Q2, 2023 News & Reports – April to June

JUNE

St. Coco’s AC 5k

The St. Coco’s AC 5k took place on Friday evening 30th June in Kilcock. An entry of 574 finishers shows the level of interest in this annual race on a flat and well marshalled course around the town. Jack Moran made a return to competition on home soil and came home fifth in 14 minutes 48 seconds, with Vinny Connolly just 2 seconds behind in sixth place. Alan Crowley was very pleased with a 16:26 finishing time, just ahead of Johnny Morrissey only a few seconds further back in 16:29. Tony Boyhan also had a very good run finishing in 16:49, and Kieran Nolan used the 5k as a warm-up for a 10 mile the following day with a fine 17:44. Glenda Shaw was fourth in her master category with 18:48, and Nuala Moran was pleased to come home in 24:56 and learn of the fine run by her son Jack.

Junioren International Gala (Mannheim, Germany)

Aimee Wallace made her International Debut over 1,500m at the Junioren Gala in Mannheim, Germany on Saturday afternoon 24th June. In a tactical race held in 30degC heat, Aimee finished in fourth place in a time of 4 minutes 33.03 seconds. Aimee placed herself in the lead group from the outset and looked very comfortable at this level. She remained in contention for a top three finish for the entire race but ultimately had to settle for fourth in an age category that she has two more years eligibility in. This was an excellent performance from Aimee and she will benefit hugely from gaining competitive experience on an international stage.

Representing Ireland for the first time is a huge milestone for any athlete and is well deserved for Aimee, who looks to have a very bright future as an international athlete. Now that Aimee has made her International debut for Ireland, her name will be added to the International Roll of Honour in the Clubhouse, the one hundred and twenty fourth name on the marble wall plaque.

Tailteann Inter-Provincial T&F

SETU Carlow was the venue for this year’s Tailteann Inter-Provincial T&F on Saturday 24th June. The blustery and humid conditions made for difficult middle distance running, however both Grace Byrne and Conor Sherwin acquitted themselves very well on the day with both finishing on the podium.

Grace Byrne was first to compete, in the 1,500m Steeplechase, and went off with the leaders. As she met the water jump for the second time a stumble caused her to drop to fourth place, however she regained her composure and fought bravely over the next two laps to regain third position and held that place to go on and win a bronze Tailteann medal. This is Grace’s first season competing in the steeplechase and is surely a sign of success in the future.

Conor Sherwin was next to compete, this time the 1,500m was the event. After a cagey first lap the pace increased over the next two and with 300m to go a flat out burst saw Conor pull clear of the opposition and he led them home in first place. This win also qualified Conor for the Irish Schools team that will compete in Scotland in July, a great achievement for him and reward for his hard work.

Derravarragh 5 Mile

The shores of Lough Derravaragh provided a beautiful setting for the start and finish of the Derravarragh 5 Mile on Saturday morning 24th June. The race was organised by Ballinafid-Multyfarnham Community Services to fundraise for their work in the local area, especially with the elderly and the isolated. Four athletes from Mullingar Harriers joined nearly 80 others in support of an excellent cause and took on the hilly, scenic and challenging 5 mile looped course around the outskirts of Multyfarnham in very warm and humid conditions. Andrew Nevin took the early lead and pulled away on the final mile to win with a very lively time of 27 minutes 28 seconds and Sinead Whitelaw had an excellent race to finish first woman in 30 minutes 57 seconds. Ken Whitelaw finished strongly in second place in 29:52, followed by Declan Costello who is making a return to racing after a period away from races and was happy to finish in 46:22 as he builds up his mileage for later in the year and a possible shot at the Dublin City Marathon.

Clonee 10k

Dunboyne AC hosted their annual Clonee 10k on Thursday evening 22nd June. Run on a very flat and winding country roads near Clonee village in County Meath, the race attracted a big entry of 350 athletes. Linda Cunningham was the sole representative from Mullingar Harriers athlete in the race. Linda, who is building towards the Dublin City Marathon in October, was very pleased with her race and finished well up in her master category with a time of 46 minutes 44 seconds.

Leinster Juvenile (u/14 to 19) T&F

Despite having to contend with extremely changeable weather over both days of the Leinster Juvenile T&F in Tullamore on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June, the Mullingar athletes rose to the occasion and excelled themselves, finishing the long weekend of competition with an impressive total of 10 medals, and 2 more of our athletes finished just out of the medals in fourth place, so Mullingar will be well represented at the National finals in July.

It might have been mild but it was wet and miserable first thing on Saturday morning but that didn’t deter our race walkers who simply dominated their events, winning four medals from four races, reinforcing Mullingar’s formidable reputation in race walking. It was well deserved victories for John Glennon (u/17 boys 3,000m walk), Aisling Lane (u/19 girls 3,000m walk), Matthew Glennon (u/19 boys 5,000m walk) in a new Championship Record of 22:34.42, bettering the previous set in 1998 by nearly 14 seconds, and Daniel Glennon (u/15 boys 2,000m walk).

Thankfully, the rain stopped in time for the sprints and the sun began to come out. Mullingar was well represented by Sean Higgins, Hakeem Yonta and Ciaran Mulvany who contested the 80m u/14, Aaron Conroy the 100m u/15 and Parnod Bose the 100m u/18, all competing well but not advancing from the very competitive heats. Finn Roddy won his heat of the 100m u/16 with ease to advance to the final where he simply blasted from the blocks with his customary fast start and powered to the finish to win the silver medal and add to Mullingar’s growing medal tally. Aaron Conroy was back in action later in the day for the long jump u/15 but finished out of the medal places.

Moving to the 1,500m races, it was great to see Scott Cogan simply cruise to victory in the 1,500m u/14, winning by a good margin and able to ease off at the finish and enjoy crossing the line to win the Leinster title. Also competing well in the race were Hakeem Yonta and Cormac McGrath. Conor Walsh made up a lot of ground in the closing stages of the 1,500m u/15, moving rapidly through the field on the home straight going quickly from seventh to fifth and closing down rapidly on fourth place but unfortunately the line came to soon and he finished in fifth place. Conor Mulvany contested the 1,500m u/16 but finished out of the medals. We were back in the medals in the 1,500m u/18 where Conor Sherwin put in a great performance, finishing strongly to win the gold medal. We finished with the 1,500m u/19 where Ross Killalea ran a fine race to finish second and win the silver medal.

Chloe Duggan raced in the 300m u/14 finishing second in her race but the event was a series of time trials and Chloe’s time was just hundredths of a second outside the medals in fourth place. Hakeem Yonta raced for the third time on the same day where he finished fifth in the 300m u/14.

Mullingar interest on the day finished with the 2,000m steeplechase u/17 where Ailbhe O’Farrell had to endure very wet and miserable conditions as the rain returned with a vengeance, but she stuck to her task and was rewarded with the silver medal in a close finish.

It was raining again on Sunday morning when Chloe Duggan ran a brilliant heat of the 800m u/14 to finish fifth in a new personal best time to advance to the final. Lisa O’Brien competed well in her heat but didn’t qualify to join Chloe in the final. Txema Lozano contested the 800m u/16 but didn’t advance to the final later in the day.

By the time the programme came to the 200m sprints, the weather had changed dramatically and it was very hot and sunny, ideal for sprinters. However, there was no medal joy for Mullingar. Daniel Horohoe and Morgan Isdell took on the 200m u/14 but didn’t advance to the final, likewise for Barry Walsh in the 200m u/17, but Finn Roddy came very close in the 200m u/16 where he finished fourth, missing a place in the final by mere hundredths of a second. Daniel Horohoe and Morgan Isdell rounded off their day in the 75m hurdles u/14, which was a straight final, where Daniel placed fourth to secure a place in the National final but Morgan Isdell finished out of the medal places.

