Ballycastle Runners AC

🌊🏃‍♂️ RATHLIN RUN 2026 🏃‍♀️🌊
Saturday 29th August 2026 – 1pm
What a day on Rathlin! 🌊☀️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️
The Rathlin Run is Northern Ireland’s most unique, and arguably one of its most challenging, road races — and this year certainly lived up to its reputation.
With the race starting in Church Bay, runners faced an undulating and scenic route towards the East Lighthouse and Bird Sanctuary before making their way back to Church Bay. The 5K headed towards Rue Point and back.
But it wasn’t just the challenging course that made the day special. The atmosphere around Church Bay was fantastic, with runners, supporters and fellow clubs coming together in true race-day spirit. There was plenty of encouragement, laughter and friendly banter before and after the races, with everyone sharing in the experience of taking on Rathlin’s unique roads. 🤝❤️
It was a brilliant example of what running is all about — community, camaraderie and supporting each other, whether chasing a time, competing for an age-category place or simply enjoying the challenge and the spectacular island scenery.
🏃‍♂️ 10 MILE
👏 Aaron Elliott – 1:30:51
👏 Paul McAlonan – 1:31:15
👏 Peter Brogan – 1:52:05
🏃‍♀️ 5K
👏 Jennifer Scott – 28:12
🥈 Julie Staines – 31:23 – 2nd Age Category (60)
👏 Jane Campbell – 31:25
👏 Aine Patterson – 48:46
🥈 Christina Bradley – 49:30 – 2nd Age Category (70)
A huge well done to all our runners who took on the Rathlin Run. 💪👏
And congratulations to Julie and Christina on their fantastic age-category podium finishes! 🥈🏆
Days like this are about much more than the clock — they’re about the people beside you, the encouragement along the way and the memories made together.
Great running, great company and a great day on Rathlin. 💙🌊
🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️ Ballycastle Runners AC
Run together. Support each other. Enjoy the journey.

🏃‍♂️ Parkrun Round-Up – Saturday 30th August 🏃‍♀️
Ballycastle Runners AC
Another busy Saturday morning of parkrun action for Ballycastle Runners AC, with club members making their way to both Limepark and Riverside Parkrun.
With good weather and pleasant running conditions, it was a great morning to get out, enjoy the atmosphere and put another 5k in the legs. As always, parkrun provides a fantastic opportunity for runners of all abilities to get together and enjoy a bit of friendly competition.
📍 Limepark Parkrun – 53 Finishers
🥇 Gerry O'Doherty — 23:50
🏃 Noel McAllister — 28:23
🏃‍♀️ Lynsey Lloyd — 40:04
A special mention to Siobhan McCaughan, who gave her time to volunteer at Limepark. 👏 Volunteers are the backbone of parkrun and their contribution is greatly appreciated every week.
📍 Riverside Parkrun – 85 Finishers
🏃 Alister Jamison — 20:36
🏃 Jonathan McNabb — 21:00
Well done to all our members who got out this morning, whether running, volunteering or supporting others. Great to see the Ballycastle Runners AC colours represented at parkrun once again.
👏 Well done everyone! Keep up the great work and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
💙 Ballycastle Runners AC 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

🏃‍♂️ Portrush 5 Mile Road Race – 28th August 🌊
Another great evening of racing for Ballycastle Runners AC at the Portrush 5 Mile Road Race.
With fair weather conditions and the stunning North Coast scenery providing the backdrop, runners took on an undulating 5-mile course which offered plenty of challenges along the way.
The event was also held in support of Prostate Cancer, making it a particularly worthwhile evening for everyone involved. 👏
💙 Ballycastle Runners AC
🏃‍♂️ Noel McAllister – 40:02
Noel put in a solid performance over the undulating course, crossing the finish line in 40:02. A good night's running and another race ticked off! 👏💪
Well done, Noel, and congratulations to all the runners who took part. A big thank you to the organisers, marshals and volunteers for putting on another excellent North Coast road race.
Well done Ballycastle Runners AC! 🏃‍♂️💙

