A: Grange, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland | E: info@mullingarharriers.com

Athletics Leinster Star Awards for 2017

Michael Lane honoured by Athletics Leinster

At the Athletics Leinster Star Awards Gala Dinner in the Bridge House Hotel in Tullamore on Saturday evening 6th January , Michael Lane was presented with an Outstanding Service Award by Athletics Leinster for his contribution to the sport over many years.

Michael Lane joined Mullingar Harriers in 1978 with the intention of being a long distance runner. It wasn’t long before he was introduced to the discipline of race walking and as the saying goes, the rest is history. Within a few months he had mastered the race walking technique to the point where he was in contention for National honours at the Irish Championships. It didn’t take too long more before he became an Irish International athlete, competing at various International events, culminating in his being selected to compete at the European Championships. All the time, Michael continued to be a valued member of Mullingar Harriers, not only as a competitive athlete but also serving on the committee for many years. Michael’s interest in coaching has seen him become one of the most respected race walking coaches not only in Ireland but in the World and he is among the pioneers of race walking in Ireland, helping hundreds of athletes, and is currently the National Event Coordinator. Michael has been an Irish Team Coach at European and World Championships and was a coach at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. His contribution to athletics in Westmeath both as an administrator and coach has been invaluable. Michael is certainly one of the unsung heroes of Irish athletics, especially to the race walking fraternity.

Michael was delighted to be given recognition and honoured by Athletics Leinster in this way and it was great that his wife Mary and children Oisin and Aisling were present at the award ceremony to see him receive his Award.

Other individual Awards were presented to Mullingar Harriers athletes Vicky Harris (senior athlete) and Shauna Leydon (juvenile girl) and joint Awards were made to the North Westmeath AC athletes Darragh Gaffney and Conor Fogarty (juvenile boy). Also winning an Award was Niamh Fogarty (North Westmeath AC) who received the Throwers Award for Leinster.

After the hugely successful cross country season where Mullingar won ten of the eighteen Club titles in cross country, there’s no surprise that our juvenile athletes retained the Morrissey Cup for best juvenile Club in cross country in Leinster. Mullingar has won this trophy every year since 2001. Westmeath also finished second County in the Foley Cup, behind Kilkenny, so congratulations to all our underage athletes that played a part in this success.

Mullingar came very close to winning the Leinster Shield for u/9, 10 and 11 Pairs, equaling the points of Boyne AC but Boyne edged it as they had more gold medals. A very close result! Mullingar also placed joint second in the Dew Shield for Junior and u/23 T&F and second Club in the Mick Byrne Cup for juvenile T&F, so perhaps we can target these trophies in 2018?