In between her heat and final of the 800m, Chloe Duggan competed in the u/14 long jump but despite jumping a personal best, finished out of the medal places. By late afternoon it was very hot and sunny, tough conditions for distance running but that’s what faced Ross Killalea in the 3,000m u/19 but he’s made of stern stuff and put in a fine performance to finish second and win a silver medal. Chloe Duggan finished the day with her final of the 800m u/14, digging deep in the tough hot conditions and despite running nearly as quick as in her heat and a very strong finish, had to settle for a place out of the medals.

BMAF 5km Road Race Walk Championship

The BMAF 5km Road Race Walk Championship took place on Sunday 18th June in Horwich, near Bolton. Maintaining his medal winning record in the event, Sean McMullin finished second in his master category and he was also delighted to be presented with a special 20th anniversary medal as the only walker to have completed every Championships race since the inception of the race. Congratulations to Sean.

Oisin Lane & Grace Byrne Honoured by Athletics Leinster

Congratulations to Oisin Lane and Grace Byrne on receiving Athletics Leinster Star Awards for 2022, which were presented during breaks in the programme at the Leinster Juvenile T&F in Tullamore on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th June. Oisin earned an award for Outstanding Performance in Race Walking in 2022, which was accepted on his behalf on Saturday by his sister, Aisling. On Sunday, Grace was presented with the Star Award for Best Juvenile Girl in Westmeath, based on her performances in Leinster Championships in 2022 when she won the gold medal in the 1,500m outdoors and silver in the 800m indoors.

International Selection for Aimee Wallace (18th June)

Congratulations to Aimee Wallace who will make her International debut when she competes over 1,500m at the Junioren International Gala in Mannheim, Germany on Saturday 24th June. Athletes from twenty four countries will participate in this under 20 International, with a strong European representation plus participants from other nations such as Australia and Quatar.

Aimee has had a superb breakthrough season this year, running a personal best of 4 mins 26.18 seconds for 1,500m and is Ireland’s fastest u/18 and u/20 athlete. Representing Ireland for the first time is a huge milestone for any athlete and is well deserved for Aimee, who looks to have a very bright future as an international athlete.

Dunshaughlin 10k

Saturday evening 17th June was a stormy evening for a road race, with threatening grey clouds, swirling wind and hints of thunder in the air. However, this atmosphere did little to dampen the enthusiasm of over 900 athletes who arrived to run in the very popular “Michael Manning Memorial” Dunshaughlin 10k.

A large squad of twenty four Mullingar Harriers athletes competed in the race and they were led home by Andrew Nevin finishing twentieth in a fast 32 minutes 53 seconds. James Keegan was next home (33:18), followed by Kris Foster (34:37) and Alan Crowley (34.41) and this men’s quartet finished a very creditable fourth team in a competitive men team event. There were strong performances put by many more Mullingar athletes, with Johnny Morrissy finishing strongly (35:19), Tony Doran (35:53), Eddie Newman (36:02) first in his master category, Eoin Clarke (36:05), Kedagh Geoghegan (36:12) and Andy Boyhan (36:22).

The Mullingar women were led home by Sinead Whitelaw who placed sixteenth in 37 minutes 28 seconds. She was followed by Susan Glennon (38:50) and Joan Flynn (40:26) with the trio finishing a strong fifth team in a closely contested women race.

Other Mullingar athletes finished strongly with James Cribbin coming home in 37:29, Kieran Nolan (37:48), Enda Seery (38:09), Jenny Algar (41:25), Jacintha Reilly (41:55), Darren Carroll (42:43), Michelle Bohan (42:47), Aeilish McGovern (44:28), Richie Kelly (44:40), Emer O’Hanlon (45:36) and Shaun Mills (47:15.).

This race was round five of the Peugeot Race Series, which is a competition of mixed team of six athletes, three male and three female. The Mullingar team of Andrew, James, Kris, Sinead, Susan and Joan finished a fantastic 3rd in the race and now currently lie in third place overall in this race series. The next race is a 10 mile road race in Roscommon in two weeks and many Harriers will now be looking towards that event and hopefully better weather conditions!

Athlone 10 Mile

Starting and finishing in Clonown Village outside Athlone on the Roscommon side, the Athlone 10 Mile race was run on a flat looping course around the Co. Roscommon Village on Saturday morning 17th June. Conditions were overcast but very clammy, and with little breeze, conditions proved hot and humid throughput the race. Finishing first in her master category, Mary Stuart was very pleased with 71 minutes 24 seconds just two weeks after completing her most recent marathon. Nollaig McEntegart was very pleased with his first outing of 2023, recording a very lively 75:12.

Leinster Juvenile Relays

Mullingar had only one team at the Leinster Juvenile Relays held in Tullamore on Sunday 11th June, a team in the u/17 boys 4 x 400m relay. For all the four team members, it was their first competitive race over 400m, but that certainly didn’t show as each gave a sterling performance over the unfamiliar distance. Better known as a 100m and 200m sprinter, Finn Roddy led the team out with a strong run over the longer distance, handing over in second place to the first of our 1,500m and 800m runners dropping down distance, Matthew Molloy, who dug deep to hold on to second place, followed by Jamie Wallace running extremely well to keep Mullingar in second and in the hunt for honours, before Pablo Lozano took the baton for the final leg and running a great leg he consolidated the team’s position in second place to earn the silver medals.

AAI National 5 Mile

Held in the Phoenix Park on Sunday morning 11th June in warm muggy conditions, the AAI National 5 Mile attracted over 1,300 finishers, and of course that included a squad from Mullingar seeking National honours. Leading them home was Eddie Newman in 29 minutes 17 seconds, followed by James Cribbin (30:18), Pauric Brady (31:47) and Patrick Muldoon (31:54). Our first woman to finish was Mary Stuart (34:14) winning National silver in her master category. Following in quick succession was Paul Byrne (35:29), Linda Cunnigham (36:36), Emer O’Hanlon (36:46), John Meehan (35:45), Stephen Naughton (38:06) and Cormac Murray (39:34). Unfortunately, Gemma Kelly had to stop around the 3 mile mark, nothing serious, just a precaution, and we wish her a speedy recovery.

Mary’s silver medal proved the only honour won the day, but well done to the team of Eddie, James and Paul who placed 5th Club in the o/50 master category and the team of Mary, Linda and Emer who placed 5th Club in o/35 master category, which are very creditable team results in a National road race.

Leinster Combined Events

It was overcast but mild and humid with only the occasional light rain shower in Tullamore on Saturday 10th June, reasonably good conditions for the Leinster Combined Events. Aidan O’Donoghue competed in the master competition, which was a Pentathlon comprising long jump, javelin, 200m, discus and 1,500m.

Starting off slowly with a below par performance by his own standards in the long jump, Aidan was in second place after the first event. Confident of pulling back points in the javelin, Aidan was delighted to launch the javelin out to close to his personal best, which put him into the lead in the competition by 91 points. His next event was his first competitive race over 200m and even though his lead was reduced to 30 points, he was happy to have got through the race without injury. Throwing near his personal best in the discus he increased his lead again to 129 points, giving him a good cushion going into the fifth and final event, the 1,500m. Combined event athletes dread the 1,500m at the end of a long day of competition but Aidan dug deep and was glad to have the 129 point cushion as he saw his lead shrink to just 20 points by the end, but this was enough to win the Leinster title.

