city marathon with over 20 BRAC members tackling the full distance. Debuts, PB's and even 2 official pacers - well done to everyone on a difficult course! Belfast is getting better and better every year, and the weather brought everyone out making the atmosphere electric - including our famous meeting cheer point on the Ormeau Bridge!
Michael Bennett 2:53:42
Darren Walker 3:07:14
Jim Moore 3:20:07
Colin Wright 3:27:58 (3:30 Pacer)
Raymond Ruck 3:29:12
George Buckley 3:41:58
Martin Davis 3:48:03
Lisa Ewart 3:51:08
John McClelland 3:52:40
Daniel Kuczur 4:08:26
Robin Alexander 4:08:39
Wendy McAuley 4:17:55
Caitlin Caldwell 4:43:16
Nicholas McGroggan 4:21:18
Siobhan Blair 4:25:08
Denise Doherty 4:25:53
Eleanor Forrest Reid 4:26:55 (4:30 Pacer)
Peter Ferris 4:27:03
Patricia Macrory 4:31:33
Terry Foley 4:37:59
Leon Dorrity 4:40:51
Nigel Bonar 4:40:52
Gemma Clyde 4:48:55
Laura McMullan 5:17:46
Ballymena Runners were also well represented in the relays with 8 teams taking to the streets.
The Fab Five - 4:21:51 Anne, Iverene, Corena, Karen and Lynda
We Got The Runs - 4:29:27 Lisa, Kate, Martin, Joanne and Claire
BRAC Dream Team - 4:34:46 Catherine, Barbara, Nikki, Helen, Kerry
BRAC Blues - 3:58:00 Jim, Kerri, Tanya, Gerry, Alana
BRAC Fun Bus - 3:43:40 Ciaran, Sara, Pablo, Mandy, Danny
Ray's Runners - 2:57:11 Alison, Jamie, Judith, James (9th Place Mixed Team)
Mena Men - 2:58:23 Robert, Mark, John, Denver, Alan (9th Place Men's Team)
BRAC Chicks - 4:04:56 Nena, Sinead, Skye, Hannah, Geraldine
Well done to everyone who turned out in club colours, or supported from the sidelines! We run Bel-Fast!
Some of the ladies at Belfast
'Hen n Cock’ – Hill n Dale No. 5
On Thursday night (8th), the Chuckle Brothers were joined by the legendary Timmy Mallett for the fifth instalment of the Hill n Dale series.
This week’s route? Hen and Cock – a short but savage race spanning just 2 miles with a leg-burning 1,600 feet of climb!
Duncan, Nigel, and William took on the challenge this week.
As the race wrapped up, a wisp of white smoke rose mysteriously above the course. Some wondered if another wildfire had sparked. But no—it was just Wills torching Wagon Wheel wrappers to signal his category win! Well done lads!
Stunning day in the Mournes
Vancouver Half Marathon!
Last Sunday as many Ballymena Runners competed in the Belfast marathon and relays, on the west coast of Canada Norman Murphy lined up with 25,000 other runners to take part in the Vancouver half marathon.
In what he described as a superbly organised event but with a very hilly second half of the course Norman put in a determined performance, clocking a finishing time of just over 2 hours.
As part of the tapering down of his training in Canada and to help acclimatise to the changeable weather conditions, Norman was able to schedule in a couple of different Parkruns. Congratulations and well done Norman.
Norman in Vancouver
BRAC achieve strong results in Masters Winter League!
The NI masters awards dinner took place last night in Belfast and Kieran Scullion and Brendan Kerr were there to represent the club and collect medals.
Congratulations to the following
Sharon Leech - (F50) 1st Seeley 10K
Geraldine Quigley - (F50) 1st Bay Road 5K
Ian McCracken- (M45) 2nd Queens 5K
Kieran Scullion - (M45) 3rd Seeley 10K
Robert Clyde - (M55) 2nd Bay Road 5K
Masters Winter league leader board (Consisting of 9 races across the season, cross country and road)
Bridget Quinn - (F80) 1st
Brendan Kerr - (M40) 1st
Kieran Scullion - (M45) 1st
Ian McCracken - (M45) 3rd Robert Clyde - (M55) 4th
'Luke’s Mountain' Hill n Dale No. 6
Thursday (15th May) evening delivered perfect weather for the sixth round of the Hill and Dale series—Luke’s Mountain in the heart of the Mournes.
