Newcastle AC
ARGUABLY the most difficult and technically challenging race of the Hill and Dale Series, the Loughshannagh Horseshoe is a perennial favourite with all ages and abilities. This year, athletes took on the course in an anti-clockwise direction, climbing Carn first. Then it was Doan, Loughshannagh before Ott and the dash for home.
Despite the poor weather in the days leading up to the race, the rapidly growing band of Hill and Dale enthusiasts were undeterred as evidenced in the 300+ pre-registered entries and the 276 registrations last Thursday night. It was difficult to predict what lay in store for the athletes as there was a changeable feel about the weather. With safety as the key priority, Ronnie and Miley were fastidious in checking the kit to make sure that everyone was prepared for all eventualities.
Dark clouds were looming over Carn and Ott and race time approached. Thankfully, the rain did not come and at one point, the sun even made an appearance as if to endorse the efforts of the race directors. With parking at a premium along a main road, it was important to manage the traffic. The Prophet was busy marking out overtaking areas, but his talents were needed elsewhere. Who could he possibly recruit to show reserve, tact and Kissinger-like diplomacy?
There was only one man suitably qualified for that role, Audey. If ever a man was made for a job. He was overheard saying, “No sir, I think it would be inappropriate for you to leave your vehicle there”, “Yes madam, that would be an apposite place to park” and “You may cause obstruction if you used that space.” Meanwhile, David Lowery was maximising every inch of space on the road down to Spelga, ensuring that there was no more than a six-inch gap between the cars. A big thank you to all the traffic marshals who did a sterling job.
With the final race instructions issued, Uncle Frank blew the whistle, and it was time to go. While the runners scampered towards Ott, the volunteers made an even quicker dash for the registration van, where artisan hand-crafted deep-filled sandwiches were waiting. These were served with freshly brewed organic tea and hand-reared coffee.
At the head of the race, an all too familiar story was unfolding. Buoyed by his successes in recent weeks, Tom Crudgington distanced himself from his main challengers early on and opened a sizeable and unassailable lead. In around 36 minutes, he appeared on the top of Ott and began his final descent to the finish line. With remarkable speed and balance, Crudgington safely negotiated the soggy uneven ground to win by quite a distance in a very impressive time (38:33).
The race for second was much closer, with Mark Stephens managing to hold off the fast-finishing Ashley Crutchley in his first Hill and Dale outing of the season. Rebecca Magee was the first female home in 31st place overall, just over a minute ahead of Karen Wilton who is having an excellent season in the mountains. Esther Dickson completed the female podium.
