Larne AC: Club News

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12/9/10

Club News 2010

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SEACOURT

The eighth race in the Club’s Wine Bar sponsored handicap series took place on Tuesday evening. Run over a new course adjacent to The Cliff in Seacourt, the race attracted fifty runners, easily a record turnout for a handicap, with many of them presumably drawn to it because the course was flat(ish) and, at four miles, relatively short, for which we had Nat Glenn to thank. The fact that Nat’s been training regularly on the course for the past twelve months or more and knows every blade of grass on it like the little ginger hairs on the backs of his little pink hands was, he assured us, merely a coincidence.

Victory in the race, along with the trophy generously put up by The Cliff, went to Sharon Lynn-McGregor, with the minor places being filled by Aileen Donnelly and Alvyn McQuitty, while the prize for fastest male runner went, surprise, surprise, to Nat, though only by four seconds from Bert Brady, who pushed him all the way to the line. With Geraldine Quigley running as a guest, Adele Neill picked up the prize for the fastest female runner.

Nat’s decision to become a house husband so that he can squeeze in extra training (There is general amazement in the club that Maria still believes his story about there being no work out there; maybe she just likes to see him in his pinny and rubber gloves.) may be paying off, but with Bert managing to both hold down a full-time job and train hard enough to run Nat so close perhaps it’s time Maria called his bluff.

Anyway, back to the race proper. For the third time this year, all the runners started together rather than being sent off individually or in pairs according to their handicap rating. First to show was Mark McManus, clearly adopting his favourite tactic of going out hard right from the start, but although he quickly opened a small gap on the rest of the field he was never allowed to get too far away from a chasing group consisting, at this stage, of Nat, Bert, Andy Gregg, Billy Thompson, Sammy Drummond, James Brown, Brian Herron and Ryan Todd, with Paul Hutchinson also in close attendance. This group would eventually break up, but the leading half dozen runners would remain close enough until well into the last lap for the final outcome of the race to be uncertain to the waiting spectators.

As the race progressed, the field gradually became strung out to the point where, by the time the leaders were starting out on their third lap, the runners at the rear of the field were just coming up to the end their second lap. However, none of the competitors could afford to relax if they wanted to be in with a shout of a good handicap placing.

Into the fourth lap and the front half dozen runners were still only separated by about thirty seconds. Nat was now in pole position, but Bert and Andy were both within ten seconds of him, with Sammy only a few seconds further back. The first female runner was Geraldine, who was about one and a half minutes in front of Adele, with Beverley Gaston another forty or fifty seconds behind. The soon to be confirmed handicap first and second, Sharon and Aileen, who like many of the runners were competing in their first off-road race, may have been bringing up the rear but they were, nevertheless, running steadily if not necessarily within their comfort zones.

In the final run to the line, Nat proved to have too much in reserve for Bert, coming home four seconds to the good in what was obviously a course record of 22.53. Bert’s second place in 22.57 represents easily his best performance in a handicap. Andy completed the first three in 23.03. First lady across the line was Geraldine in the excellent time of 26.14. She was followed by Adele in 27.47 and Beverley in 28.37. The third female club member home was Paula McAllister, who was making a welcome return to handicap racing after the birth of her daughter, Clodagh.

Once all the runners had crossed the line and their handicap times added to their finishing times, Sharon was declared the overall winner of the inaugural running of the Seacourt Handicap with Aileen in second and Alvyn in third. Unfortunately Sharon was unable to stay for the prize-giving and probably went home unaware of her success.

Later, during the prize-giving, Nat, not in the least embarrassed by the fact that he was about to pick up the prize for the fastest male runner in a race over his own private course, stepped forward to receive his prize with such brass-necked effrontery that, had his tongue been a clapper, his neighbours in the Beeches would have heard the clanging as he dipped his head in acknowledgement of the applause from the gathered spectators, athletes, also-rans, has-beens, never-beens and the unlikely ever-to-be.

As ever, thanks to Denise and Kirsty Sharratt for timing, to Elaine H for organising the prizes, to John Agnew for setting the handicap, to Nat for organising the race, to all those who helped with the marking of the course and to the Wine Bar for their continued sponsorship of the handicap series. Finally, a big thank you to Bertie Shaw and all those involved with The Cliff for putting up the trophies, for their help with the organisation of the race and for permitting us to use the superb new sports facility for the presentation of trophies and spot prizes.

For full details of times and placings, click on the Results tab.

Results