April 2016 Seapark parkrun round-up

2 April

Lots of great photos where taken by Neill ‘I’m not doing a parkrun unless there’s a half marathon after it’ Harper at Carrickfergus on 2^nd April.  Ian Cleland, Jonathan Preuss (on his 2^nd parkrun and with a parkrun PB of 19:24), Charlie McCormick, Robert Steele (parkrun PB of 21:19), Jonathan Beattie, Gary Craig (course PB of 25:43), Derek Kane (50^th parkrun), Sara Johnston (parkrun PB of 27:04), Rebecca Tester (parkrun PB of 27:49), Michael ‘Nessie’ Kane, Jennifer Jackson (on her 3^rd parkrun and with a parkrun PB of 29:36), Julie-Ann Mitchell & Emma Pearson all ran the event.

And since it was Derek Kane’s 50^th parkrun there had to be cake.

Not only was this event special for being Derek’s 5o^th parkrun it was special for being the first time that Michael Kane has been photographed with both feet of the ground.  Ah, you thought I was going to say it was special because Michael Kane actually turned up to a parkrun.  Well, there is that.

For the tourism we had Bobbie Irvine, Nicola Irvine (1^st run there and with a parkrun PB of 26:16) and Karen Waring (course PB of 26:18) at Queens.

Iain Hunter ran his 1^st parkrun at Stormont.

Valley was attended by Trevor Lamb (75^th parkrun), Alan Poag (1^st run at Valley), Karen McMaster (course PB 31:00) & Alyn McChesney (3^rd parkrun and 1^st at Valley).

Trevor even ran all the way back to Carrickfergus from Valley (12.4K/7.7 miles) just to get a slice of Derek’s cake.

While at Victoria there was Robert Murray (course PB 20:46) and Glenda Murray.

9th April

On 9^th Bobbie Irvine, Charlie McCormick, Richard Hetherington, Nicola Irvine (50^th parkrun), Philip Poag, Neill Harper, Julie-Ann Mitchell and Karen Poag attended the home parkrun of Carrickfergus.

There was quite a bit of tourism on the 9^th (thanks to the “22 challenge within a challenge” which appears to be to complete the 22 before anyone else).  Separkers attended ten (yes, ten) different NI parkruns, including Carrickfergus (plus one in England) on 9^th April.

At Antrim parkrun there was Derek Kane (1^st run at Antrim) & Alan Poag (1^st run at Antirm).

While Ecos was attended by Robert Murray (1^st run at Ecos with a parkrun PB of 20:36), Karen Waring (1^st run at Ecos) and Glenda Murray (1^st run at Ecos).

Ormeau had Seaparkers Mark Welsh (1^st run at Ormeau), Alison Welsh (1^st run at Ormeau with a parkrun PB of 27:09) & Ann McCracken (PB for Ormeau with 28:06).

While Gareth Hamil and Colin McCrum attended Victoria.

Five other members held the flag for Seapark (when are we going to get real Seapark flags?) at parkrun events.  Ronald Simms at Citypark, Gary Craig at Queens (1^st run at Queens), Allan Grant at Valley, Rebecca Tester at Colin Glen (1^st run at Colin Glen) and Marie Nicholson at Waterworks.

While over in England Gavin Irvine took part in the Hull parkrun.

16th April.

Jonathan Beattie, Richard Hetherington, Lynda Shannon, Danielle Hamilton (1^st ever parkrun), Beverley Kernoghan (parkrun PB of 30:24), Susan Kane (course PB of 30:59) and Brendan Rice all attended Carrickfergus on 16^th.

Bobbie Irvine, Neill ‘I’m getting used to the idea of just doing a parkrun without a race after it’ Harper (1^st run here) and Nicola Irvine (course PB of 28:34) all went to Comber for a sneaky parkrun prior to Bobbie and Nicola doing the B2R Castle Ward 10K.  Jimmy Olsen didn’t run Castle Ward but took lots of kick ass photos instead.

For those that didn’t attend Castle Ward there was Antrim (Alyn McChesney on his 1^st run there), Colin Glen (Karen Waring on her 1^st run there), Ormeau (Ann McCracken), Stormont (Iain Hunter with a course PB of 20:21, Alan Poag on his 1st run there, Gary Craig on his 1st run there & Julie Kelly, also on her 1st run there & with a parkrun PB of 27:57), Valley (Robert Murray with course PB of 21:26, Karen McMaster & Glenda Murray), Waterworks (Derek Kane for his 1^st time there) and Hull (Gavin Irvine).

23th April

It was another good turnout for Carrickfergus parkrun on 23^rd April.

Ian Cleland was the first Seaparker home and he was followed by Richard Hetherington, Robert Steel, Gillian Strudwick (with a parkrun PB of 23:26), Andrew Smyth (with a course PB of 24:10), Julie-Ann Mitchell, Jonathan Beattie and Colin McCrum.

Six other NI parkruns where attended by Seapark on 23^rd April.  Derek Kane was the first member of the 22 group to go to Falls this year (1^st run at Falls), Ann McCracken and Karen McMaster went to Ormeau, Ronald Simms ran at Wallace, Nicola Irvine completed her 1^st run at Valley and Waterworks was attended by both Alison Welsh and Alyn McChesney (1^st run at Waterworks).

