‘Incredible’ race day along coast

Conal McCambridge from North Belfast Harriers finished with an impressive time of 00:53:51 despite battling strong coastal winds, with James Hamilton of Ballymena Runners and David Hamilton of North Belfast Harriers coming in second and third respectively in the men’s race, with times of 00:54:15 and 00:54:35.

Sarah-Jane from Victoria Park and Connswater Athletics Club lead the pack in the women’s race, crossing the line in just under one hour with a time of 00:59:22.

Karen Alexander of Christian Runners UK was second to finish with a time of 1:03:42, followed very closely by Ballymena Runners’ Sharon Leetch at 1:03:46.

The event, the first of a multi road-race partnership between Kilwaughter Minerals and Larne Athletic Club, saw over 700 runners of all ages and abilities register to take part, with crowds lining the race route to enjoy the spectacle and support athletes along the way.

William Thompson, chairman of Larne Athletic Club which organised the race, said: “The atmosphere in Larne on race day was incredible with runners from across the country and beyond coming out to compete against each other along one of Northern Ireland’s most scenic routes.

“We encouraged all abilities to take part and the range of people who came out for the inaugural 10-mile race was fantastic to see.

“We had glorious sunshine but windy conditions which made it both a beautiful but challenging race so each participant should be unbelievably proud of themselves.

“We are extremely grateful to Kilwaughter Minerals for its support in making this race happen and we’re sure that by working together, our future events will be even more of a hit with running enthusiasts nationwide.”

Elaine Gilligan, marketing manager at Kilwaughter Minerals, who lead the athlete presentation ceremonies, said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to team up with Larne Athletic Club for this inaugural event and to also be there on the day to witness its success. We would like to extend congratulations to everyone involved for organising a fantastic event for runners and spectators alike, and to those phenomenal athletes who took part.”

A 5K race also took place, with Gavin McCaffrey, Conor O’Rawe, and Ross Mercer coming in first, second, and third respectively in the men’s race. Sarah Lavery, Natasha Henderson, and Erin Beattie were first, second, and third respectively in the women’s 5K.

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