Saintfield Striders

01/11/2026

💙 🧡 Parkrun Round-Up
– Saturday 31 October 🏃‍♀️

Another fantastic Saturday morning of parkrunning for Saintfield Striders, with 50 members out enjoying the parkrun action across 17 different events.

🎃 There was also a lovely Halloween flavour, with plenty of spooky themes and some fantastic costumes adding a bit of extra fun and colour to the proceedings. Great to see everyone getting into the spirit of things!

There were plenty of strong performances and some great placings to celebrate, but as always, it’s about much more than times. It’s wonderful to see our members representing the club, whether running locally or taking the opportunity to explore further afield.

👏 A special mention to our milestones!

Congratulations to Leanne Smyth, who completed an unofficial milestone 150th parkrun at Claudy Country Park. Leanne also regained her Northern Ireland Regionnaire status – a fantastic achievement!

A huge well done too to Pamela Johnson, who celebrated her 250th parkrun milestone at Castletown. What a brilliant achievement!

🏅 A few notable placings from the morning:

• Dylan Brackenridge was first finisher overall at Comber parkrun.
• Ann Wilson took first place overall at Inis Meáin parkrun.
• Ryan Warnock finished 5th overall at Hillsborough Forest.
• Simon Davey was 8th at Wallace parkrun, Lisburn.
• Gillian Jordan finished 2nd female at Claudy Country Park.
• Leanne Smyth followed closely behind in 3rd female place at Claudy.
• Kelly Millar finished 16th female at Ormeau.

We also had Striders enjoying parkrun adventures in Cork, Donegal, Galway and beyond. Great to see the club colours travelling!

👏 And finally, a big thank you to all the parkrun volunteers who gave up their time to make these events happen. parkrun simply wouldn’t be possible without you.

Well done everyone. Another Saturday, another great display of the Saintfield Striders community! 💙🤍

01/11/2026

🏅 Saintfield Striders Club Re-Run & 10th Anniversary Celebrations 🎂

Today we enjoyed our club 5/10k Re-Run, giving members and the many volunteers who helped make race day such a success the opportunity to get out on the course, enjoy the run and collect their well-earned medal.

Afterwards, we gathered in the clubhouse for a scrummy breakfast and a chance to celebrate our 10th anniversary together. There was plenty of reminiscing, laughter and catching up with friends, all topped off with some delicious anniversary cake from The Cake Shop, Ballynahinch. 🎂

A huge thank you to everyone who came along today, and to all those who helped organise the event, prepare breakfast and keep everyone well fed. Your time and support are very much appreciated.

Thank you to everyone who made donations in support of our club charity, Brainwaves NI.

Ten years of running, friendship and community – and here’s to many more! 💙🤍

01/11/2026

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Ciara Mageean. A remarkable athlete who inspired so many and brought immense pride to Irish athletics. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and all those who knew and loved her. Rest in peace, Ciara. ❤️

At 6:30am this morning, Ciara lost her battle with cancer surrounded by her loved ones. A beloved daughter, sister, wife, friend and inspiration to so many, she will be deeply missed.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.

01/11/2026

🎽 Corofin Loop, County Galway

A little bit of sunshine and an 8k race made for a lovely end to the weekend for Saintfield Strider Ann Wilson, who was joined by husband Trevor at this morning’s Corofin Loop in County Galway.

The popular event, organised by Corofin AC, offered runners a choice of 8km or 10 miles, taking in the roads around the village of Corofin.

Ann certainly seemed to enjoy the occasion, commenting that the race was well worth the trip, not least for the fantastic spread laid on for runners afterwards! 😁

After a rather damp day exploring Inis Meáin yesterday, the sunshine made a very welcome appearance for race day.

Well done Ann and Trevor – a lovely way to round off your Galway getaway!

31/10/2026

🌲 MINNOWBURN – RUN FOREST RUN SERIES 🌲

A fantastic morning of racing for Saintfield Striders at the popular Born 2 Run Minnowburn event today!

The Minnowburn race, part of the Acti-Snack Run Forest Run Winter Series, attracted a big field of runners to Mary Peters Track, with participants taking on the 5K and 10K routes.

The scenic course takes runners from the track through the beautiful Minnowburn forest trails and surrounding countryside, before returning along the banks of the Lagan – a lovely setting, but certainly a challenge underfoot!