Daingean 5k

Naoimh Mhuire AC hosted the penultimate race in this year’s Offaly Race Series on Friday evening 9th June, the Daingean 5k. It was a warm and humid evening, but a stiff breeze was welcomed by the athletes as they completed three circuits around the town and surrounding streets.

Mullingar Harriers had nine athletes in the field of just over 300 runners. With our master women team vying for a podium finish in the overall race series, it was particularly vital to get team scores. First home in 17 minutes 59 seconds was Kieran Nolan, with Padraig Beglin next in for Mullingar Harriers in 19:27. Padraig was followed by our first woman finisher, Aisling Corcoran in 20:29, placing third in her master category. Linda Cunningham ran a very determined race and was delighted with a new personal best of 22:00, followed in by Caroline Mullen (23:09) third in her master category, then the ever-consistent Brigid McCabe taking first place in her master category with a time of 23:54, then Nuala Moran in 24:44. Ray Smith (25:17) and Martin Mullen (25:25) made up the remainder of the Harriers contingent. In the all-important race for positions in the team event our women team of Aisling, Linda and Caroline placed 2nd Club on the night. This leaves the team poised for a top 3 finish in the series, with the final race coming up later in the month in Rhode.

Trim AC “Braveheart 5k”

The Trim AC “Braveheart 5k” took place on Friday evening 9th May at the Porchfields in Trim. Since its inception in 2010, the race, which is organised by Trim AC has grown into one of the most popular events in the running calendar. The location and route of the race along the banks of the historic river Boyne is a run back through history. It takes the runners among one of the finest collections of medieval monuments in Ireland. 440 athletes took part this year and conditions were warm and humid throughout the course, with a feature being its challenging off-road tracks. Enda O’Carolan was happy with his run crossing the finish line in 18 minutes 7 seconds, followed shortly after by Susan Glennon in a fine 19:22, the second woman finisher. It was good to see Michelle O’Halloran back to competitive action and she was pleased with a steady 23:30, while also earning the bragging rights at home for the moment with her daughter Siofra O’Halloran finishing behind her in 25:03.

Cork City Marathon & Half Marathon

Starting and finishing on St. Patrick’s Street, the annual Cork City Marathon & Half Marathon on Sunday morning 4th June was a great success. Held in glorious sunshine, the warm conditions proved tricky for the athletes as the early morning cool breeze gave way to warmer conditions as the race unfolded, with temperatures topping 25degC, but plenty of water stations provided a welcome respite. Undeterred were the Mullingar Harriers competitors Mary Stuart, Dara O’Shea and John Keane competing in the marathon. Dara O’Shea was delighted to break 3 hours 30 minutes for the first time, finishing in a new personal best of 3 hours 25 minutes 47 seconds. Also delighted with his race was John Keane finishing in 3 hours 58 minutes 57 seconds, breaking the four hour mark in his first marathon. Congratulations to Mary Stuart on successfully completing another marathon. In the half marathon, John McNamara was happy to finish in 1 hour 49 minutes 50 seconds.

Leinster Juvenile (u/9 – 13) T&F

Day one of the Leinster Juvenile T&F took place in sun-soaked Tullamore on Sunday 4th June. Competition was for boys and girls u/9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. The younger u/9, 10 and 11 athletes competed as pairs with their individual performances added to give a team score for the pair, while the older u/12 and 13 athletes competed as individuals. In all, Mullingar had 31 young athletes entered, most of them competing in more than one event, so we saw Mullingar athletes in action in 49 events spread across the arena, so it was quite a job keeping track of how they were getting on!

Chloe Bell got things off to a great start when she won her heat of the u/12 girls 600m to qualify for the final. Unfortunately, though they ran well in their heats, Liadan Gavin and Amelie Kelly didn’t advance with Chloe to the final, though Amelie came very close with a fourth place finish in her heat, missing a place in the final by just one place. The final was held a few hours later where Chloe ran really well but finished out of the medal places. Alex Sochanski competed in the u/12 boys 600m but was unlucky not to qualify for the final.

Our hopes were raised again in the u/13 girls 600m heats where Lily Walsh won her heat to qualify for final and though she ran much quicker in the final was unlucky to finish just out of the medal places. On to the u/13 boys 600m heats where Antonio Bertolo was second in his heat and Cillian Galvin won his heat and both qualified for the final. Unfortunately, Aonghus O’Reilly and Joel Kelly didn’t advance from their heats to join Antonio and Cillian. As expected, the final was run at a furious pace from the gun with Cillian always in contention and running a good deal quicker than in his heat he finished an excellent second place in a very close finish between first and second.

Katie Bohan and Penny Bohan competed in the u/11 girls 600m, both finishing well up in their heats, and when their finish times were combined to give the “pair” team score, they were unlucky to finish just out of the medal places. We had four boys in the u/11 boys 600m and with Daniel Cummins placing second in his heat, Conor Gavin third in his, and strong performances by Cillian Gavin and Fintan Harte, it was celebration for Conor & Daniel as their combined times saw them win gold for the pair.

Mullingar had four in the u/9 girls 300m where Heather Kelly and Maisie Walsh finished third in their races and Alicia Aghey and Rachel Robinson gave strong performances. Heather and Maisie had their times combined and were very unlucky to finish out of the medal places. No luck either for Helen McGrath and Rose Harte in the u/10 girls 500m and they finished out of the medals. Seeing Noah Morgan and Mel Bohan finishing well up in the u/10 boys 500m and a strong run by Senan Seery too gave us great hope for medals, but Noah & Mel combined and placed fourth “pair”, missing the bronze medals by only a few seconds.

Meanwhile, there was also plenty of action in the field events. Antonio Bertolo (boys u/13 shot putt) and Clodagh Doran (girls u/13 shot putt) enjoyed their events and competed well but finished out of the medal places. Unfortunately, Kate Horohoe (girls u/10 long jump) and Gearoid Doyle (boys u/10 long jump) had no pair with them, but they still loved the competition anyway. We had a three in the girls u/9 long jump, Heather Kelly who finished fifth, Maisie Walsh and Rachel Robinson, all competing really well and the combined jumps of Heather & Maisie saw them finish in fifth place, just out of the medals. In the boys u/11 long jump, Conor Gavin, Aaron Robinson and Cillian Gavin put in great efforts but there were no medals won. Finally, Penny Bohan and Katie Bohan competed in the girls u/11 turbo javelin where they thoroughly enjoyed the competition but didn’t finish in the medal places.

It was then back to the track for the sprints. In the u/9 girls 60m, despite great spriniting by Saoirse McDermott finishing fifth in her race and Alicia Aghey second in hers, their combined times weren’t enough to see them win medals in the pairs event. Liadan Gavin ran well in her heat of the u/12 girls 60m heats but didn’t advance to the semi-finals to join Amelie Kelly who was second in her heat and qualified for the semi-final but though she ran very well didn’t advance to the final but knows making the semi-final was excellent for her. In the u/13 girls 80m heats, Aoibhe Martyn was second in her heat to qualify for the semi-final but though Clodagh Doran ran well in her heat, she didn’t advance to the semi-final to join Aoibhe. The semi-finals were extremely competitive, with only the top two guaranteed a place in the final, so Aoibhe’s fourth place finish was very close but reaching a Leinster semi-final is an excellent performance. Kate Horohoe and Helen McGrath combined in the u/10 girls 60m, Mel Bohan and Noah Morgan in the u/10 boys 60m, and Aaron Robinson and Daniel Cummins in the u/11 boys 60m, but finished out of the medals. Aoife Dunne competed well in the u/11 girls 60m but with no other girls from Mullingar to pair with she couldn’t score in the pairs competition but still but enjoyed competing.

