TQ 10K ROAD RACE HEADS FOR RECORD BREAKING YEAR

08 April 2010 - 08 April 2010

The top Northern Ireland athletes will once again face stiff African opposition in the third Titanic Quarter 10K Road Race this coming Sunday 11th April (Start at 2pm from NI Science Park, Queens Road).

This popular event has again attracted a record pre entry field of over 1000 with the final figure likely to exceed 1300 on the day.

The event is organised by Athletics Northern Ireland and sponsored by Titanic Quarter and the Port of Belfast. Podium 4 Sport has also come on board for 2010 to sponsor the prize fund. The race is the official Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon warm up race. Dubbed the ‘City Run with a View’, the event will live up to this title more than ever this year with a new starting point and changes to the route which will see runners get a close-up view of HMS Caroline and other landmarks at the ever-expanding Titanic Quarter development on Belfast’s historic Queen’s Island.

In the Men’s event last year’s Kenyan winner Simon Tonui makes a welcome return en route to an anticipated hat trick of victories- he also won in the equivalent race in 2004. The ever consistent 31 year old Tonui is in his usual top form. In January he ran a very useful sub 2 hours 18 minutes marathon in Mumbai and a month ago he was third in the high quality Bath Half Marathon finishing ahead of GB Olympian Dan Robinson. With such recent form Tonui is odds on to repeat his 29 minutes 45 seconds victory from last year- an excellent time in windy conditions.

His main challenge is likely to come from Jean Ndayisenga of Burundi who last beat Tonui in the 2007 event. Ndayisenga won the Swansea 10K last autumn and finished 7th in Bath in early March although he was well beaten by Tonui.

Best of the locals is likely to be Paddy Hamilton who is currently in good form following a top 10 place in the Irish Inter-Club Cross Country plus a win in the Queens 5K race. A repeat of his 3rd place finish from last year seems likely with Willowfield’s Paul Rowan striving to equal his 4th place from a year ago. Annadale’s Eddie McGinley and Dave Morwood should also be well to the fore. Seeley Cup 10K winner Joe McAlister will not take the start line as he has just commenced training following a shin injury.

In the Ladies event the 2008 winner Kerry Harty has withdrawn because of a tendon injury. She would have provided ideal opposition for Ethiopian Genet Measso who is now firm favourite to take the first prize award of £400. Measso won the Cardiff Half Marathon last October in a PB of 76minutes 55 seconds. In Bath recently she finished 8th, a mere second ahead of Abbey’s Gladys Ganiel-O’Neill who recorded a PB by over two minutes. Gladys is giving the Titanic a miss as she is preparing for the London Marathon in two weeks.

Local athletes who should repeat their top six positions from last year include North Belfast’s Breege Connolly and Cathy McCourt plus Lagan Valley’s Catriona McCorkell. Dromore’s Julie Turley should also feature after her recent impressive Queens 5K victory.

Click here to download a Map of the route in pdf format

Related Articles: