Social Distance League – Round 2 (30th May)

The wild winds of the previous weekend had eased by round 2 of the Social Distance League on Saturday 30th May but participants had to battle temperatures rising into the mid 20s. Nevertheless, 41 Harriers took on the challenge of running either 5k or 10k on their own over a course of their choosing.

Once again it was Maurice Looby who ran the quickest 5k of the week, securing his position as league leader. Club stalwarts Nollaig McEntegart and Nicky McCabe benefitted from the grading scores to put the heat on Evan McCormack to see who will complete the top three next week. Brigid McCabe repeated her fine performance from round 1, establishing her position as leader in the 5k league.

In the 10k competition, a superb run by Alan Crowley saw him leap ahead of the leaders from round 1, but it was a new entrant to the league, Tom McGrath, who put in the best performance of the weekend and finished top of the table. The women’s competition will also have to wait until round 3 before the victor is decided, as Mary Stuart finished ahead of Terri Greene this week, giving each athlete a turn at the top of the leader board.

The league is taking place over three consecutive Saturdays with the final round on Saturday 6th June. All participants are tasked with racing solo and recording their run on a GPS watch on race day. The results are then submitted to the race referee for validation. Athletes are free to choose their own race route, so long as they stay within the 5km limit from their homes. While giving club members something to focus on during a period when all competitions are cancelled, the league will also benefit local business with all registration fees being returned as prizes in the form of vouchers for businesses closed during the recent social restrictions.