Sparta pair have winning weekend in North West

Connor Bradley, centre, winner of the SSE Airtricity 10K at Ebrington. Also included, are Scott Rankin second, on right, and Declan Reed third on left.

The Spartans duo heading the respective fields at Saturday’s Roe Valley Trail Run and the SSE Airtricity 10K on Sunday.

The latter event, new to the local athletics calendar, attracted close to 400 participants to Ebrington Square with a healthy mix of club and recreational runners, including many budding SSE Airtricity Walled City Marathoners.

Connor Bradley and Lifford AC star Anne Marie McGlynn took the main honours, clocking winning times of 31 minutes and 56 seconds and 35 minutes and 16 seconds, pretty useful running on what was a testing out-and-back course with several demanding climbs at crucial sections of the 10K course.

Saturday in Limavady saw Allan Bogle easily win the Roe Valley Trail run, the specialist all-terrain runner clocking an impressive 27 minutes and 31 seconds as he soloed to victory.

Ballymena’s M45 Matt Wray’s 29 minutes and 47 seconds was the next best time on the day as Bogle’s class gave him a comfortable win.

Promoting club Springwell produced the women’s race winner, Karen McLaughlin whose 36m 41s clocking left her well ahead of the opposition.

To Ebrington on Sunday and the first of two warm-up races for the June SSE Airtricity Walled City Marathon saw just shy of 370 finishers at the SSE Airtricity 10K.

On a testing out-and-back course flanking both sides of the river, the big field took in the Ebrington site, St Columb’s Park, the Peace Bridge, the Foyle Walkway and a short incursion into Bay Road.

It was mild, mainly dry with a breeze on occasions but thankfully much better than the dismal midweek weather.

From the off the fast men, Connor Bradley, Scott Rankin, Declan Reed, Emmett McGinty and Adrian McGowan took command and went through the 5K turn on Bay Road tightly grouped in 16 minutes dead.

Bradley, Rankin and Reed got away on the return leg before Bradley pushed hard to exit St Columb’s Park in the lead and set-up his victory, 31 minutes and 56 seconds, over the fast finishing Rankin 31 minutes and 59 seconds, with Reed third on 32 minutes and 11 seconds.

McGinty who did a lot of the early pace was next on 32 minutes and 32 seconds with McGowan fifth on 32 minutes and 49 seconds.

The times would testify to the tough nature of the course, particularly the climbs back up off the Peace Bridge and out of St Columb’s Park but it was a good battle for the honours nevertheless.

Anne Marie McGlynn’s 35 minutes and 16 seconds winning effort was, however, a distance PB and the flying Lifford runner actually finished sixth overall with this powerful run.

Her clubmate Natasha Adams also had a good one for the runners-up spot in 36 minutes and 31 seconds, and the Donegal club duo were home alone, third placer Ita Kelly of Omagh Harriers was clocked at 44 minutes and 19 seconds.