All-Ireland Schools T&F

One of the toughest underage T&F Championships in Ireland, the All-Ireland Schools T&F, took place in glorious sunshine on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd June in Tullamore. The programme has become so big in recent years that to avoid a very long day for athletes and officials on the Saturday, this year, some events were held on the Friday evening, including the race walks and steeplechase, which featured a number of Mullingar Harriers athletes competing for their schools and colleges.

First into action was Daniel Glennon (St. Finian’s College) in the junior boys 1,500m walk. The race got off to a very quick start but Daniel kept his head and settled into his race and keeping in touch with the early leaders. Daniel was in third place at the bell and had enough in reserve to see off a challenge for the bronze medal and he eased away smoothly over the final lap and opened a gap to secure the bronze medal. John Glennon (St. Finian’s College) contested the intermediate boys 2,000m walk where he put in a great effort but couldn’t quite match the early pace, though he rallied well in the closing laps to finish strongly in sixth place. Aisling Lane (Mercy Ballymahon) went straight to the front in the senior girls 3,000m walk and delivered a master class in race walking, dominating from gun to tape to win comfortably. The senior boys 3,000m walk went out at a fierce pace perhaps aimed at putting Andrew Glennon (St. Finian’s College) under pressure. However, Andrew sat in behind the leader and never let up working hard and patiently waited to make his move at the bell, a move that proved decisive, and once he took the lead he pulled well clear over the final lap to win.

Though still a newcomer to the event, Grace Byrne (Loreto Mullingar) bravely went with the early pace in the intermediate girls 1,500m steeplechase, tracking the leader and slowly opening a gap on the chasing group. We know Grace has plenty of pace and strength, and she was able to use her height to full advantage as she negotiated the high wooden barriers including the water jump in a fast and technically challenging race. She had to let the leader get away but continuing to work hard she drove on and was rewarded with a fine silver medal for her efforts.

Saturday was very sunny and warm, not ideal conditions for middle-distance running. The intermediate girls 1,500m started at a relatively slow pace, but a slow start means a very fast finish, and though Grace Byrne (Loreto Mullingar) battled hard, her efforts in the steeplechase the night before took some of her edge off and though she finished strong she finished out of the medal places in seventh place. In contrast, the intermediate boys 1,500m went out very fast and didn’t slow up. Conor Sherwin (Colaiste Mhuire) had to work hard to keep in contention but with a lap to go it was clear he was not going to get among the medals but he kept working hard and has to be pleased with his efforts and an eighth place finish in a top class race. The final race with a Mullingar interest was the senior boys 1,500m where Diarmuid Fagan (Colaiste Mhuire) was in action. The pace was fast from the gun and Diarmuid settled in well with the lead group but as the race neared the closing stages Diarmuid began to fall back off the leading group but still came through to a fine eighth place finish.

Ballyskenach 5k

The splendid grounds of the Cistercian Abbey of Mount St Joseph’s were part of the backdrop to the route for the Ballyskenach 5k on Friday evening 2nd June. This was the fifth race of the 2023 Offaly race series. With the Mullingar Harriers women team nicely placed in the first three teams overall in the series, seven of our women athletes took in this latest race in the series. 369 finishers emerged in the Abbey grounds at the conclusion of the race. The Harriers women team of Susan Glennon (19:00), Aisling Corcoran (20:40) third in her master category, and Gemma Kelly (22:16) placed first of the non-Offaly teams on the night. Backing them up with excellent running were Linda Cunningham (22:22), Brigid McCabe (23:46) first in her master category, Joanna Tyrrell (23:45) and Pauline Troy (25:07) third in her category.

Bohermeen 5k

The 37th running of the annual Bohermeen 5k took place on Friday evening 2nd June in warm sunny conditions. The event is held on a very flat circular route around the country roads adjoining the club grounds. The finish brings athletes off the roads and into the track for the final 300m. Three athletes from Mullingar Harriers joined 360 others in the warm sunshine and enjoyed the occasion. Enda Seery was first club man home in 18:03, with Paul Ginnell happy with another race following a long layoff from injury, coming home in 21:16. Liam McGlynn made up the Mullingar trio on the night finishing in 22:00. After the race the three men stayed for the barbeque, which is a highlight every year at this event.

MAY

Coralstown 5k

The annual Coralstown 5k always attracts a large turnout from Mullingar Harriers members. On Wednesday evening 31st May, in splendid sunshine, more than 50 of our athletes took part in a well organised and marshalled race, which brought the runners along country roads from the village, along the tow path of the Royal Canal, and returning via the slip road off a link road to the M6 motorway. Mullingar Harriers filled the winner’s position in both the men and women categories. James Keegan was first across the line in 16:09, with Susan Glennon leading home the women in 18:54.

Everyone was treated to a tremendous array of food and refreshments by the hard-working committee in the school after the race. In total 216 completed the event, which is an important annual fundraiser for Coralstown NS.

Vinny Connolly Honoured by Athletics Leinster

Congratulations to Vinny Connolly on receiving the Athletics Leinster Senior Athlete Star Award for Westmeath for 2022. Vinny earned the award based on his performances in Leinster Championships in 2022, when he won the 5,000m at the Leinster Senior T&F in Carlow in May and won the novice men race at the Leinster novice cross country in Bellurgan Park, Dundalk in October.

The award was presented at the Leinster Junior, Senior & Masters T&F in Carlow on Sunday 28th May, along with the awards for athletes from the other Countries in Leinster. Unfortunately, Vinny was unable to attend to receive his award in person as he was competing in the 5,000m at the IFAM meeting in Oordegem in Belgium that day, but Club Chairperson Margaret Daly accepted the award on his behalf from Catriona Duffy, Athletics Leinster Chairperson.

Leinster Junior, Senior & Masters T&F

The Carlow campus of SETU was the venue for the Leinster Junior, Senior & Masters T&F Championships on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May. Held in glorious sunshine it proved a successful event for Mullingar Harriers athletes.

On Saturday, Paddy Boyhan won M70 long jump and placed second in the M70 javelin and Aidan O’Donoghue was second in javelin M55 and also secured a silver medal in the shot putt.  Tom Walsh won the M75 weight for distance (28 pounds) event. On the track, Grace Byrne followed up on her recent Leinster Schools steeplechase win with victory in the u/18 girls 2,000m steeplechase with Ailbhe O’Farrell running an excellent race in second place.

On Sunday, Paddy Boyhan won the M70 high jump and Aidan O’Donoghue was second in discus M55 and also second in the hammer and took gold in the high jump. Our walkers were in excellent form with gold for both Colm Walsh in the M45 5,000m Walk and Sean McMullin in the M75 3,000m Walk.

British Milers Club Grand Prix

The first British Milers Club Grand Prix of the season took place at Sports City, Manchester on Saturday 27th May. Aimee Wallace and Eoin Quinn were in action looking to continue their season’s progress.

Eoin was first into action over 800m. The opening 400m was a little slower than expected but Eoin used all his experience to position himself in a challenging position. He produced an excellent last lap to finish second in a time of 1 minute 50.16 seconds. This was a personal best time and Eoin can now target breaking 1 minute 50 seconds for 800m this season.

