Duo secure St Patrick’s 5K titles at Gransha Park

The regular mix of club and recreational runners once again served up an exciting spectacle at this popular annual event with the upfront battles in particular much appreciated by the spectators.

Rankin, Declan Reed and Emmet McGinty were clear of a large chasing group as the runners left the opening horseshoe loop and in a repeat of the previous weekend’s SSE Airtricity 10K they battled for supremacy over the remaining 3K.

Rankin confirmed his good form and prevailed to sprint home eight seconds clear of Reed, 15 minutes and 21 seconds to 15 minutes and 29 seconds, with McGinty not far away on 15 minutes and 34 seconds. Good times in the conditions and the next three home, Gary Slevin, Noel Logan and Pauric McKinney also broke the 16 minute barrier.

Claire McGuigan trailed Foyle Valley’s Sarah Lindsay in the earlier stages but surged clear later to post her impressive 18 minutes and 58 seconds winning time. Lindsay hung on well and her 19m 20s was another good effort in second.

Jackie McGinley came through strongly to grab third on 19 minutes and 52 seconds with her teenage Spartans team mate Amy Jackson just behind on 19 minutes and 59 seconds.

Former Spartan Amy McDaid was next on 20 minutes and 39 seconds with Stephanie Campbell, a sister of City of Derry star Marina, completing the top six females in 21 minutes and 19 seconds.

Elsewhere Anne Paul took the runners up spot in the Magherafelt Classic 10K on Saturday, clocking 40m 11 s behind the winning 39 minutes and 57 seconds of prolific racer Hannah Oldroyd of Saltire Striders with Springwell’s Gemma Turley third on 41 minutes and 24 seconds.

Una Gavin celebrated her 25th Wedding Anniversary in style by finishing second lady finisher in the weekend’s testing Dunkineely 10K, no problem to Una, and Richard Johnston made his competitive return after yet another injury with a 35 minutes and 47 seconds fourth place finish in the Magherafelt 10K race behind North Belfast’s Adam Boyd with a 33 minutes and 58 seconds winning effort.

While three local athletes have been selected on the Northern Ireland squad for this Sunday’s Home Countries Cross Country International in Nottingham.

Amy Jackson goes in the Women’s U20 race while clubmate Declan Reed and Foyle Valley’s Scott Rankin are on the quartet named as the NI senior mens squad.

It’s extending the cross country season somewhat but congratulations and good luck to them for the weekend action.

Meanwhile the Sainsburys Sports Relief Mile will be staged this Sunday, at 11am from where else but the local Sainsbury’s Strand Road store, over a course along the Foyle Walkway.

This UK wide promotion will raise funds as part of the annual Comic Relief Charity extravaganza and the local City of Derry Spartans club have responded positively to a request from the Sports Relief organisers to organise the local event.

Entries can be made online at sportsrelief.com - look for the Derry Mile or else they will be taken on the day from 9.30am at the Sainsburys Store on Strand Road.

The course is completely off road, along the Riverbank, starting and finishing at Sainsburys where refreshments will be provided post run.

An event for all the family to have a go and with the current massive numbers of local people running, why not come along and see what a Sunday morning mile is like.