Spartan duo win at Gransha

The Open 6K was the feature race on the four race programme and catered for the U20’s, Masters and Seniors with the men and women all lining up together on a cold but generally dry December morning. Underfoot was on the sticky side given the recent wet weather and the 2K Gransha lap although mainly flat, included three small inclines which over the full distance definitely boosted the degree of difficulty on the day.

Foyle Valley’s Scott Rankin bolted off from the gun and quickly opened a 15 metre gap on the red vest dominated chasing group. Going into the second lap, however Rankin was just inside the top ten as the eventual three podium placers, Bradley and his fellow Spartans, Declan Reed and Greg Roberts led the way just ahead of a still bunched group of chasers. This trio were always moving well and Bradley’s sustained pace up front allowed him to stretch out to an eight second winning margin ahead of Reed who got home just a single second in front of Roberts.

Behind the top three the battle was on for the other three scoring places on the City of Derry team. JP Williamson was always going to take the U20 top spot and he cemented fourth overall with a strong second lap and held off clubmates Emmett McGinty and the fast finishing M40 winner Colin Roberts, as the trio finished within four seconds of each other to complete the leading sextet. This gave the red vests an unchallengable finishing points total of 21 and a handsome team victory.

Spare a thought for seventh placed Noel Logan who faded badly in the closing stages, dropping two places and missing out on the Spartans’ scoring sextet.

North Belfast Harrier Alan O’Hara was eight, ahead of yet another Spartan, Paddy mhor Doherty and the top ten was completed by Pius McIntyre of Foyle Valley.

Catherine Lilburn in fourth place was the leading local finisher in the Womens race moving through from sixth after the first lap for fourth at the finish line. This run comes hot on the heels of her good effort at the previous weekends National Novice in Kildare and supported by Marina Campbell sixth; Jackie McGinley tenth and Sarah Mahon 14th the female Spartans edged a strong North Down squad for the team win.

Cathy McCourt is a frequent visitor to the North West and once again the North Belfast Harrier made her presence felt with a strong winning run on Saturday. She was matched for most of the first two laps by newcomer Fionnuala Ross but a storming final lap gave her a 14 second advantage at the finish line. The unattached Ross impressed everyone with her excellent run and finished a further 15 seconds clear of third placer, Patricia O’Hagan of St Peter’s AC.

Category awards in the Womens race went to North Down duo Stephanie Hambling F40 and Roberta Dornan F35; Anne Stanford of Newcastle AC F45 and the Spartans pair of Hannah McGowan U20 and Una Gavin F50.

Colin Roberts was the top M40; Alan O’Hara the M35 winner; Domnic Bonner of Finn Valley took the M50; Springwell’s Gerry Doherty the M55 and Francis Boal of Lagan Valley the M60. City of Derry men Declan McCarthy and Christy Mcmonagle were the M45 and M65 winners and JP Williamson topped the male U20 rankings.

The three Juvenile races were also hotly contested and among the notable pereformances were those of the Boys U17 winner Connor Christie of Springwell and the Spartan’s Connor Breslin, 4th in that 3K race. Amy Jackson was the top U17 girls finisher and another Spartan who impressed was Matt Doherty, runner up in the Boys U15 2K.

Promoting club City of Derry Spartans wish to thank sponsors the Foyle Valley Wine Club; the WHSCT for permission to use the Gransha grounds and facilities; U3A Foyle for their premisses; St Johns Ambulance service for their presence and all the club members and friends who worked hard to make the event possible.