Rebekah races to Ulster title as Dromore quartet shine

She was one of four promising Dromore AC athletes who shone in the NI & Ulster Indoor Championships in Magherafelt with Adam Hilditch and Ethan Dunn also securing medal positions and Rebekah’s sister Bethany racing well.

All four were competing over 800 metre distances in fields of quality athletes from across the province.

And the quartet certainly brought much credit to Dro once again.

Bethany was first to compete and in a very competitive time trial over a distance somewhat shorter than her preferred she ran very strongly only narrowly missing out on a new PB but the young athlete was very pleased with a fine first track performance of the year.

Adam Hilditch, racing in the Under 17 group, and Ethan Dunn (Under 18) showed they have used the winter training programme and cross country competition to very good effect with what can best be described as robust middle distance running to secure third place in their races.

Both forged through to medal position from around the mid-point of their 800m races and had the strength of legs, lungs and character to hold on for terrific medal performances.

Rebekah Nixon U19 who is having one of her best starts to an athletics year, which she attributes to much answered prayer, found herself running in a combined U18 and U19 final against other athletes recently selected for Ulster duty on the International stage.

It has been a couple of years since Rebekah last held an indoor title and her determination and strength shone through from the outset as she worked on the shoulder of the front runner for the first 500m before taking the bell at that point, bursting through to the front.

Despite the best efforts of one of her Ulster teammates to close a comfortable gap, the Banbridge Academy student held on until the tape to claim gold - just champion!