Best foot forward as relay stars hunt for glory at Victoria Park

VICTORIA Park will be the Mecca for road running today when Orangegrove present their relay meeting, sponsored by O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors.

The event, which includes the Northern Ireland and Ulster Championships, has attracted a record number of 201 teams.

With holders Newcastle not attending, the Senior Men’s race may be between Derry Track Club, who have Kenyan star Gideon Kipsang, Adam Kirk Smith and Keith Shiels, St Malachys, who can call on Ben Branagh and Conall McLean, and North Belfast, who are headed by Mark McKinstry, Philip Goss, Conan McCaughey and Conal McCambridge.

Acorns have quality with Eoin Hughes, Vincent McKenna, Paul Conway and Gerard Heaney, while Beechmount, City of Lisburn, Victoria Park and North Down also look strong.

Records could be broken in the Senior Ladies as Queen’s were just seven seconds off the fastest ever time when they triumphed last year. They have Emma Mitchell, Sinead Sweeney and Rebecca Henderson.

Dromore with Laura Bickerstaff, North Down with Rachel Gibson and Newry with Ciara Coffey can challenge.

Acorns are going for a hattrick in the Men’s Masters with Darrell McKee and Glenn Donnelly in their line-up. North Down, with Francis Marsh, Jamie Budde and Alex and Stuart Donald, will feature, along with Victoria Park and Willowfield.

City of Lisburn, who have World Masters champion Kelly Neely, have won the Lady Masters for the last three years but will be wary of the Beechmount side of Gerrie Short, Catherine Diver and Maria Morris.

Lagan Valley have Julie Murphy, Shileen O’Kane and Suzanne Higgins while Victoria Park have Jenny Black, Leanne Gibson and Sile Brennan.

The meeting opens at 11.10am with five age group races, with the first Championship Relay at 12.30pm.