We had nine Striders in action, with a superb performance from Peter Davison, who claimed an outstanding 3rd place overall in the 10K in 38:33. Brilliant running, Peter! 👏

Our other Striders also put in great 10k performances:

* Rachel Davison
* Julie Healy
* Austin Moore
* Robert Davison
* Catherine Ross
* Toireasa Orr
* Sarah McCarter
* Ruth O’Kane

Well done to everyone who pulled on the Striders vest today. Great to see such a strong club presence at another busy local race.

👏 Congratulations to all the runners and thanks to Born 2 Run Events and the volunteers who helped make the event happen.

Onwards to the next Run Forest Run fixture at Gosford on 21 November! 🌲

31/10/2026

👏 Guiding The Way at Saintfield Striders! 💙

A huge well done and thank you to two of our coaches, Julie Moore and Brian Swain, who today took part in an Athletics Northern Ireland Guide Running Workshop in Carrickfergus.

Delivered by Tony Barclay MBE, Ireland’s first visually impaired running coach, the workshop provided valuable insight and practical experience in supporting visually impaired runners.

From running the Carrickfergus parkrun course blindfolded to learning the importance of trust, communication and teamwork between guide and runner, it sounds like it was quite an experience! 😃

We’re incredibly proud of Julie and Brian for giving up their time to develop their skills and help make running more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

At Saintfield Striders, we believe running is for everybody, and having coaches willing to learn and embrace opportunities like this is a fantastic. 🤩

Well done both, and thank you. 💙🤍

27/10/2026

𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝟓𝐊 & 𝟏𝟎𝐊 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 🎽 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩!

Another year, another sell-out — and NO WEATHER WARNING! ☀️

We welcomed 427 finishers across the 10K and 5K and couldn’t have been happier with how the day unfolded. With ideal running conditions and incredible support from the community lining the course, it was a fantastic day for everyone involved.

A huge congratulations to everyone who took part, whether chasing a podium, a PB, a personal goal or simply running for fun. Both courses are challenging, and every participant should be proud of their achievement! ☆

🏆 𝟏𝟎𝐊 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬
Sponsored by Peter Bowles and Company Solicitors
𝐌𝐞𝐧
🥇 Glen Taylor — 35:26
🥈 Mark Carmody (BARF) — 35:32
🥉 Liam Young (Ballydrain Harriers) — 35:51
𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧
🥇 Tori Smyth (Ballydrain Harriers) — 41:02
🥈 Anna Hogg — 41:25
🥉 Sian McBroom — 43:36

🏆 𝟓𝐊 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬
Sponsored by Active Health Solutions
𝐌𝐞𝐧
🥇 David Spalding (Ballydrain Harriers) — 15:45
🥈 Evan Tosh (BAAC) — 16:42
🥉 Dylan Brackenridge (Saintfield Striders) — 18:42
𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧
🥇 Kiyomi Tosh (BAAC) — 20:47
🥈 Maisie Thompson (Loughview AC) — 20:50
🥉 Ailis McKavanagh (Carryduff RC) — 20:52

Congratulations to all our age-category and spot-prize winners! Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and entrants, we were delighted to offer these additional prizes.

It was wonderful to see familiar faces returning alongside new participants and our younger runners. We are also incredibly proud to support our charity partner, Brainwaves NI, helping them continue their valuable work in communities across Northern Ireland. 💜

The feedback from runners and supporters has been truly heart-warming. As an inclusive, supportive and social running club, it means so much to see our community spirit reflected in the event. 💙

💙 A HUGE THANK YOU!

An event like this takes a team, and we are immensely grateful to everyone who helped make it happen. To our Race Committee, club members, volunteers, accredited marshals, pacers, caterers, photographers, promoters and facilities team — thank you for your time, energy and commitment.

Special thanks to Newry Mourne Down Council, St John Ambulance Belfast HQ and our lead and tail cyclists for helping everyone navigate the course safely.

Thank you to Saintfield Community Centre for hosting registration, Rowallane Inn and St Mary’s Chapel for providing parking, and Jim’s Country Warehouse for accommodating a water station.

We are especially grateful to our main sponsors, Peter Bowles & Co Solicitors and Active Health Solutions, alongside the local businesses who generously donated prizes, treats and catering supplies:
The Running Bubble, Morrison’s Vivoxtra, Masseys, Tate’s Treasures, Norman McBriar and Son, BDS Credit Union, Tasty Wee Numbers Home Bakery and Hendersons Foods.

Thank you also to Colin from Optimum Performance & Rehabilitation for providing complimentary sports massages, and to all our partners and supporters:
Athletics NI, SI Entries, Accredited Marshals, UHire NI, Glenn at ChampionChip Ireland, Saintfield Sports Club, Ironside Trophies and Engraving and Running Imp.

