While ‘Fell’ in England or ‘Mountain’ running in Ireland has been around for decades it was only in the 70’s that formal associations came about with the establishment of the Fell Runners Association in England in 1970 and much later NIFRA now NIMRA in the North and the Irish Mountain Running Association in the South.
Armagh had two races dating from the early days - Slieve Gullion from about 1971 or thereabouts and Camlough a little later.
MOURNE WALL WALK
The Mourne Wall Walk brought together various interested individuals from athletics, orienteering and mountain climbing. The Mourne Wall event was a mass participation mountain walk over all 22 miles of the Mourne Wall climbing all the peaks in the Mournes and was organised by YHANI. By the time the event was abandoned it had been attracting up to 3000 participants and the consequent damage to the environment by so many feet had led to protests by environmentalists.
However an ad hoc race for runners had been taking place informally with the walk and I first came across this in my first walking attempt in the mid 70’s which took me almost 10 hours!! I later ran it in 5 hours 26 minutes.
Another early race was Knocklayd starting in Ballycastle. Eventually I managed to persuade a few more members of the club to try these new races and eventually between the late 70’s and mid 80’s there were up to 15 Armagh AC athletes competing in a range of mountain events particularly the shorter non-navigational ones like Cavehill and Scrabo Tower.
In 1982 Denis Kerr set an amazing record in winning the Cavehill and his time then of 14 minutes 14 seconds stood for many years. He eventually won it again about 10 years later.
Dermot Kerr made his mark winning Scrabo Tower decisively on two occasions with a best time of 19 minutes 56 seconds in 1982.
Brian Kane was another Armagh runner who won some races notably the old Slieve Gullion event which was an 8 mile race over the mountain road where he eventually set a new record of 66 minutes in 1980. He also recorded the best club time in the Camlough Mountain race with a winning time of 31 minutes.
FLAGSTAFF TO CARLINGFORD
In 1979 Jim Finnegan and myself explored the Cooley Mountain range and Slieve Foye following an old Mountain Walks Book and from this set up the first Flagstaff to Carlingford race in 1980.
While today the race has attracted at times over 60 runners the earlier races were lucky to break into double figures. The race has always been one of the most enigmatic races on the mountain running calendar presenting as it does serious navigational and weather problems. It challenges the best of orienteers and the bizarre summer weather conditions have led to a number of cases of severe hypothermia due to the sudden drop in temperature which can occur. Navigation problems have led to some of the best mountain runners going seriously astray despite years of experience of the mountain. The complexity and diversity of the terrain between the Cooley’s and Slieve Foye has made it a favourite for orienteers with many major championship and challenge events taking place over the years including the All Irelands. One memorable year there was a heavy snowfall just before the race completely obliberating all features – this was on May 30th!!
The explanation for the weather is easily enough explained by the location of the mountain range in direct line of the prevailing winds travelling uninterrupted from the Atlantic until hitting the Cooley’s leaving them mist shrouded and prone to heavy rain most of the year even when the sun is shining in the Mourne’s.
The race standard has risen over the year and while the current record has stood for a long time the overall performance rate continues to rise. In 1983 Dessie Connolly became the first Armagh runner to break the 2 hour barrier recording a time of 1 Hour 57 Minutes and 52 seconds. This stood for many years until Denis Kerr took a couple of minutes off and then in 2005 Kris Muldoon lowered it yet again by another couple of minutes. However in 2006 just over a year ago the 1 Hour 50 minute barrier was broken by two athletes Kris Muldoon and Don Travers with Kris winning in a new Armagh record time of 1 Hour 46 Minutes 29 seconds.
2006 was a quite remarkable year for Armagh AC mountain runners with Don Travers and Kris Muldoon between them completely rewriting the club record books. With their inspiring front running the club team has risen through the ranks of mountain running to regularly claim top places at 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
At the time of writing I have identified no less than 12 club bests for Don Travers in 2006 with another 4 recorded this year. This may well not be his final total. In addition Kris recorded two other top performances to add to his Flagstaff record. Recently Kris won the Donard downhill race!
A FAR CRY
Mountain Running has come a long way from the first Mourne Wall race when Denis Rankin started the race and then hid the stop watch under a rock with the instruction that first home had to retrieve the watch - record their time and then clock in the rest of the runners! Denis and Jim Patterson who were prominent among the early pioneers of the sport are still making an impact as they move through their 60’s proving that mountain runners are made of tough stuff.
