Cargin Camogie Club hosted a successful inaugural 5k Turkey Chase at Erin’s Own GAC on Wednesday 26th December 2018. The organisers were blessed with good weather and a great turn out with a total of 130 registered runners and walkers. There were many running clubs represented with local runners from Acorns AC, Pace Running Club, Ballymena Runners, Magherafelt Harriers, Loup Running Club, Rasharkin Runners, Mid Ulster Athletics, Temple Running Club and Moneyglass & District runners as well as runners from as far away as Carrickmacross and Glasgow. Diarmuid Shivers got the race underway when he let the ‘turkey’ go first and shortly afterwards sent the rest of the runners down the Shore Road after him in hot pursuit. It was to be a very close run race with Moneyglass & District Runner Ruairi Johnston finishing only 12 seconds after the turkey! Indeed it was to be a brother/sister double act for first placed female with Acorns runner Louise Johnston finishing as the fastest woman, both Ruairi and Louise shared the £100 prize money equally. 13 year old Hugh O’Donnell was the first junior through the Cargin gates and the Ballymena swimmer had an exceptional time for his first ever timed 5k! Well done to all winners.
The Camogie club are greatly indebted to Moneyglass & District runners for the lend of their road signs and especially to Ryan Marron who provided us with invaluable support and advice during the pre-race preparations. Special thanks are also due to the many volunteers from Cargin club who helped organise the race including the many road marshalls who ensured that all participants were returned safely to the finishing line and traffic distribution was kept to a minimum. Thanks also to Diarmuid Shivers for ensuring that the turkey got off to a flying start and kept the crowd at bay until their offical start time.
Thanks to the ladies who provided welcome refreshments to everyone upon their return to the club, turkey and ham sandwiches were the most popular choice of the day. Thanks also to the time keepers who kept a tight eye on the finishers ensuring that all times were recorded with accuracy and precision. Cargin Club would also like to thank Boyd’s Service station for their generous donation of bananas and bottles of water for all participants.
The organisers would especially like to thank ‘resident’ photographer Dessie McGuckin, always willing to unselfishly give up his time to snap all the happy runners and walkers on the day, he had a hard job to make sure everyone looked so good near the finish line! The most important thank you must go to senior footballer Tony Scullion who managed to maintain his ferious pace and evade capture despite being the most wanted man in Cargin today.
Thanks to all participants walkers and runners and we hope to see everyone back next year.