Northern Ireland host Anglo Celtic Plate 100k Home Countries Championships for first time at Craigavon Lakes

Northern Ireland will play host to the Anglo Celtic Plate 100K Home Countries Team and Individual Championships for the very first time this spring.

The championship will be staged in the heart of Craigavon Lakes on Sun 2 April [8am start] at South Lake Leisure Centre and will be organised by the NI Ultra Running Association [NIURA].

It will be the 28th running of the championship, which was first raced for in Nottingham in 1995, with Scotland having hosted it more times than any other Nation (10). The most recent Championship was held in Perth in 2022.

England has hosted the ACP 7 times, Wales 6 times and the Republic of Ireland 4 times, most recently at Mondello Park in 2021.

It has also been announced that the race will incorporate the British, Irish, Northern Irish and Scottish 100K Championships.

The NIURA has targeted the Craigavon course with its 4.75km [2.96 mile] loop as tailor made for an ultra race of this stature, with the prospect of fast times.

There have been strong indicators of rapidly rising standards as more runners turn to the ultra distances.

In Perth last year 7 men went under 7 hours and 3 women went under 8 hours.

Ireland’s Caitriona Jennings smashed the National record [7:07:15] in taking a bronze medal at the World 100K Champs in Berlin in August and followed that up with gold at the European 50K Champs in Avila,Spain in October in another record [3:19:42].

Also in Spain, the British team won gold in both the men’s and the women’s team events. And, Northern Ireland’s leading runner at the distance ,Gareth King, broke the Northern Ireland and Ulster record twice during the year with a 6:32:04 clocking for 9th place in Berlin – the 4th fastest ever by a British runner.

There will also be Open 50K and 100K races in Craigavon and entries are now open at www.SiEntries.co.uk.

For further information contact:

ADRIAN DAYE, race director at 078765650015

Or

Or Ed Smith,President ACP Ultra Association 07740818389.

 www.facebook.com/ groups/737218420127576/