Aimee has emerged as one of the leading young middle distance athletes in the country this season and was in the 1,500m race. Despite being one of the youngest in the field at seventeen years, Aimee started confidently and positioned herself in the leading group where she remained throughout the race. Aimee finished strongly to cross the line in a brilliant time of 4 minutes 26.18 seconds. This was a new personal best and well inside the European Youth Olympic qualification standard. Aimee’s time is also the fastest by an Irish u/18 and u/20 athlete this year and is now ranked in the top 12 in Europe this season outlining her fantastic progress this season.

IFAM Meeting (Oordegem)

At the IFAM Meeting in Oordegem in Belgium on Saturday 27th May, among a large contingent of Irish athletes to get some valuable track running in an International field were Vinny Connolly and Euan Lagan. There were in fact 20 different 5,000m races and Vinny and Euan had to wait until 1am on Sunday morning to get their opportunity. The long delay did not deter them, and both were happy with good runs, Vinny finishing in 14:40 with Euan recording 15:05. This was good experience for both, as they continue their preparation for the track season at home.

NCAA Division 1 West

Cormac Dalton raced in the NCAA Division 1 West on Wednesday 24th May in Sacramento, California over 10,000m. Featuring many of the best collegiate athletes in the USA, Cormac was targeting a top twelve finish, which would secure qualification for the NCAA national finals in June. Cormac has been in very impressive form this season with personal best performances over 5,000m and 10,000m and he followed this up with an excellent fourth place finish in a time of 28 minutes 21.98 seconds. The NCAA 10,000m with be Cormac’s final race for Tulsa University where he has performed exceptionally well over the past two years.

European Team Race Walking Championships

One of the biggest dates on the international race walking calendar as the European Team Race Walking Championships took place outside Prague in the beautiful spa town of Poděbrady on Sunday 21st May. Six athletes were selected to represent Ireland, with three of those athletes – Oisin Lane, Matthew Glennon and Andrew Glennon – being from Mullingar Harriers.

First up was the Senior Men’s 20k walk, with Oisín and Matthew both making their Senior International debuts in this event. Unfortunately for Matthew, the combination of unfamiliar 25degC heat and the furious pace of championship racing proved too much, and the 19 year old had to withdraw with severe hamstring strain soon after 12k. Matthew was the youngest in the race, and was competing against much older athletes in an event where experience is crucial. He will learn a lot from his senior international debut, and we expect to see more of him on the international stage in the future.

Being a little older and more experienced internationally benefitted Oisin, who finished well inside the top half of the elite field in 22nd place in a season’s best of 1:26:26. Oisin was the second Irishman home, finishing between two Olympians, David Kenny and Brendan Boyce. Oisin’s result helped the Irish team finish an excellent seventh place. Oisin will be very happy with this result, as he prepares for the European u/23 Championships in Finland in July.

Later in the evening came the Junior Men’s 10k walk, with Andrew featuring on the Irish team. Andrew achieved a time of 46:29, which is very close to his personal best, finishing in 18th place individually, and also helping the Irish team to 9th in Europe.

Lang Laufnacht (Karlsruhe)

Jack O’Leary and Jamie Battle were also in action in the 5,000m at the Lang Laufnacht in Karlsruhe, Germany on Saturday 20th May. Jack recorded an excellent 13 minutes 52.67 seconds while Jamie recorded a personal best of 14 minutes 08.22 seconds. This was fifteen seconds faster than his previous best and a significant step to running 5,000m in sub 14 minutes.

Leinster Schools T&F

Mullingar Harriers will have seven athletes in the Irish Schools Championships following some excellent performances at the Leinster Championships held at Tullamore on Wednesday 17th and Saturday 20th May. Joining Aisling Lane (senior girls 3,000m walk) who won in Connacht, will be Grace Byrne who had an excellent championship with a convincing win in the intermediate girls 1,500m steeplechase and finished third in the 1,500m. Andrew Glennon was an impressive winner of the senior boys 3,000m walk. Aimee Wallace and Conor Sherwin placed second in the senior girls and intermediate boys 1,500m respectively. Diarmuid Fagan finished third in a tactical senior boys 1,500m. Daniel Glennon placed second in the junior boys walk and secured his place in the Irish Schools in June. Other performances of note included Kyle Faherty who was third in the intermediate boys 200m and Finn Roddy who was fourth in the junior boys 100m, an agonising 0.01 secs off the bronze medal position.

Irish Runner National 5k

The Irish Runner National 5k was held in the Phoenix Park on Saturday morning 20th May in ideal conditions with 1,174 finishers. Mullingar Harriers had two individual national medals, silver for Mary Stuart in her category with a time of 20:10 and Nicky McCabe winning bronze in his category in 23:37. Also competing for the club were Eddie Newman (17:35), Pauric Brady (18:26), Patrick Muldoon (18:45), Padraig Beglin (20:04), Gemma Kelly (22:15) and Linda Cunningham (22:25).

Pat Finnerty Memorial 5k League – Round 3 (17th May)

We couldn’t have asked for a lovelier summer evening on Wednesday 17th May for the final round of the Pat Finnerty Memorial 5k with clear blue skies and sunshine greeting the runners that arrived in Belvedere. Over the three evenings, well over 200 registered to run, which is a great start in rebuilding an event that had lapsed for several years and we’re confident that we can grow the event next year. Over the three nights we saw that entries were nearly evenly split between men and women, that about two thirds came from Westmeath but a third came from neighbouring and nearby Counties including Longford, Cavan, Offaly, Meath, Kildare and Dublin, and it’s great to see such interest far and wide in the event.

With the best two of three times to score in the league, Vinny Connolly (Mullingar Harriers) had to run the final night, having skipped round two, and with the winner of round two (Kevin Baker) also running the final round, and James Keegan (Mullingar Harriers) in the mix for prizes too, it was going to be interesting battle up front in the men’s race. Everyone kept their powder dry early on and the three men kept close to each other, waiting for someone to make a move. They were still locked together with one kilometre to go, but going up the final hill Vinny made his move and it proved decisive. Kevin and James chased hard but Vinny had enough in reserve to take the win and secure the overall top place, and in a great battle to the line, James just managed to get in front of Kevin to take second place in a very close finish.

As Fiona Gettings (Longford AC) had won rounds one and two comfortably, it was a foregone conclusion that she would finish in top place and secure the trophy for best woman. Sinead Whitelaw (Mullingar Harriers) had battled well with Emily Grennan (Tullamore Harriers AC) in the first two rounds but decided to rest out the third round, which meant Emily cruised to an excellent win on the night, with Susan Glennon in second place and Jennifer Algar in third.

Top men and women aside, of course there was great competition right through the field in the various master categories. Full results of the race are available on www.myrunresults.com. After the race, everyone moved to the nearby Mullingar Golf Club for refreshments and food and the all-important prize giving.

The top three men in the league were Vinny Connolly, Kevin Baker and James Keegan and the top three women were Fiona Gettings, Sinead Whitelaw and Emily Grennan. The perpetual trophy for first man was presented to Vinny Connolly and the trophy for first woman was presented to Fiona Gettings by Susan Finnerty.