The first members of the 22 group to attempt Larne for Andy’s parkrun challenge where Allan Grant and Trevor Lamb.   Yes, I know Bobbie Irvine, Nicola Irvine, Glenda Murray and Robert Murray did the Larne parkrun course on 19^th March, but it was the week before Andy’s parkrun challenge started so they’ll have to do it again for it to be counted for Andy’s challenge.  Phil Mone was the 1^st Seaparker at Larne (1^st run at Larne and with a parkrun PB of 22:24) and he was followed by Allan ‘Shoelaces’ Grant (with a course PB of 25:58) and Trevor Lamb (also with a course PB of 26:40).  This is the 2^nd time Trevor has done Larne.  The 1^st time (prior to joining Seapark) he got his slowest time for a parkrun with 31:24, so Seapark training must be working.

Three of the five London marathons attended a parkrun in London the day before the marathon.  At Burgess we had Gavin Irvine (1^st run at Burgess) and Bobbie Irvine (1^st run at Burgess), while Southwark was attended by Robert Murray (1^st run at Southwark) plus someone who didn’t want to miss out on a parkrun, Glenda Murray (1^st run at Southwark).

30th April

On the last Saturday of April at Carrickfergus we had the latest Jog graduation.  In attendance where William Jenkins, Jonathan Preuss, Allan Grant, Sara Johnston, Danielle Hamilton, Karen McMaster, Julie-Ann Mitchell, Beverley Kenoghan, Laura Laverty, Toma Gerasimaite and Karen Waring.

Jonathan Beattie, Mark Welsh and Alison Welsh made the short journey to Valley.

Alan Poag  (1^st run at the course), Derek Kane (1^st run at the course) and Alyn McChesney (1^st run at the course) followed in the footsteps of giants and went to Larne.

Ann McCracken returned to Ormeau, Robert and Glenda Murray both went to Craigavon (1st time for each of them), while Julie Kelly and Michael Kane travelled to Bangor for their 1^st run each at Ward Park.

Not one to miss out on a parkrun Trevor Lamb attended Princes parkrun in Liverpool and achieved a time 25:33.  This is Trevor’s 4th fastest 5K time and fastest in the last 7 months.  It is noteworthy that the park was one mile away from where Trevor once lived and yet this was his first time to this park.  Though he could have told you where all the bars where back then.

Race to 100

It’s getting really really close.

Karen McMaster (AKA Team Chair) is at 79 parkruns as off 30/04/16.
Allan Grant (AKA Team Barcode) is at 77 parkruns as off 30/04/16.
Trevor Lamb (AKA Team Wolf) is at 77 parkruns as off 30/04/16.
Glenda Murray (AKA Team Devious) is at 77 parkruns as off 30/04/16.

#Raceto100

Seapark charity parkrun challenge

We now have 18 confirmed participants for the 22 NI parkrun challenge as Nicola Irvine has joined Seapark AC and the 22 challenge.

As of 30/04/16 there are 36 parkruns left to the end of the year (if you count Christmas Day).  Plenty of time to do all 22.

Derek Kane (14)
Antrim, Carrickfergus, Comber, Ecos, Falls, Larne, Limavady, Ormeau, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria, Wallace & Waterworks.

Glenda Murray (14)
Antrim, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Comber, Craigavon, Ecos, Larne, Ormeau, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria, Wallace & Waterworks.

Bobbie Irvine (13)
Antrim, Carrickfergus, Citypark, Comber, Ecos, Larne, Ormeau, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria, Wallace & Waterworks.

Karen Waring (13)
Antrim, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Colin Glen, Comber, Ecos, Ormeau, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria, Wallace & Waterworks.

Allan Grant (12)
Antrim, Carrickfergus, Comber, Cookstown, Larne, Ormeau, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria, Wallace & Waterworks.

Nicola Irvine (12)
Antrim, Carrickfergus, Citypark, Comber, Ecos, Larne, Ormeau, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria & Wallace.

Trevor Lamb (12)
Antrim, Carrickfergus, Comber, Ecos, Larne, Ormeau, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria, Wallace & Waterworks.

Alan Poag (11)
Antrim, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Ecos, Larne, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria, Wallace & Waterworks.

Robert Murray (10)
Antrim, Carrickfergus, Craigavon, Ecos, Larne, Queens, Valley, Victoria, Wallace & Waterworks.

Alison Welsh (9)
Bangor, Carrickfergus, Ecos, Ormeau, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria & Waterworks.

Julie Kelly (7) 
Bangor, Ecos, Queens, Stormont, Valley, Victoria & Waterworks.

Rebecca Tester (7)
Antrim, Armagh, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Colin Glen, Ecos & Victoria.

Geraldine Kane (5)
Ecos, Queens, Valley, Victoria & Wallace.

Michael Kane (5) 
Bangor, Carrickfergus, Ecos, Victoria & Wallace.

Mark Welsh (5)
Bangor, Ecos, Ormeau, Valley & Victoria.

Colin McCrum (3)
Antrim, Carrickfergus & Victoria.

Megan Kane (0)

Carol Woods (0) 

The two charities are Brainwaves NI and Macmillian Cancer Support. Remember that if each of the two charities reaches the £2500 target then Michael Kane and Trevor Lamb will get their legs waxed and then run a 10K with nice waxed legs. You know that the suffering of others will make you feel better so dig deep.

Just Giving

#AllNIparkruns2016.

Andy’s parkrun challenge 2016.

March saw the return of Andy’s parkrun challenge. Between 26/03/16-29/10/16 participants have 32 weeks to complete three different parkruns, plus volunteer at Carrickfergus at least once. The parkruns are Carrickfergus, Larne and the third one will be any of the participants own choosing. Age grade percentage will decide the winner.

#APC2016