Galloper Thompson 5k
Grove Park, Antrim
16 Oct 2026
⚠ Start times change frequently. Always check with race organiser or their website for this year's confirmed start time before travelling.
Course map
Map based on 2025 route
⚠ This map is for indicative purposes only — routes can change, or be reversed, year to year. Check with the race organiser for this year's confirmed map.
Elevation profile
About this race
The Galloper Thompson 5k is a Halloween-themed road race organised by North Belfast Harriers, taking place on Friday 16 October 2026 at 7:30pm, starting and finishing at Grove Park on Jellicoe Avenue in North Belfast. The race is named after Gordon "Galloper" Thompson, the legendary headless horseman said to haunt the streets around Jennymount, where his grand Tudor-style mansion once stood close to the old Jennymount Mill. The course runs through the streets of North Belfast surrounding Grove Park, the area most associated with sightings of the phantom horseman. Runners are encouraged to wear ghoulish costumes, with prizes awarded on the night for the best fancy dress. Despite the spooky theme, the race has proven genuinely fast, with the inaugural 2025 edition producing a winning time under 15:30 and attracting over 600 finishers. The event is permitted by Athletics NI.
Course profile & record eligibility
World Athletics record-eligibility rules cap net elevation loss at 1m per km of race distance, and require the start and finish to be no more than 50% of the race distance apart — both meant to stop a course gaining an unfair edge from downhill grade or a point-to-point tailwind. This is based on this course's recorded elevation and GPS data, not an official measurement or certification.