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NICS Athletics Club Cross Country

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28.2.2009

You might well guess the Stormont Estate for the first bit, but would be unlikely to associate the humble Civil Service Athletics Club for the second. So it was that almost 300 primary school boys and girls deserted their Xboxes, DVD players and widescreen TVs to take part in the Stormont Cross Country run on the 28th February in the Stormont Estate. This was part of the annual open cross country athletics races and Civil Service Championships now in its 12th year. This was only the third time that the primary school race was added to the main event and since then numbers have grown from just over 100 in year 1, just short of 200 in year 2 and now just short of 300 in 2009. This fantastic growth has been largely due to the NICS Athletics Club and in particular to its Secretary, Robbie Burrows, NICS. As co-organizer he was ably supported by the Civil Service Athletics Club Committee, NICS Sports Association, NI Athletics Federation and all the volunteers from NICSSA and NICS departments who helped and marshaled on the day. A special thanks is also due to Gordon Rae, NICS for once again this year providing the photography and superbly capturing the action.

Robbie’s vision was that young people wanted to run and all that was needed was the space to do it in a way that gave safety, organization, challenge and the buzz of a big athletics course as well as letting them all have fun. Also with the impending 2012 Olympics, it would be very nice to start a budding Olympian on their way to glory. The biggest problem he faced was communicating the event, but this was quickly remedied when ‘running mafia’ links were established to the schools through the Department of Education. Last year schools came from as far away as Newry and Londonderry, this year they came from as far away as Sligo. The word is definitely spreading and a larger number of primary schools than ever adds to the atmosphere of the day and get to watch and rub shoulders with some of Northern Ireland’s best athletes.

This year again the Sonshine Club Kenya Project, bringing support to schools in Kenya, was the charity for the event and did a roaring trade in soup and rolls as well as juice and crisps. Although Pauline Somerville, NIO who organizes the charity support strictly limited Robbie to eating the quota for one school this year. It is reported he was disappointed that there was no trophy for this. The Primary school trophies were won by Cedar Integrated Primary (boys) and Pond Park Primary (girls).

Not wishing to be shown up by some budding primary school Paula Radcliffe, the junior and senior athletes put on a good show with Stephen Scallion and Louise Smith both from North Belfast Harriers taking first place in the mens and womens races respectively. Again this year numbers also increased in the junior and senior open races, the senior race having 113 finishers. In the Civil Service championships Mark Wright was a clear winner in the mens race and Roma McConville in the womens. Also in the Inter Services Cup the PSNI beat the holders Civil Service, for the first time since its inception three years ago, with the NI Prison Service taking third. As with all Civil Service organized events a special prize goes to the oldest competitor and this year it was Jim Metcalf, who is into his 80’s. He is an example to us all and a definite challenge to anyone half his age for next year.



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