National novice success

In a top quality 6K which had an impressive 253 finishers, the Spartans Connor Bradley sixth, JP Williamson 20th, Noel Logan 38th and Cathal Logue 62nd, ran themselves to near exhaustion to grab inter club silver team medals behind a terriific St Malachy’s Belast quartet and ahead of Dublin’s Clonliffe Harriers as a total of 32 club teams finished an absorbing race.

The same quartet were joined by Foyle Valley star Scott Rankin 45th and fellow Spartan Pajo Hamilton 84th to add inter county team bronze, nipping Clare by just four points as sixteen counties finished with the requisite six scorers.

Led from the front by Connor Bradley who may have felt somewhat disappointed at not getting a serious shot at an individual medal, the local lads strained every nerve and sinew on the testing four lap course and richly deserved their reward. Connor missed a crucial early five man break which saw eventual winner and runner up Eoin Everard of Kilkenny City Harriers and St Malachy’s Kevin Seward carve out the vital gap which took them on to the top two spots. After dropping to tenth place the Spartan found a late flourish and stormed up to a important sixth place finish to light the spark for the supporting Derry runners.

Teenager JP Williamson started conservately but as the race progressed the Waterside lad picked his way through the large field to finish an outstanding 20th; Noel Logan showed his fine run last weekend in Ballyclare was no one off with a brilliant effort for 38th and Cathal Logue hung in tenaciously for the entire distance, finishing strongly for 62nd to complete the silver medal Spartans quartet.

In the six to score inter county contest Scott Rankin stepped up significantly on last week in Ballyclare and chased Noel Logan home for 45th while the County Derry team bronze medals were guaranted by a battling 84th place inish from Pajo Hamilton who claimed his first ever non track National medal with a determined run.

The other non scoring local finishers were Chris McGuinness 105th, Cathal McLaughlin 119th and Eoghan Furey in 145th. A marvellous collective effort from the full squad as they exceeded pre race medal expectations and proudly flew the flag for athletics in the North West.

An equally competitive Womens 3K championship saw the female Spartans finish a creditible seventh of 16 club teams with Catherine Lilburn in 26th overeall the leading local finisher. With Foyle Valley’s impressive Dolores Quinn a close up 28th, the county team did very well for a sixth place finish behind Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Donegal and Cork. Missing the input of Marina Campbell probably cost the Derry women county bronze medals although there still is an outstanding query regarding the possibility of “B” grade medals.

Catherine Lilburn had her best ever cross country performance and with Dolores Quinn in close attendance the pair of them fronted the Derry challange impressively in their irst shot at this level. They both finished strongly and were well worth their high placings in a good quality race whish saw over 150 finishers. Jackie McGinley also impressed for 46th as did Sarah Mahon in 74th and this quartet comprised the scoring Derry county squad. A brave run for 112th from Ciara Fraser closed in the Spartans scorers and Paula McGilloway and Una Gavin were the other locals in action.

While the City of Derry Spartans juveniles found it tough at the uneven age group championships in Kildare at the weekend and despite giving it their all in the four races contested came home without any silverware.

The boys and girls U17 squads produced the best efforts on a day of red hot competition, Shane McGowan 14th and Matthew Folland 25th in the boys race and Amy Jackson 20th in the girls event. They will now re focus and turn out at the Juvenile races this Saturday in Gransha before cranking up the training or the Schools and clubs races in the New Year.

Allan Bogle meanwhile had an easy win at the Sperrin Harriers Winter Trail Series race in Drum Manor, Cookstown last Saturday clocking just over 35 minutes for the testing 10K forest path circuit. A timely outing for the Spartan as he gets ready for the NI/Ulster senior cross country championships next month in Antrim, where he should be a major asset to the red vests challange for team honours.