Bob & Berts North Coast 10K and 5K.
Tropic like it's hot: the tide is high but Ballymena Runners stay grounded!
You'd be forgiven for thinking that there can never be a sensible reason for a runner to decide, mid race, that running on to complete a 10K is preferable to turning back and finishing their planned 5K.
But Ballymena Runners' very own Mairead Agnew found such a person last Friday night, at the infamous Portrush race that is the Bob & Berts North Coast 10K and 5K.
As the hardy group of Club representatives discovered for themselves, this two option event, inarguably one of the most popular on the local running scene during summer, is something of a double edged sword.
Choose the 5K and you face a run of 1.5 miles solely on sand - before getting to turn round and give your knees the joy of doing it all again.
Select the 10K route, your 'get out of jail free card' off that beach suddenly seems less appealing when you see that ascent up to the top of the Dunluce Road loom before you, at an angle you know you definitely never heard of in your GCSE Maths classes.
But the good news is that once your coffee has kicked in and you've conquered this hill, what follows are a few miles of a downward slope into the town centre, before the second climb begins all the way up Ramore Head, where the views make every step worth it.
Then it's back to the East Strand again, where burgers await like manna from heaven.
This race is definitely the dark horse of local events in my view; don't let the fun warm-up and beach party atmosphere fool you into thinking it's a sandy run in the park. It's definitely one of the most challenging events to have ever 'bean' added to the local racing line-up!
Huge well done to all the BRAC members who tackled this terrain, with special mention going to Helen Cavan, who crossed the finish line wearing at least 50 per cent of her birthday get-up, namely a pink tutu, sash and sunglasses!
Happy Birthday Helen, and thanks for being such a good sport; sure what better way to mark turning 21 than six miles of smiles with your running buddies followed by a birthday cake that was carried approximately half that distance through Portrush by Kerry Alexander, and survived intact?!
Likewise to Cherith Wright, who finished Third Lady overall in the 10K!
Well done everyone, and thank you Bob and Berts for an un-brew-lievable night!
Gage is the Quarry Master!
On Friday night 8 Ballymena Runners made the short journey to the shore to compete in GRC Carnlough Quarry 5K, a race that has everything, road, hills, trails and a very fast finish.
Stephen Gage had a fantastic race coming home in 1st place in 18.25 and he was followed by Nigel McClintock and Robert Clyde in 8th and 9th places with exactly the same chip time although Nigel probably edging it by about an inch on the line after a ding dong battle right from the start where they exchanged positions a few times, next home for BRAC was Jimmy Graham edging in front of his brother Kieran and he was followed by Liam McKeown, Dorothy Orr, William White and Andy Stewart.
Big thanks to GRC for an excellent event and catering afterwards.
