Top four spot for East Coast AC runner O’Toole

Justin Maxwell congratulates Murray Deller on his top 10 finish at the Rathlin Run. INLT 36-930-CON

The ladies were first to return, with last year’s winner Allyson O’Toole finishing fourth behind a Ballymena Runners top three.

In the men’s five-mile race, it was recent track medal winner Mark McManus who led the field for East Coast AC, finishing in 15th place in a time of 30:53. Murray Deller and Corey Urwin clocked 31:50 (19th) and 32:17 (21st) respectively, while club captain Chris Davis took 31st spot in 33:02.

John Steele and Callum Sittlington made up the remainder of the men’s team (first six to finish), and their performances - 34:40 (44th place) for John and 35:45 (46th place) for Callum - helped the team secure third place in the team standings.

At Friday’s Killyleagh 5 Mile Road Race, Rowena Davis recorded a new personal best 38:56, claiming 10th in the ladies’ event and third in her age category.

Danny Hylands was the first of four East Coast AC men to finish Saturday’s Mourne Sprint Distance Triathlon in an impressive 1:18:43 to take 56th (750m swim 15:12; 20k bike 37:49; 5k run 22:47).

Stephen Whelan was 66th in 1:19:34,(16:50, 37:11, 22:36) while Callum Sittlington finished 111th and first in male junior category (16-17) in a total time of 1:24:25 (14:09; 42:00; 25:35). Roy McMullan finished 170th in 1:30:44 (15:50, 43:35, 27:43).

Murray Deller (1:12:22) finished in seventh spot at the 10-mile Rathlin Run on Saturday. Drew Girvin was 35th in 1:23:12.

Iain Bailie led the way for the East Coast at Sunday’s Storming the Castle 10k in Carrick, taking 47th spot in 43:58.