A SHORT HISTORICAL REVIEW OF TRACK & FIELD
Track & Field athletics has been an Armagh speciality since the early days of the Armagh City Harrier & Athletic Club founded in 1933 with many Ulster & All Ireland titles and records being established. The formation of the Armagh Athletic Club shortly after 1967 continued that tradition but with one significant difference in that the new club began catering for juveniles as well as seniors. Starting in the early 70’s the club built up a huge reservoir of talent out of which emerged some of the most high achieving athletes in Armagh athletic history some of whom as we shall see continue to ‘make waves’.
Starting in 1973 Peter Finn dominated sprinting up to 800M throughout the 70’s and well into the 1980’s at juvenile, schools, junior, universities and senior & international level establishing a series of times at 100M, 200M, 400M and Junior 800M that still stand out today. In addition he was an important factor in club relay success as well as university relay successes culminating in an Irish Universities 4 x 400M record.
Dermot Kerr, now a member of club for close on 35 years, has club records at a staggering range of distances and still maintains a top level performance level as well as inspiring a new generation of runners through his coaching and leadership. Most recently he recorded the fastest marathon time in the world with a run of 2.31 in Dublin – this still stands as the 4th fastest ever for an O-50year old. He consistently leads team races from the front and is as committed as ever at 51 years of age.
Dermot’s range covers virtually everything from 400M Hurdles where he recorded 58.8 up to Marathon at 2 Hours 26 minutes and some of his club records still rank highly in Irish athletics after a couple of decades most notably his time of 8.55.8 for 3000M Steeplechase. Always a true team runner Dermot featured on many of the club record breaking relay teams including 4 X 400M, 4 X 800M, 4 X 1500M and the Medley Relay.
Fintan McCabe a representative Irish Decathlete as a senior has an impressive list of intact club records right through from his juvenile years in the club first coming to attention as a 12 year old when he long jumped a then All Ireland U-13 record distance of 5M33. Remarkably at the same time we had another young athlete Padraig Haughey jumping the same distance making this a joint club record as well.
These two young athletes belonged to a remarkable group of young athletes which included at times Damian McKinney, Paul McParland, Paul McDowell, Cillian & Niall Vallely, Ronan Oliver, Brian Finnegan, Joe & Anthony Hunter who dominated juvenile competition right up to junior level and then became important members of the successful Armagh AC National League teams throughout the late 80’s and into the 90’s.
The selection of club records updated to the best of my ability focuses in this issue on senior men and next time out I will look at women’s historic results including some of the great performances recorded by athletes such as Siobhan & Sara McGear, Angela Kerr etc and the more recent high achievements of young athletes in the club including notable performers like the Fegan sisters, Kevin McCool, Shane Kerr, Stephen Kerr, Maxl Walmsley etc.
Brian Vallely
July 2007
CLUB MOUNTAIN RUNNING RECORDS – AAC 1980/2007
RACE NAME PERFORMANCE
1980
Old Slieve Gullion Brian Kane 66.00
Camlough Brian Kane 31.00
1981
Mourne Wall Brian Vallely 5 hrs 26.00
1982
Scrabo Tower Dermot Kerr 19.56
Cavehill Denis Kerr 14.14
Moyle Way Brian Vallely 3hrs 10.00
Sierre-Zinal (Switzerland) Brian Vallely 3hrs 45.54