Many thanks to everyone who gave up their free time and helped out with car parking, registrations, course building, stewarding, start officials, finish line officials, Ger Flynn for leading the race on his bike to make sure no one went astray, Declan Costello for his photographs, Tom Cully for his drone footage, but most importantly to everyone who took part in the series. Finally, a big thank you to Westmeath Civil Defence for providing first aid and ambulance cover, to the staff of Belvedere House and Gardens, to Susan Finnerty for presenting the trophies, and finally to Mullingar Golf Club for hosting the prize giving. The category prize winners were:

Senior Female

1. Fiona Gettings Longford AC
2. Sinead Whitelaw
3. Emily Grennan Tullamore Harriers

Senior Men

1. Vinny Connolly
2. Kevin Baker
3. James Keegan

F40

1. Aine O’Reilly
2. Charlotte Kearney Donadea AC
3. Sinead Nolan Longford AC

M40

1. Alan Crowley
2. Eoin Clarke
3. Enda O’Carolan

F50

1. Mary Stuart
2. Caroline Mullen
3. Criona Reid

M50

1. James Cribbin
2. Tom McGrath
3. Mick Fagan

F60

1. Vera McCool
2. Juliann Ryan
3. Eela Clarke Athlone AC

M60

1. Brian O’Reilly
2. Brian Balfe Ultimate Fitness
3. William Tooher Coralstown Kinnegad AC

M70

1. Michael Smith
2. Sean McMullin
3. Martin Buckley

Bob Heffernan 5k

The Bob Heffernan 5k has established itself as one of the fastest 5k road courses on the road running circuit and this year proved no exception with a number of excellent times on Tuesday evening 16th May. Vinny Connolly had another excellent run to finish in third place with a time of 14 minutes 51 seconds. In doing so he led the team to second place with Andrew Nevin, James Keegan, Sinead Whitelaw, Jenny Algar and Aine O’Reilly being the other scoring members. Aine placed third in her category with a time of 18 minutes 45 seconds. Other club athletes to take part were Alan Crowley, Kris Foster, Enda Seery, Glenda Shaw, Robin Jackson, Aisling Corcoran, Emer O’Hanlon and Mairtin Savage.

American Athletic Conference T&F

Cormac Dalton continued his excellent recent form with an excellent conference record over 5,000m at the American Athletic Conference T&F Championships in Tampa, Florida on Sunday morning 21st May. He recorded a time of 13 minutes 40.06 seconds for 5,000m which was a personal best despite the fact that the race was run in over 30degC heat. In a high quality field, Cormac had a winning margin of nine seconds.

Run Killarney Half Marathon & 10k

Giving competitors the chance to run one of the world’s most breath-taking and scenic routes over a choice of 10k or Half Marathon, Run Killarney took place on Saturday morning 13th May in glorious sunshine, though of course that meant it was also very hot.

Vinny Connolly took his place in pole position on the start line of the 10k race, in front of a huge field of over 1,100 competitors. It took nearly three minutes for the last runner to even reach the start line, by which time Vinny was well gone and on his way. The route took the big field through some beautiful scenic areas including Muckross Park and Gardens and up some very challenging hills near Torc waterfall. Vinny looked strong throughout and continuing his recent good form ran home victorious in 32 minutes 22 seconds, comfortably clear of second place, a little over a minute faster than his winning time in the same race last year, proving he’s in terrific condition.

The earlier Half Marathon attracted a huge entry of over 900, including Tommy Byrne. Again, it took several minutes for everyone to clear the start line, but no such problem for Tommy who was positioned just behind the lead runners and got away quickly when the klaxon sounded for the start. The heat and the hills were especially tough for the half marathon runners but that didn’t stop Tommy performing extremely well and finished well up in 42nd place overall in a fine 1 hour 30 minutes 11 seconds, a great result on a tough course.

Pat Finnerty Memorial 5k League – Round 2 (10th May)

Round 2 of the Pat Finnerty Memorial 5k League took place in Belvedere on Wednesday evening 10th May. Not everyone will take part in all three races, knowing that the best two times of three are all that’s needed to score in the overall results for prizes, so some skipped Round 2 but others registered for the first time, both online during the week and of course in person on the night, so the total number registered for the event continues to grow. It wasn’t as sunny as on the first night, but it was still very mild and a lovely evening for a race. Many recorded faster times than in round one, helped no doubt by being more familiar with the course, particularly the fast downhill sections in the last kilometre.

The winner of Round 1, Vinny Connolly (Mullingar Harriers), was one of those who didn’t run in Round 2, so we were guaranteed a new winner. James Keegan (Mullingar Harriers) led the charge from the start, with plenty giving chase. Coming out of the woods before the final uphill stretch towards Belvedere House around the 4k mark, Kevin Baker made a move to the front and he drove on over the final kilometre, chased hard all the way by James Keegan, to finish first in 16 minutes 34 seconds, closely followed by James second (16:39) and Conor Leech (Na Fianna) third (17:07).

The women’s race saw the same 1-2-3 as in round one, as Fiona Gettings (Longford AC) won in 17 minutes 52 seconds, and in a terrific battle behind, Sinead Whitelaw (Mullingar Harriers) just had the better of Emily Grennan (Tullamore Harriers AC) again to finish second in 18:22, to Emily’s third in 18:27. There’s no doubt but the battle for second and third woman overall in the league isn’t done yet and there should be another great battle between Sinead and Emily on the final night.

As in Round 1, there was great competition right through the field in the various master categories. Full results of the race are available on www.myrunresults.com. The final round on Wednesday evening 17th May will be very interesting and while the men’s race is still wide open, it will give Fiona Gettings the perfect opportunity to stamp her claim on the overall trophy for best woman. We expect to see another big crowd and we’re appealing for participants to come early, especially those looking to run just the single race. As always, many thanks to everyone who gave up their free time and helped out at Round 2 and we appeal to everyone who can spare a couple of hours to help out again for Round 3. Thanks also to Westmeath Civil Defence for providing first aid and ambulance cover and to the staff of Belvedere House and Gardens.

With two rounds over, it’s too late to enter the series but individual entries for the final night are very welcome, either online or the night in the Courtyard Café up to 7.30pm. Finally, it’s really important to remember to bring your number with the timing chip for Round 3 or your place and time will not be recorded.

Vancouver Half Marathon

We’re very glad to report that Amy Mahony hasn’t lost any of the condition she gained training with Mullingar Harriers before she moved to Canada in summer 2022, as evidenced by an excellent run in the Vancouver Half Marathon on Sunday morning 7th May. Nearly 10,000 took part, and Amy finished well up, the 391st finisher overall, the 73rd woman to finish and 17th in her age category, with a time of 1 hour 34 minutes 17 seconds. Congratulations to Amy from all of her friends at Mullingar Harriers.

Ferbane 5k

Race four of the Offaly race series, the Ferbane 5k on Sunday morning 7th May was very well supported with just over 300 runners from Clubs throughout Offaly, in addition to many from neighbouring Counties taking to the start line in a very well organised event. After three races, the Mullingar women team was second non-Offaly Club, so were looking to build on that. Delighted to lead the Mullingar women team home was Linda Cunningham in 22 minutes 12 seconds, and with great support from Caroline Mullen (22:42) and Brigid McCabe (23:32), taking first place in her master category, the Mullingar women finished 2nd non-Offaly Club team, consolidating their overall second place in the series. Also competing was Nicky McCabe and his time of 24:32 was good enough to take second prize in his master category, giving all the Mullingar athletes plenty to celebrate.

Navan AC 6k

A long established race with a great 6k route on the outskirts of Navan Town, the annual Navan AC 6k on Sunday morning 7th May attracted 327 entrants. This year, the race was part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of Navan AC. As always, it was another great Meath race of high quality and having a quality run to finish in seventh place was Evan McCormack in 21 minutes 17 seconds, placing second in his master category. Following Evan in was Susan Glennon in 23:40, the sixth woman to finish, then Stephen Naughton (25:14) and Alex Sheridan (25:55) taking a prize for second junior man.

