Tuesday evening’s handicap, named by the Chairman ‘The Bank Heads Handicap’ (credit where credit’s due, when Billy engages the little grey cells – imagine someone cranking an old banger into life with a starting handle – it’s amazing how he always manages to conjure up something original), was run over a course which, while new, was also over roads and paths that most, if not all, of the runners in the clubs were very familiar with.
The race, the 7th in the club’s 2022/23 handicap series, started on the Coast Rd beside Drains Bay car park, from where the runners headed into Larne to the top of the Promenade. Here each runner was faced with a choice: –
- Continue along the Glenarm Rd to the Bank Heads Lane where a right turn would take them to the top of the Snake and down onto the Promenade. Once on the Promenade a left turn would see them returning to the Coast Rd for the run back to Drains Bay car park; or
- Head straight down onto the Promenade and on to the bottom of the Snake for the climb up to the Bank Heads Lane, then down this Lane to the Glenarm Rd and the right turn back to Drains Bay.
Whatever option the runners plumped for they would do so secure in the knowledge that neither option offered any advantage with regard to the elevation gain over the length of the course.
Following some last minute withdrawals and one late entry, a total of twenty-two competitors set off from Drains Bay for the outward leg into Larne. With a cerulean sea to the runners’ left, a Manchester City-blue sky above them and a slight breeze to cool them conditions for the race were just about perfect – well, they were for the timers and supporters sitting in Drains Bay car park who didn’t have to worry about overheating or dehydration.
Initial reports from our eye in the sky reporter (I just made that up) suggested that Heather, who was the first to start, was taking full advantage of her handicap rating and maintaining a clear lead over the chasing runners, but Diane, who had started more than eight minutes behind her, was making steady progress and was already looking like the main threat to a first handicap success for Heather. Meanwhile, behind the two ladies, three old farts (Sean, Billy and Paul T if you haven’t worked it out) were rapidly (a relative term in this instance) making their way through the field, proving that there really can be life in an old dog.
By the way, for anyone interested in skin protection advice about running in sunny conditions, it’s worth noting that Billy, as part of his skin-care regime, has now moved on from using Cherry Blossom Light Tan, going straight to using Cherry Blossom Dark Tan as his everyday moisturiser. And the point of this little story? If you want skin-care advice, talk to Arlene not Billy. Having digressed from writing about the race I may as well give you a fashion tip as well – don’t ask Jackie for fashion advice. Wearing a pair of your wife’s cut-down jeans for shorts is not a good look.
Back to running. Almost thirty-two minutes after Will, the last runner to be given the off, was released by the starter the first returning runner came into view again and even with four hundred metres still to run it was apparent to the people gathered at the finish that Heather, for it was she, was going to cross the line comfortably ahead of the second placed runner. However, even at this late stage, exactly who would fill the runner-up spot was still to be decided, but in the end Diane just managed to hold off a fast finishing Sean by five seconds, with Billy and Paul T filling the fourth and fifth places.
Completing the top six places was Ashlynn, who was also the fastest female finisher in a time of 37:55, with the fastest overall time of the day, 33:37, being set by Will in ninth place. Full details of all the times and places are set out in the table below. The fact that the fastest male and female times were set by two of the younger runners bodes well for the club’s future. Having mentioned the club’s younger brigade, it would be invidious of me not to draw attention to the superb performances regularly put up by Paul M, the club’s elder statesman (I’ll not give away his age). His times, particularly over distances ranging from 5km to 10km, regularly see him finishing well in front of runners many years, and often decades, his junior in both Park Runs and Athletics NI regulated races.
With hindsight, it is obvious that the handicaps allotted to some of the runners, notably Allan and Karl, were a little on the harsh while for Katie and Chris the distance of the race was in all likelihood a step too far given how little running they would have been able to do over the past few months. Apologies all round.
Finally, thanks to Jackie and Rhonda for the tea, coffee and goodies; to Diane for organising and purchasing the prizes; to Jackie, Kirsty, Ruth and Bethany for their help with the timing, to Leah for marshalling; and to all those who turned out to support and encourage the runners.
| Number | Name | H’cap | Race Time | Corrected Time |
| 1 | Heather Graham | 00:00 | 53:12 | 53:12 |
| 2 | Diane Hawthorne | 08:20 | 53:55 | 45:35 |
| 3 | Sean McAllister | 19:50 | 54:00 | 34:10 |
| 4 | Billy Thompson | 20:00 | 54:26 | 34:26 |
| 5 | Paul Tilson | 18:55 | 54:52 | 35:57 |
| 6 | Ashlynn Rodgers | 17:00 | 54:55 | 37:55 |
| 7 | Julie Allen | 13:45 | 54:57 | 41:12 |
| 8 | Emmett Woods | 17:20 | 55:03 | 37:43 |
| 9 | Will Barham | 21:30 | 55:07 | 33:37 |
| 10 | Paul Magill | 12:00 | 55:11 | 43:11 |
| 11 | Laura Brennan | 12:20 | 55:12 | 42:52 |
| 12 | David Johnston | 19:15 | 55:34 | 36:19 |
| 13 | Bobby Garrett | 19:40 | 55:46 | 36:06 |
| 14 | Michelle McIntosh | 11:40 | 55:51 | 44:11 |
| 15 | Tommy Linton | 15:00 | 56:03 | 41:03 |
| 16 | Gail Montgomery | 05:50 | 56:10 | 50:20 |
| 17 | Helen Stirling | 13:10 | 56:27 | 43:17 |
| 18 | Chris Steele | 15:45 | 56:37 | 40:52 |
| 19 | Katie Allen | 13:45 | 56:46 | 43:01 |
| 20 | Rhonda Wallace | 09:20 | 57:54 | 48:34 |
| 21 | Allan McCullough | 18:35 | 58:31 | 39:56 |
| 22 | Karl Simpson | 12:30 | 60:38 | 48:08 |