Solid display from East Coast’s Hewitt at Hill and Dale race

Members of East Coast Athletic Club's relay teams at the recent Belfast City Marathon. INLT 20-913-CON

Hewitt impressed in his first outing in this year’s series when he took 23rd place in 26:55. Smyth, who has completed each race to date, climbed well to finish in 37:19 (150th).

On Saturday, experienced mountain runner, Corey Urwin travelled to ‘Dunnywater’, for the Annalong Horseshoe mountain race which covers 21k, with approximately 1,550 metres of accumulative ascent.

On what was a challenging course, and faced with stiff competition, Urwin didn’t fail to impress. He claimed 25th spot, timing 2:44:23 for the distance which also secured 2nd place in the M45 category.

Earlier that day, Paul Clements travelled to Cookstown for the Darkness Into Light 5k where he ran 21:45 to secure an impressive sixth-place finish.

Jacque Craig took part in the East Antrim Marathon Series 10k – no times are available at the time of going to press.

At the Belfast City Marathon, which took place on May 4, Andy Guy was given the role of official three-hour pacer and crossed the finish line in 3:00:55. Although not racing, he was placed 58th overall (12th, M40 category).

East Coast AC members made up a total of six teams in the popular relay event which consisted of five legs ranging between 3.4 and 7.1 miles.

The first team home were the ‘East Coast Dreamers’ made up of Stephen Smyth, Glenda Girvin, James Robinson, Iain Bailie and John Steele; they completed the 26.2 miles in 3:17:33 which secured them 47th overall and 14th in the mixed relay category.

The ‘Robertson Jammers’, made up of Sandy Plumb, Paul and Hannah Clements, Alex Robertson, William Gallagher and Brian Maltman, followed just over 10 minutes later in 3:28:13, claiming 88th place overall and 47th in the male relay category.

Team ‘Youth Inspirations’ comprised of Corey Urwin and friends, finished next in 3:49:18 (269th overall, 112th male relay team). They were followed by Helen Stranney’s ‘Woodside Wonders’ who clocked 3:50:41 (295th). Karl Joyce and David Finlay both ran well in their team ‘#2Slow2Furious’ which finished 1,388th in 4:39:40 (948th mixed team), before Catherine McClelland’s team ‘Balls and Dolls’ finished in a time of 4:53:21 (1,617th place, 1,093rd mixed team).