Straffan 5k & 10k

The Straffan 5k & 10k in Co. Kildare on Sunday morning 7th May were fundraising races for Straffan Community Hall. The 5k Race attracted just over 200 finishers, including Caitlin Murray who was very happy to finish in the top twenty women places in 25 minutes 26 seconds. Catherine Gavin opted to run in the longer 10k Race and finished well up overall in the field of nearly 100 runners, the seventh woman to finish and third in her master category, in 53 minutes 18 seconds.

Pat Finnerty Memorial 5k League – Round 1 (3rd May)

The last time we held the Pat Finnerty Memorial 5k was as a single race in 2019 and 2018 and we have to go back six years to 2017 for the last edition of the Pat Finnerty Memorial 5k League, but after a six year absence, the League made a very welcome return to Belvedere on Wednesday evening 3rd May. Pre-race online entries were boosted significantly with new registrations on the night, and no doubt many were attracted by the lovely mild dry calm evening, ideal for a 5k through the beautiful woodland trails in Belvedere. Using a new course, keeping entirely off-road through the woods, the runners were taken on some familiar paths but also some new very interesting paths, showing Belvedere off at its very best.

The event was well supported by our own members and it was great to welcome many newcomers, and of course to welcome back many familiar faces from previous years, including Martin Buckley of Tyrrellspass Castle whom we believe has taken part in every League since they started decades ago. Numbers were a little down on the opening night of previous years but we still had a good competitive field and we know from experience that numbers will grow in the coming two weeks. Thanks to the chip timing system the results were posted shortly after the race on the My Run Results website. We know not everyone can enter for the full series, but if you can only run one or two nights, online entries are open again and of course we’ll also accept individual entries on any night. All proceeds will go to the North Westmeath Hospice, so we’re asking everyone to sign up and support this very worthy cause. There is an option to donate to the Hospice when submitting your entry and we’ll also take donations on the night for anyone that wants to give more.

Just after 8pm, the in-form Vinny Connolly (Mullingar Harriers) went off fast from the start, with only James Keegan (Mullingar Harriers) for company and the rest of the field followed. Vinny never let up the pressure and by mid-way he was out on his own, though James still continued to chase him and by now had opened a big gap on the field that ultimately proved impossible to close. Vinny romped home in 15 minutes 37 seconds, with James second in 16:41 and Conor Leech (Na Fianna AC) third in 17 minutes exactly. The first woman to finish was Fiona Gettings (Longford AC) in 17 minutes 57 seconds, and in a terrific battle behind, Sinead Whitelaw (Mullingar Harriers) put in a big surge over the final kilometre to close down and pip Emily Grennan (Tullamore Harriers AC) right on the line to finish second to Emily’s third, though both were credited with 18:22.

First three men and women aside, there was great competition right through the field in the various master categories too. Full results of the race are available on www.myrunresults.com. With the best two of three races to count, there’s still time to enter the League, either online or on the night in the Courtyard Café.

Round 2 on 10th May should see another good entry and we’re appealing for participants to come early, especially those who will be registering for the first time and those looking to run just the single race. Many thanks to everyone who gave up their free time and helped out on the first night taking entries, organizing car parking, helping as stewards on the course etc, and we appeal to everyone who can spare a couple of hours to help out again this week. Thanks also to the staff of Belvedere House and of course to Westmeath Civil Defence for their invaluable input providing first aid and ambulance cover.

Finally, it’s really important to remember to bring your number with the timing chip for Round 2 or your place and time will not be recorded.

European Race Walking Team Championships Selections

On Wednesday 3rd May, Athletics Ireland announced a team of six athletes to compete at the European Race Walking Team Championships in Poděbrady, Czech Republic, on Sunday 21st May. A full complement of four senior men have been selected in the 20k walk, with the experienced Brendan Boyce (Finn Valley) and David Kenny (Farranfore Maine Valley) joined by the up-and-coming Mullingar Harriers duo of Oisin Lane and Matthew Glennon. With three to score, this squad will have one eye on the team standings. Similarly, with two to score in the u/20 event, Jake O’Brien (Moy Valley) and Andrew Glennon will be looking to make an impact both individually and as a team. To put the event into perspective, this is the race walking equivalent of the European Cross Country Championships, so having two men on the senior team, both making their debuts in senior International competition, is a real milestone for Mullingar Harriers. Having Andrew on the u20 team is the icing on the cake! Having three of the team of six from one Club is amazing and is testament to the tremendous coaching work being done by Michael Lane.

Royal County 5k

Organised by Meath Local Sports Partnership, with the support of St Brigid`s AC among others, the Royal County 5k took place on the May Bank Holiday Monday 1st May where 167 toed the line. Jacintha Reilly had a very strong run to fifteenth overall and sixth women in 20 minutes 03 seconds. Following in fast behind only a few places back was Stephen Naughton (20:40) winning his master category.

APRIL

Templemore AC Throws Weekend

At the Templemore AC Throws Weekend, Aidan O’Donoghue competed on Saturday 30th April in the master men Throws Pentathlon of Hammer, Shot Putt, Discus, Weight Throw and Javelin. After a long day of close competition, Aidan emerged victorious in his age category, also winning the individual Javelin event along the way, to get his outdoor season off to a winning start.

Drogheda 10k

One of Ireland’s largest 10k events, the Drogheda 10k took place on Sunday afternoon 30th April and attracted 1,260 finishers, including  Kieran Nolan. The race starts and finishes in the town centre, which creates an great atmosphere and the course runs along the banks of the beautiful River Boyne. The race is hosted by Drogheda & District AC and raises vital funds towards ongoing development of the club. Kieran was very happy with his race and he finished in 38 minutes 36 seconds, well up in 42nd place overall, and well up in his master category too.

Great Limerick Run

The Great Limerick Run on Sunday morning 30th April included a choice of race distances. Joan Flynn ran the Marathon, which started near the city centre and took the runners east towards the Castletroy area before doubling back to the city centre and heading south to the Raheen area, completing a big loop and returning to the city centre again where they crossed over Sarsfield Bridge to the west side of the Shannon. After two loops on the west side, they returned to Sarsfield Bridge again, crossed the Shannon once more and finished on O’Connell Street. While there lots of long straight stretches, the course also had lots of twists and turns, so everyone had to keep on their toes and carefully follow the instructions of the stewards. Joan negotiated the tricky course, enduring very warm conditions in the second half, to finish second woman in an excellent 3 hours 3 minutes 22 seconds. Running the Half Marathon, Paul Byrne only had to cover the Raheen area and the over and back Sarsfield Bridge twice elements of the marathon course, still a tricky enough undertaking and he too had to be careful, but he negotiated it without incident to finish in 1 hour 35 minutes 16 seconds, and this will give him great confidence that with further training a sub-3 hour marathon can’t be too far off.

Mayo Women’s 10k Mini Marathon

As part of the Ballina 2023 celebrations, the Mayo Women’s 10k Mini Marathon took place in Ballina on Sunday morning 30th April where there was over 1,600 finishers, which is a huge number in a 10k race. A regular contestant in the event, Sinead Whitelaw made her customary strong start, going with the leading group from the gun. Despite putting in a strong first 5k, a gap was developing on the eventual winner but with an equally strong second 5k, Sinead consolidated her second place position and established a good lead on third place and she went on to finish second in an excellent 37 minutes 49 seconds.