With the sun shining and the air crisp, conditions couldn’t have been better for a lung-busting 4.5 miles and 1,500 feet of classic Mourne climbing.
The course packed a punch with steep ascents and fast, technical descents. A strong crew was out—William, Nigel, Ric, and Duncan—all tackling the challenge head-on.
William, once more, had a standout night, taking the win in his age category with a strong, steady performance.
Everyone ran well and finished strong, making the most of the conditions and the rugged beauty of the route. Well done lads!
William, Nigel, Ric and Duncan.
Molten Lavey: Temperatures rise at Termoneeny event but Ballymena Runners are on fire!
Intense spring heat, a host of hills, and for a few, post-marathon DOMS and tiredness, failed to put a stop to a hardy group of our Club members who took on the Termoneeny 5K and 10K last Friday evening, an event famous for its stunning landscape, elevated views, and generous hospitality.
Both distances weren't for the faint-hearted.
The 5K proved fast, far from tepid, and a furious flurry of ascending and descending tarmac, which was bravely taken on by our hotshots.
Pursurers of the 10K displayed some equally firey performances, arriving back at the Termoneeny Centre boasting fantastic times in spite of a course that was almost as spicy as the extra relish on Terry Foley's (two) burger (s).
With a sumptuous spread for our ravenous runners, and enough water stops to take the sting out of the almost tropical conditions, Termoneeny pulled out all the stops in organising an event that was absolutely - on the 'moneeny.'
Thanks to our Gulladuff neighbours, and a huge well done to everyone in the Club who tackled the undulating terrain 'One Night In May.'
Special mention for Judith Brown, who was third lady home in the 10K - absolutely smashing Judith! Looking forward to next year's event already.
BRAC at Termoneeney
Temperatures reach borderline boiling point at Strabane-Lifford Half Marathon
As a runner, there are a handful of senses which, if invoked at any given race start line, may tentatively imply that you could be in difficulties before you've even began.
The realisation that you've forgotten all your gels, perhaps, or the sensation of your big toe tucking a little too neatly into your new, unbroken in trainers.
(Not feeling quite so smug now after that 'last minute, can't pass it up' purchase in the Asics sale).
For the handful of brave Ballymena Runners who headed westwards this weekend, it was the overpowering and sweet, yet slightly unnerving, scent of suncream infusing the air in a place that was ordinarily the furtherest kind of town from some sun-drenched, coconut-and-cocktail adorned beach resort you could posdibly imagine.
Yet there we were, Factor 30-ed up to the gills, and nervously congregate outside the Alley Theatre in Strabane, ready to take on 13.2 miles in unseasonal, unexpected, and very uncomfortable Tyrone heat.
(There's two words you don't often hear in the same sentence, unless you're talking about Terry Foley's muscle rub).
Anyhow, we knew what we had let ourselves in for, but thankfully, the organisers of this superb race were more than prepared for the weather, with water stops in abundance, sweets and fruit-proffering supporters lining the route, plenty of Portaloos, and a super medal to reward us for our efforts.
The route (as you've hopefully figured out from the title) took us into Lifford, along a dual carriageway, then back into Strabane via Clady, where an increased presence of trees and shade was most welcome.
We finished on the Melvin Sports Complex, which had been billed as 'not just a finish line, but a celebration' - and with its ice cream vans, tea and coffee stops, and mobile hydration stations, it was certainly that.
Diminutive it may be, but Strabane certainly showed it's daring approach to hosting a half marathon that's definitely on my list to go back and do next year.
Well done to all our fearless Club members who took part and knocked out fantastic times in ferocious heat, and thank you to Derry City & Strabane District Council for organising a fabulous cross-border run that showcased the best of the North West hospitality!
BRAC at Strabane - Lifford Half