Rain fails to dampen Duncan’s spirits

Despite the persistent rain for much of action, there was a real buzz around the Derry City Council organised annual event.

Close to 1,200 runners took on the Half Marathon and it was won for the fourth year in a row by Omagh Harrier Stephen Duncan, who came back from a lengthy injury absence to outstay City of Derry’s Declan Reed and Noel Logan.

The defending champion finally shook off Reed’s long term challange to post a winning 68 minutes and 53 seconds with the Spartan not far behind on 69 minutes and 4 seconds.

Logan improved significantly on last year’s run to post a new personal best of 72 minutes even in third spot and with clubmate Emmet McGinty fourth on 72 minutes and 11 seconds the red vests at least had the consolation of easily picking up the team honours, ahead of North West rivals Letterkenny and Foyle Valley.

Donegal based Fiona Stack was an impressive womens race winner, clocking a useful 82 minutes and 20 seconds to finish clear of City of Derry’s Marina Campbell on 85 minutes and 17 seconds and Lifford’s Claire McGuigan who posted 87 minutes and 40 seconds with a gutsy performance.

The female Spartans emulated their male counterparts and claimed the team award, comfortably clear of Foyle Valley and Springwell. Campbell was joined by Miriam Bridge and Sarah Mahon in the successful trio, the latter pair clocking 95 minutes and 37 seconds and 96 minutes and 4 seconds to seal the win.

The radically revised course proved popular among most of the runners and in the post race conversations PB’s were regularly mentioned.

The marshalling and overall good vibe around the Waterside also got the thumbs up from the participants, many of whom were taking on the distance for the first time.

In fact the number of runners taking part via the 3 Person Team relay was encouraging as 37 teams were recorded among the finishers and with close to 400 also participating in the 10 Mile walk and the Fun run it was a great day for healthy exercise.

First across the finish line was Wheelchair athlete Jim Corbett who with a two minute earlier green flag, posted 71 minutes and 39 seconds to lead home the large field and Inishowen man Karol Doherty was the wheelchair runner up with a 83 minutes and 10 seconds clocking. Duncan, Reed, Logan and McGinty followed Corbett across the line, with two Belfast runners next, Annadale’s Stephen McGrory and North Belfast’s Edward Cooke, posting times of 72 minutes and 55 seconds and 73 minutes and 3 seconds.

Ballymena Runners Iain Taggart on 73 minutes and 48 seconds was next and then Pius McIntyre for Foyle Valley on 74 minutes and 28 seconds in eight.

The top ten was completed by the M50 winner the legendry Tommy Hughes for North Belfast on 74 minutes and 46 seconds and the former Sperrin Harrier Delfim Pimentel with 75 minutes and 33 seconds.

McIntyre combined with Chris McGuinness 14th in 76 minutes and 39 seconds and Ryan Snodgrass 23rd and a new PB of 78 minutes and 58 seconds, to edge out North Belfast for team bronze but both were just pipped by the Letterkenny trio of Paul McGinley 11th, Michael Black 12th and in 17th Brian Thursby Pelham.

Declan Reed and Noel Logan successfully defended their top local and Waterside crowns; Marina Campbell did the same as the leading female local with Foyle Valley’s Martina McMullan doing really well on 93 minutes and 40 seconds, to clinch the top local female master award, the F40 age group win and lead her clubmates Denise McElhone and Sandra McKeever to the team runners up prize.

Damien McGinty ran 76 minutes and 39 seconds for 13th overall to take the top local Master award and M50 runners up spot. Donna Philson was another impressive performer on the day, sixth overall female finisher in 91 minutes and 22 seconds and the leading Waterside female finisher to boot,

There was the expected M65 win for Christy McMonagle who coasted to a 90 minutes and 38 seconds age group success. James Crampsey ran 77 minutes and 51 seconds for scond M45 and both Ryan Snodgrass and Sandra McKeever claimed third spots in the M45 and F40 categories.

Strabane runner Ken Jones won the M75 category, still going strong at 78 years of age!

Olympic triathlete Aileen Morrison was the guest starter for all the Waterside events, a task she shared with Councillor Brenda Stevenson and the local star later joined the Mayor Councillor Kevin Campbell at the awards presentation in the U3A Foyle premisses in the heart of the Gransha grounds.