A special thank you to The Rock Choir for bringing the music, energy and buzz to race day! 🎶 Your fantastic contribution helped create such a lively atmosphere and made the event even more memorable. ☆

To Richard Cowan, Noah Miller, Down Recorder Mourne Observer and everyone who captured and shared those fantastic race-day photos — thank you! 📸

Finally, to our local community and businesses, thank you for your patience.

Please continue to support these wonderful local businesses however you can. 🤝🏻

Last, but by no means least, THANK YOU to every single person who joined us. You are the stars of the show, and we hope to welcome you back in 2027! 🫂🏁

Until then, keep supporting local races, encouraging one another and spreading that running community spirit. 💙

Here’s to ten years of Striders — and many more to come! ☆ 🎈

27/10/2026

This International Brain Tumour Awareness Week, we’re putting the spotlight on the people and families affected by brain tumours here in Northern Ireland, and the work being done to improve their lives.

Brainwaves NI is a Northern Ireland charity dedicated to supporting people affected by brain tumours and their families. Alongside providing support and raising awareness, the charity plays an important role in funding research and advocating for people affected by brain tumours.

Research is vital to improving our understanding of brain tumours, developing better treatments and ultimately improving outcomes for patients. Brainwaves NI has supported research in Northern Ireland, helping to contribute to a better understanding of brain tumours and the challenges faced by those living with them.

But research is only part of the picture.

Brainwaves NI also works to advocate for people affected by brain tumours, helping to ensure that their experiences and needs are heard. From diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation, emotional wellbeing and living with the longer-term effects of a brain tumour, advocacy is an important part of creating better support for patients and families.

Brain tumours can affect people of all ages and can have a profound impact on individuals and those around them. Greater awareness, better research and strong advocacy all have a role to play.

This week, we’re proud to continue shining a light on brain tumours in Northern Ireland and the work of Brainwaves NI.

Supporting research. Championing patients. Raising awareness. 💜

25/10/2026

🇮🇪🏃‍♂️ DUBLIN MARATHON 2026 💙🤍

A fantastic day in Dublin as eight Saintfield Striders took on the iconic 26.2 miles of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon among a field of over 19,000 runners!

👏 A huge well done to:

🏅 Chris McCaffrey
🏅 Greg Conway
🏅 Dawn Bannatyne
🏅 Brian Sloan
🏅 Heather Baron
🏅 Gillian McCaughtry
🏅 Sara Mitchell
🏅 David Kean

A special mention for Chris, whose provisional time of 2:31:12 placed him an incredible 49th overall and 5th in the M40 category!

The tail end of Storm Boelo made its presence felt, with some pretty gusty conditions adding an extra challenge to an already demanding course. But the weather certainly didn’t dampen the atmosphere, with fantastic crowds and plenty of encouragement along the streets of Dublin.

It was brilliant to see such strong Strider support out on the course too, with familiar faces cheering our runners on and helping them through those tough miles! 💙

Even more importantly, some of our runners were putting those miles to good use by raising money for fantastic causes, including Air Ambulance, Marie Curie and Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. A wonderful effort both on and off the course.

A massive congratulations to all eight runners. Months of training, dedication and determination went into today, and you should all be incredibly proud of your achievements.

Well done, Striders – enjoy those well-earned celebrations in Dublin! 🍀🏅

25/10/2026

💙🧡 PARKRUN ROUND-UP | 24 OCTOBER

Storm warnings made their mark on parkrun this weekend, with many events cancelled across the country. Safety first, of course, and hopefully normal service will resume next Saturday!

Despite the disruption, 30 Striders made it out to parkrun, representing us at 12 different locations across Ireland and beyond. 🌍

📊 This week’s numbers:

* 💙 30 Striders took part.
* 📍 12 parkrun locations represented.
* 🏆 1st female at Lough Head
* 🔥 10th overall at Orangefield
* 🌍 International tourism continued at Milano Nord, with one Strider representing the club in Italy.

Our members were also out at Dungloe, Queen’s Belfast, Hartstown, Corkagh, St Anne’s, Portrush and Waterworks Belfast, among other locations.

👏 A huge thank you, as always, to the volunteers who make parkrun possible every week. These events simply wouldn’t happen without you, and your contribution is especially appreciated when weather conditions cause disruption.

Well done to everyone who got out for a run, jog or walk this weekend, and to those who had to miss out because of cancellations, we look forward to next week! 💙🤍