Vouvray-Tanay (France) Brian Vallely 67.55
Sierre-Montana (Switzerland)Brian Vallely 1hr 31.37
Spelga Skyline Brian Vallely 2hrs 40.37
Knocklayd Denis Kerr 47.14
Drinahilly Mt Dermot Kerr 11.38
Elite Class Mourne Mt Marathon
Brian Vallely/Denis Rankin (3rd) 15hrs 28.00
1983
Sl Gullion – Camlough Dessie Conolly 1hr 24.53
Bens of Jura (Inner Hebrides) Brian Vallely 5hrs 45.00
Fermanagh/Cuilcagh Mts Dessie Connolly 3hrs 09.24
Sl Muck Jim Finnegan 53.32
Manx Mt Marathon Brian Vallely 7hrs 11.52
1984
Hen Mountain Dessie Connolly 15.00
2006
Race over the Glens Don Travers 35.29
Slieve Gullion Don Travers 32.13
Knockdu Don Travers 40.24
Binnian to the Top Jason Shevlin 27.50
Slieve Martin Don Travers 36.30
Hen & Cock Don Travers 31.20
Monument Don Travers 63.27
Loughshannagh Horseshoe Kris Muldoon 45.41
Rocky Don Travers 34.49
Meelmore Meelbeg Don Travers 31.25
Donard Commedagh Don Travers 70.48
Donard Forest Kris Muldoon 34.32
Flagstaff Carlingford Kris Muldoon 1hr 46.29
Slieve Donard Don Travers 59.12
Seven Sevens Don Travers 4hrs 35.38
2007
Moughanmore Don Travers 32.00
Annalong Horse Shoe Don Travers 2hrs 18.26
Slieve Bearnagh Don Travers 51.14
Benevenagh Don Travers 56.21
2009
Lurig Challenge Paul McAnespie 32.04
Loughshannagh Kris Muldoon 33.51
2010
Slieve Gullion (new course) Paul McAnespie 37.35
Glenarriff Paul McAnespie 44.21
Castlewellan Forest Kris Muldoon 35.16
SENIOR TRACK & FIELD RECORDS 40 YEAR REVIEW
MEN
EVENT NAME PERF YEAR VENUE
100M Andrew Stevenson 10.70 1990 Mary Peters
200M Andrew Stevenson 21.80 1990 Mary Peters
400M Peter Finn 49.30 1982 Mardyke
800M Ernie Sharpe 1.57.43 1990 Santry
1500M Dermot Kerr 3.54.50 1987 Kapfenberg
3000M Dermot Kerr 8.25.00 1988 Mary Peters
3000M St Chase Dermot Kerr 8.55.80 1986 Mary Peters
1 Mile Dermot Kerr 4.11.70 1980 Australia
5000M Dermot Kerr 14.35.50 1983 Mary Peters
10000M Dermot Kerr 31.13.10 1983 Mary Peters
110M Hurdles Fintan McCabe 15.91 1992 Grangemouth
400M Hurdles Dermot Kerr 58.80 1988 Santry
1500M Walk Anthony Hunter 6.27.37 1989 Mary Peters
1 Mile Walk Anthony Hunter 6.54.10 1989 Mary Peters
10000M Walk Anthony Hunter 48.12.00 1990 Mexico City
20000M Walk Anthony Hunter 1 hr 34.00 1991 Italy
10 Miles Dermot Kerr 51.35 1981 Dunleer
Half Marathon Leroy Brady 69.35 2007 Omagh
Marathon Dermot Kerr 2 hrs.26.00 Belfast
Shot Evan Wright 10.58m 1985 Mary Peters
Discus Fintan McCabe 37.80 m 2000 Waterford
Javelin Fintan McCabe 50.50 1992 Grangemouth
High Jump Evan Wright 1.93m 1985 Mary Peters
Triple Jump Fintan McCabe 13.65m 1988 Santry
Long Jump Fintan McCabe 6.79m 1988 Santry
Decathlon Fintan McCabe 6575 pts 2000 Waterford
Indoor
60m Fintan McCabe 7.20 2001 France
60m Hurdles Fintan McCabe 9.33 2001 France
1000m Fintan McCabe 2.50.99 2001 France
Long Jump Fintan McCabe 6.43m 2001 France
High Jump Fintan McCabe 1.71m 2001 France
Shot Fintan McCabe 13.43m 1997 Crystal Palace
Pole Vault Fintan McCabe 3.10m 2001 France
5000m Walk Anthony Hunter 20.37.80 1990 Nenagh
Heptathlon Fintan McCabe 4413 Pts 2001 Nogent/Oise-France
RELAYS
4 x 100m
R Oliver/C Vallely/Fintan McCabe/Andrew Stevenson 44.7 1990 Mary Peters
4 x 200m
P Finn/G McGeown/C Vernon/T McDonagh 1.36 1976 Mary Peters
4 X 400m
R Oliver/C Vallely/A Stevenson/F McCabe 3.29.40 1990 Mary Peters
4 x 800m
D Kerr/D Kerr/J Vallely/K McGarvey 8.15 1983 Santry
4 X 1500m
D Kerr/D Kerr/J Vallely/K McGarvey 1983
Medley
Dermot Kerr 1500m/B Vallely 800m/ Peter Finn 400m/ Dermot Kerr 100m
7.48.00 1980 Mary Peters
Medley
P Finn 400m/ Joe McMinn 200m/ Hugh Duggan 200m/ Denis Kerr 800m
3.47.87 1984 Mary Peters
Compiled by Brian Vallely