Spartans' Dessie's Run double joy

CITY of Derry Spartans duo Gregory Roberts and Marina Campbell stormed to convincing individual Spar Dessie's Run wins at a very blustery Gransha on Sunday and for good measure led their respective squads to equally comfortable team victories, as the annnual 10K road race in memory of the former Sparta club captain Dessie McNulty yet again proved to be a big success.

While the turn out was not as big as was anticipated, due in some measure perhaps to the dodgy weekend weather there was a real buzz around the three lap Gransha circuit and the participants and spectators were treated to a very professionally staged event by the local club in association with Athletics NI and 10K Series sponsor Spar.

In fact despite the windswept conditions the event finished in bright sunshine and the new spectator friendly, grass finish area proved a big hit.

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Impressive winner Greg Roberts was tracked for the first 4K or so by top National level Master athlete David Morwood of Annadale Striders, but the Spartan was away and clear by 5K and battled his way to a winning 30m 53s clocking as he improved on his runners up spot from last year.

He was looking for something quicker as he builds for October's Dublin Marathon but in the conditions and on his own up front, this was a good effort.

Morwood who turns 40 soon was a distant but unchallenged second with 31m 38s but the battle for the remaining podium place was an absorbing contest between another top M40 Colin Roberts and 20-year-old Scott Rankin, who had impressed all summer in the Furey Insurances 5K Series.

There was little in it all the way but the more experienced Spartan carved out a seven second finish line margin over the Foyle Valley emerging talent, posting 33m 12s to his rivals 33m 19s to claim third spot.

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There was another two way battle for the next finishing places with the red vested pair Brendan Murphy and Paddy Mor Doherty engaged in a race long tussle which also went right to the line.

Murphy did just enough to edge out his clubmate, prevailing by just two seconds, 33m 53s to 33m 55s. Doherty took the M35 category and Murphy was rewarded with a share of the winning men's team prize alongside the Roberts boys and Doherty. Filling out the top six was the leading Male U20, Willowfield's Ryan Holt who outran some more experienced athletes with a 34m 57s clocking.

While Marina Campbell was a very impressive Women's race winner, clocking a new Personal Best of 39m 46s in the process with a strong determined effort in the difficult conditions.

This was perhaps her best performance since last winter's Ulster Novice cross country championship individual win and indicates her potential provided she continues to build on her training loads.

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Way behind the local woman were the Springwell pair, Gemma Turley and Gillian Wasson but their 41m 18s and 41m 26s clockings posed no threat to the front running Spartan.

Next female finisher was Jackie McGinley on 41m34s followed by North Belfast Harrier Louise Smith on 41m 47s and in sixth was the unattached Joanne Curran on 43m 44s.

McGinley claimed the Female O40 prize, North Downs Jill Aicken with 44m 25s was the leading F35 finisher, Bridgeen Byrne ran 45m 38s for first F45 and Una Gavin posted 48m 47s to claim her first ever F50 award. Campbell, McGinley, Byrne and Ciara Fraser with 47m14s combined to take the womens team prize ahead of Innishowen.

The Foyle Valley mens quartet of Scott Rankin, Chris McGuinness 12th, Ryan Snodgrass 15th, and Barry Smyth 18th combined for the mens team runners up award and the other male age group winners were:

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M40, Paul McCafferty on 36m 50s; M45, Gerry Duddy, on 35m 8s; M50, Dermot Connolly on 37m 35s; M55, Springwell's Gerry O'Doherty on 39m 40s; M60, Finn Valley's Jim Shields on 41m 16s; M65, Springwell's Jim Platt on 46m 40s; M70, Duncairn Nomads Michael Spotswood on 55m 1s.

The extensive prize list was presented by local Spar proprieter Stephen Kelly, Athletics NI President John Glover and representing the McNulty family, Margaret McNulty at the post race reception in Oakgrove Integrated College, where showers, changing and refreshments were available.