Storming The Castle 10k 🏰🏃‍♂️
23rd August – Carrickfergus
It was another fantastic day out for Ballycastle Runners AC at the Storming the Castle race in Carrickfergus, with around 1,000 entries creating a brilliant atmosphere.
The event was extremely well organised by Seapark AC . The flat, fast course took runners through Carrickfergus and along the scenic waterfront, with the impressive historic Carrickfergus Castle providing a spectacular backdrop to the event. 🏰🌊
A special mention to Gemma Turley, who produced a sensational run to finish as 1st Lady in 37:46, setting a new female course record in the process. An outstanding performance from Gemma! 👏👏🚀
Results
🏆 Gemma Turley – 37:46 – 🥇 1st Lady & New Female Course Record
🏃‍♂️ Jonathan McNabb – 43:08
🏃‍♂️ Hugh McGill – 47:22 – 🥈 2nd AC
🏃‍♂️ Marty Dumphy – 49:50
🏃‍♂️ Noel McAllister – 49:50
🏃‍♀️ Deirdre Gomez – 57:15
🏃‍♀️ Shauna McConaghie – 57:20 – PB 🎉
🏃‍♀️ Karen Woods – 1:01:19
🏃‍♀️ Helen Metcalfe – 1:01:20
Some excellent performances from the Ballycastle Runners team, with Shauna recording a well-deserved PB, Hugh securing 2nd place in his age category, and Gemma leading the way with her fantastic course-record performance.
The race was followed by a great spread of hot dogs and refreshments, which went down very well with the runners after their efforts. 🌭☕
A massive well done to everyone who took part, and congratulations to Gemma on a brilliant win and new female course record. 👏👏
Another great day for Ballycastle Runners AC! 💙🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Antrim Coast Half Marathon 🏃‍♂️🌊
24th August
What a fantastic day for running! ☀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️
With near-perfect weather and around 7,000 entrants representing 42 different countries, there was an incredible atmosphere along the coast.
A great turnout from Ballycastle Runners AC, with some fantastic performances:
🏃 Mark Gardiner – 1:29:52
🏃 Phil Carson – 1:43:46 PB 🎉
🏃 Paul Quinn – 1:47:23
🏃 Paul McAlonan – 1:48:33 PB 🎉
🏃‍♀️ Michelle McKinley – 1:59:10
🏃 Peter Brogan – 2:17:52
🏃‍♀️ Hazel Smith – 2:18:16 PB 🎉
🏃‍♀️ Angela Morton McAteer – 3:33:19 ❤️
A special mention to Angela, who took on the challenge while fundraising for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, helping support the vital lifesaving service they provide across the province. ❤️🚁
👏 Congratulations to all our Ballycastle Runners who took part. Three fantastic PBs, along with some excellent performances from everyone.
Another brilliant day for the club, with everyone doing themselves and Ballycastle Runners AC proud. 💙
Well done everyone! 👏🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️
Support Angela’s fundraiser
🔗 Angela’s Air Ambulance fundraiser:https://www.justgiving.com/page/angela-morton-mcateer-4?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL&fbclid=IwdGRjcAT5fI5jbGNrBPl8enBkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEeanuYow3V_GbPK9XLsyd7h4Tqq600RgSf2XLIdughyDto4Ll1jk_kPOJVyRE_aem_4kkLVp8mxxU5PGoHNM-NrA
Support Angela’s fundraiser

Ballycastle Runners AC – Parkrun Report 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️
Saturday 22nd August
A beautiful morning for another Saturday of parkrun action, with Ballycastle Runners AC members out enjoying events across the country. 🌞
📍 Limepark – 48 Finishers
Aaron Elliott – 26:02
Siobhan McCaughan – 28:22
Christina Bradley – 45:42
A special mention to our volunteers Karen Woods and Christina Bradley for giving their time to help make Limepark parkrun happen. 👏
📍 Riverside parkrun – 76 Finishers
Noel McAllister – 25:38
Gemma McAuley – 30:49
Lynnette Kinney – 30:56
📍 Roundhay parkrun, Leeds – 386 Finishers
Lynsey Lloyd – 35:11
Well done to everyone who ran, walked, volunteered or supported parkrun this morning. Another great Saturday for Ballycastle Runners AC, with members representing the club at three different parkruns. 💙🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

🏃 Ballycastle Runners AC – Broughshane 5 Miler
A wet but enjoyable evening for Ballycastle Runners AC at the Broughshane 5 Miler on Monday 17th August, hosted by Ballymena Runners.
Starting and finishing at Broughshane Community Hall, the five-mile route provided a good challenge with a few hills along the way. Despite the wet conditions, our runners put in some excellent performances.
🏃 Results:
Mark Gardiner – 33:42
Johnny McNabb – 34:42
Aidan McKee – 36:19
Majella Connolly – 38:55
Dominic Connolly – 39:59
👏 Well done to all five Ballycastle Runners who took on the challenge and represented the club so well.
A big thank you to Ballymena Runners for hosting the event, with a good spread of refreshments afterwards — always a welcome sight after five wet and hilly miles! ☕🍰👏

🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️ Ballycastle Runners AC – Parkrun Round-Up
Another great Saturday morning for Ballycastle Runners AC, with good weather making it ideal for getting out and enjoying a Parkrun. Plenty of familiar faces were in action, with runners taking on courses in both Northern Ireland and beyond. 👏
📍 Limepark parkrun – 63 Participants
Paul McAlonan – 25:24
Cara McShane – 30:11
Leann Murdock – 32:52
Julie Staines – 32:52
Jennifer Scott – 41:28
Christina Bradley – 45:59
Huge thanks also to Siobhan McCaughan, who gave up her Saturday morning to volunteer at Limepark. Volunteers are a vital part of Parkrun and their support is always greatly appreciated. 🙌
📍 Penrose parkrun – 399 Participants
Phil Carson – 20:05 👏
Well done to all our runners who got their weekend off to a flying start. Whether you're chasing a PB, getting some miles in, enjoying a social run or volunteering, Parkrun is a fantastic way to start the weekend.
Well done everyone! 💙🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

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Cork To Cushendun

Ballycastle Runners AC – Conquer the Hill 5 Mile 🏃‍♂️⛰️
Friday 14th August
Ballycastle Runners AC were represented at the Conquer the Hill 5 Mile Road Race, organised by Mallusk 5 Mile Road Race, on Friday evening.
The event provided an excellent opportunity to get out on the roads, enjoy friendly competition, and log valuable miles alongside runners from clubs across the region. 🏃‍♂️💨
Noel McAllister was the sole representative for Ballycastle Runners on the night, delivering a strong and consistent performance to finish in a time of 43:38. 👏
A sincere well done to Noel for another solid run and for proudly representing Ballycastle Runners AC. 🔵⚪
Many thanks to Malusk Harriers for hosting a well-organised event and for the warm welcome extended to all participants. The excellent post-race refreshments were a very welcome addition and greatly appreciated by all runners. ☕🍰👏
Another successful outing and an enjoyable evening of running for Ballycastle Runners AC.
Well done Noel! 💪🏃‍♂️