Final year trainee doctor Hannah Gilliland decimated the field at the Podium 4 Sport Joe Seeley 10K Road Race after she’d just completed a gruelling 12-hour shift in hospital.
She finished some 51 seconds ahead of Irish international Nakita Burke in a recordbreaking time of 33 mins 24 secs which took eight seconds off Emma Mitchell’s record from two years ago.
This further cements Gilliland’s attachment to the Seeley event as she also took a minute off her previous PB when scoring her first victory in last year’s race.
“I am over the moon with that performance,” she said after the Ormeau Park race.
“I had no plan for the race but I knew I was in good form after winning the Bangor 10K. I ran with Nakita to the 5K mark and then decided to press on.”
As for her somewhat unusual ‘preparation’ for the race, she explained: “I’m in my final year as a trainee doctor and finished a 12-hour night shift at the Royal yesterday morning. While not ideal preparation, it clearly worked out okay for me!”
Other Women’s placings were Catherine O’Connor (third in 36.03),Robyn McKee (fourth in 36.37) and Sarah McNutt (fifth in 36.49). Annadale took the team award with 14 points from Willowfield (55 points).
The Men’s event was a much closer affair with a dozen of the Province’s top athletes in the leading throng after two miles.
Inevitably, this did not last with pre-race favourite Brhane Gebrebrhan contesting the lead with Conall McClean of the CNDR Track Club .
These two fought a duel until the final 100 metres when Gebrebrhan broke clear to take a one second victory on the line from McClean in just under 30 minutes.
Next came Luke Kelly of CNDR in 30.32 followed by Tom Moran of Dunshaughlon (30.37) with the top six completed by Christopher Fielding of City of Derry Spartans (30.46) and Craig McMeechan of North Down (30.48) .
Gebrebrhan has now completed an impressive trio of 10K victories in the Bangor, Laganside and Seeley races .
Runner-up McClean said: “ I’m happy enough with what is my fastest time in the Province, though I ran faster recently in the Leeds 10K.
“Brhane sat behind me the whole way and I knew he had a faster track time than me. I’m in my last year studying at Loughborough, so I hope to be racing more here from next summer.“
Annadale took the team award with 52 points from Candour Track Club (87 points).