On Friday night Newtownards based running club Scrabo Striders hosted the Ards 5 Mile Challenge, in cloudy and warm conditions with only a drop of rain towards the end of the event.
Outbound along Portaferry Road is totally flat with great views of Strangford Lough, then the long steady climb up Finlays Road, a few more undulating hills along country roads before a welcome big downhill on the way back into town, finishing in Londonderry Park.
This race first started in 1982, organised by the charitable group the Ards Lions. Proceeds from the race has facilitated a £500 donation to both the Thriving Life Church Compassion Centre Newtownards Foodbank and Forget Me Not Focus Group.
Placement details below. Photo courtesy : Bob Given
| Pos | Firstname | Lastname | Cat | Club | Chiptime |
| Male Podium | |||||
| 1 | Gareth | Lyons | M40 | North Belfast Harriers | 00:28:14 |
| 2 | Matthew | Carville | MJ | Ballydrain Harriers | 00:29:41 |
| 3 | Chris | Sloan | M35 | VP and Cwater | 00:29:55 |
| Female Podium | |||||
| 6 | Catherine | O’Connor | F35 | East Down | 00:30:41 |
| 12 | Sarah-Jane | McFadden | F35 | North Belfast Harriers | 00:32:37 |
| 22 | Deirdre | Weatherall | F30 | East Down | 00:33:31 |
| F30 | |||||
| 22 | Deirdre | Weatherall | F30 | East Down | 00:33:31 |
| 98 | Emma | Clements | F30 | Scrabo Striders | 00:40:00 |
| F35 | |||||
| 6 | Catherine | O’Connor | F35 | East Down | 00:30:41 |
| 12 | Sarah-Jane | McFadden | F35 | North Belfast Harriers | 00:32:37 |
| 44 | Catherine | Cauley | F35 | Scrabo Striders | 00:35:12 |
| F40 | |||||
| 35 | Kirsty | Spencer | F40 | 00:34:38 | |
| 58 | Lindsay | Doulton | F40 | NDAC | 00:37:06 |
| 66 | Lesley | Semple | F40 | Scrabo Striders | 00:37:48 |
| F45 | |||||
| 29 | Amanda | Perry | F45 | Ballydrain Harriers | 00:34:01 |
| 60 | Judith | Taylor | F45 | Ward Park Runners | 00:37:34 |
| 67 | Jane | Stevenson | F45 | North Down AC | 00:37:49 |
| F50 | |||||
| 70 | Lynda | Shannon | F50 | Seapark AC | 00:38:07 |
| 104 | Barbara | McKechnie | F50 | Scrabo Striders | 00:40:24 |
| 111 | Marguerite | Robinson | F50 | East Down | 00:41:03 |
| F55 | |||||
| 113 | Lynn | Sheldon | F55 | Scrabo Striders | 00:40:58 |
| 148 | Linda | Dugan | F55 | Scrabo Striders | 00:43:02 |
| 153 | Carol | Bailie | F55 | Scrabo Striders | 00:43:14 |
| F60 | |||||
| 31 | Patricia | Brown | F60 | Newry City Runners | 00:34:27 |
| 130 | Liz | Turton | F60 | Scrabo Striders | 00:42:01 |
| F65 | |||||
| 283 | Christine | Kirkwood | F65 | Scrabo Striders | 00:59:58 |
| F70 | |||||
| 255 | Violet | Davidson | F70 | Ballydrain Harriers | 00:53:46 |
| FJ | |||||
| 215 | Cara | Newman | FJ | Ward Park Runners | 00:47:44 |
| FO | |||||
| 52 | Aoibhinn | Clinton | FO | Ward Park Runners | 00:36:06 |
| 62 | Tina | Boal | FO | Scrabo Striders | 00:37:38 |
| 96 | Lynsey | Weir | FO | 00:39:54 | |
| M30 | |||||
| 33 | Mike | Curran | M30 | 00:34:34 | |
| M35 | |||||
| 3 | Chris | Sloan | M35 | VP and Cwater | 00:29:55 |
| 9 | Andrew | Barrett | M35 | Ward Park Runners | 00:31:53 |
| 13 | Jason | Lindsay | M35 | Scrabo Striders | 00:32:40 |
| M40 | |||||
| 1 | Gareth | Lyons | M40 | North Belfast Harriers | 00:28:14 |
| 7 | Alan | Jordan | M40 | Saintfield Striders | 00:31:01 |
| 8 | Declan | Magee | M40 | Ballygalget AC | 00:31:32 |
| M45 | |||||
| 18 | David | Gribben | M45 | Orangegrove AC | 00:33:18 |
| 23 | David | Parkinson | M45 | Scrabo Striders | 00:33:29 |
| 61 | Paul | McKnight | M45 | Scrabo Striders | 00:37:28 |
| M50 | |||||
| 11 | Colin | Stevenson | M50 | Ballydrain Harriers | 00:32:11 |
| 34 | Stephen | Ferguson | M50 | 00:34:38 | |
| 43 | Sam | Hughes | M50 | Ballydrain Harriers | 00:35:06 |
| M55 | |||||
| 14 | Al | Simpson | M55 | 00:32:43 | |
| 86 | John | Brown | M55 | Scrabo Striders | 00:38:58 |
| 106 | Terry | Foley | M55 | Ballymena Runners AC | 00:40:11 |
| M60 | |||||
| 15 | Norman | Mawhinney | M60 | Scrabo Striders | 00:33:02 |
| 65 | Paul | Sheldon | M60 | Scrabo Striders | 00:37:38 |
| 68 | David | Turton | M60 | Scrabo Striders | 00:38:02 |
| M65 | |||||
| 42 | Brian | Todd | M65 | Orangegrove AC | 00:34:59 |
| 84 | Graham | Campbell | M65 | Dee Runners | 00:38:50 |
| 168 | Robin | Adams | M65 | Scrabo Striders | 00:44:12 |
| M70 | |||||
| 92 | Reg | Sanlon | M70 | Orangegrove AC | 00:39:42 |
| 167 | Roy | Spalding | M70 | 00:44:23 | |
| 235 | Pat | O’Driscoll | M70 | North Down AC | 00:49:32 |
| MJ | |||||
| 2 | Matthew | Carville | MJ | Ballydrain Harriers | 00:29:41 |
| MO | |||||
| 4 | Aidan | McCormack | MO | Cannock & Stafford AC | 00:30:07 |
| 5 | Nathan | Beattie | MO | Ballydrain Harriers | 00:30:30 |
| 21 | Ricky | Jordan | MO | Scrabo Striders | 00:33:28 |