Athletics Leinster Novice & Masters Road Championships

The Athletics Leinster Novice and Masters Road Championships took place in a warm and sunny Gowran, Co. Kilkenny on Saturday afternoon 29th April where Mullingar Harriers enjoyed considerable success by winning three sets of Club team medals, two sets of County team medals and three individual medals. Entries were well up on previous years and the numbers that competed on the day were also well up, so the event is growing and establishing itself as a popular one on the road race calendar. The fine sunny day allowed those who were finished to stay on and cheer subsequent races as they enjoyed refreshments and snacks outside in the lovely sunshine, which greatly added to the atmosphere in Gowran.

The first race of the day was the Master Women 3,000m where Mary Stuart finished well up, winning her master category and an individual gold medal, and with great support from Caroline Mullen and Joanna Tyrrell racing hard to the end, the Mullingar team was delighted to finish 2nd Club and 2nd County. Alan Crowley had the signal honour of leading the Mullingar team home in the Master Men 6,000m with a very strong performance. With Eoin Clarke and Evan McCormack on his hells, and Eddie Newman only a few places behind, winning his master category, the Mullingar team finished 2nd Club. Completing the team was Enda O’Carolan, Patrick Muldoon and Nicky McCabe all enjoying great performances to see the team finish 4th County in a close contest.

Susan Glennon was Mullingar’s sole representative in the Novice Women 3,000m. At the halfway point, Susan was in a tight battle for third place and though she fought hard all the way through the second half of the race she just couldn’t find the little bit extra needed to move into the bronze medal position and came home strongly in a close fourth place, but top marks for determined effort and Susan is surely one to watch next year. Mullingar had no shortage of men in the Novice Men 6,000m race. Despite not having Vinny Connolly on the team, as he finished second last year, so as an individual medal winner he is no longer eligible to compete as a novice, the Mullingar team was still very strong and they were full of determination and bent on team success. Vinny was in Gowran to spectate and cheer the Mullingar men on and share his insights on what was needed for success over the 6k distance. Andrew Nevin ran a very shrewd tactical race and was rewarded with a fine third place and individual bronze medal, and with the next three Mullingar men in the top-12 thanks to James Keegan (5th), Ian McCormack (9th) and Tony Doran (12th), it was no surprise the team finished 1st Club, retaining the title they won last year. Attention then turned to the rest of the team and with great team packing and support from Kris Foster, Stephen Campbell, Andy Boyhan, Brian Martin and Padraig Beglin, the team bettered last year’s results by finishing 1st County too.

Well done to Gowran AC for once again being excellent hosts for the event and to all the Mullingar athletes on their excellent performances.

Mullingar Harriers Spring Juvenile T&F Meeting

The Mullingar Harriers Spring T&F Meeting on Sunday 23rd April gave our younger members aged 8 to 13 years an opportunity to compete in a sprint, middle distance, long jump and javelin, covering the essential run-jump-throw skills needed by developing athletes. We also had an u/16 girls mile and u/16 boys mile, with trophies to be won, which should encourage our younger members to aspire to challenging for in the years ahead. Over 100 youngsters competed and there were 50 events scheduled, which is a big ask and we were delighted that a big team of coaches and parents assisted on the day to make it happen. Medals won or not, the juvenile members had fun and will have learned a few things about both themselves and T&F competitions, which will encourage them to compete over the coming seasons. Sincere thanks to those that brought buns, cakes and other goodies and those that manned the tables that were heaving under the weight of the fare on offer! The children were delighted to be able to take some snacks and refuel in between their events.

The top three in each event were:

Girls u/9 – 60m 1. Maisie Walsh, 2. Rachel Robinson, 3. Saoirse McDermott; 300m 1. Maisie Walsh, 2. Rachel Robinson, 3. Alicia Aghey; long jump 1. Maisie Walsh, 2. Rachel Robinson, 3. Saoirse McDermott; turbo javelin 1. Saoirse McDermott, 2. Maisie Walsh, 3. Rachel Robinson.

Girls u/10 – 60m 1. Lucy O’Connor, 2. Lyla Lennon Currill, 3. Muireann Feery; 500m 1. Helen McGrath, 2. Muireann Feery, 3. Roisin Keane; long jump 1. Muireann Feery, 2. Lauryn Smith, 3. Lucy O’Connor; turbo javelin 1. Leah Ford, 2. Roisin Keane & Serena Stenson, 3. Lucy O’Connor.

Girls u/11 – 60m 1. Aoife Dunne, 2. Lily Archbold, 3. Amelie Downes; 600m 1. Penny Bohan, 2. Katie Bohan, 3. Aoife Dunne; long jump 1. Lily Archbold, 2. Saoirse Peters, 3. Aoife Dunne; turbo javelin 1. Amelie Downes, 2. Saoirse Peters, 3. Penny Bohan.

Girls u/12 – 60m 1. Clodagh Keane, 2. Chloe Bell, 3. Liadan Gavin; 600m 1. Chloe Bell, 2. Clodagh Keane, 3. Amelie Kelly; long jump 1. Chloe Bell, 2. Clodagh Keane, 3. Ellen Gallagher; turbo javelin 1. Chloe Bell, 2. Clodagh Keane, 3. Liadan Gavin.

Girls u/13 – 80m 1. Isla Brennan, 2. Ruby Brennan, 3. Lily Walsh; 600m 1. Lily Walsh, 2. Ruby Brennan, 3. Emily Tully; turbo javelin 1. Lily Walsh, 2. Ruby Brennan, 3. Isla Brennan.

Girls u/14 – 80m 1. Beibhinn O’Reilly, 2. Saoirse Farrell, 3. Hui Fen Bartley; 800m 1. Beibhinn O’Reilly; long jump 1. Beibhinn O’Reilly, 2. Hui Fen Bartley, 3. Saoirse Farrell; javelin 1. Hui Fen Bartley, 2. Saoirse Farrell, 3. Beibhinn O’Reilly.

Girls u/16 – mile 1. Tianna O’Leary, 2. Eleanor Kiernan, 3. Lily Walsh.

Boys u/9 – 60m 1. Ruadhan Murphy, 2. Eddie Collins, 3. Conor Malone; 300m 1. Ruadhan Murphy, 2. Conor Malone, 3. Liam Reynolds; long jump 1. Conor Malone, 2. Ruadhan Murphy, 3. Eoghan Savage & Kealen Pegley; turbo javelin 1. Leon Rogers, 2. Conor Malone, 3. Charlie Furey.

Boys u/10 – 60m 1. Andrew Bradley, 2. Alex McLaughlin, 3. Fionn O’Donoghue; 500m 1. Mel Bohan, 2. Donagh Bourke, 3. Alex McLaughlin; long jump 1. Gearoid Doyle, 2. Senan Clinton, 3. Alex McLaughlin; turbo javelin 1. Mel Bohan, 2. John Geelon, 3. Olly Wright.

Boys u/11 – 60m 1. Aaron Robinson, 2. Daniel Cummins, 3. Conor Gavin; 600m 1. Daniel Cummins, 2. Conor Gavin, 3. Aaron Robinson; long jump 1. Conor Gavin, 2. Cillian Gavin, 3. Aaron Robinson; turbo javelin 1. Peter Fitzpatrick, 2. Aaron Robinson, 3. Conor Gavin.

Boys u/12 – 60m 1. Andrew Feery, 2. Seamus Clarke, 3. Donnacha Doyle; 600m 1. Harry Flanagan, 2. Alex Sochanski, 3. Cian O’Neill; long jump 1. Donnacha Doyle, 2. Cian O’Neill, 3. Harry Flanagan; turbo javelin 1. Donnacha Doyle, 2. Andrew Feery, 3. Luke Somers.

Boys u/13 – 80m 1. Aonghus O’Reilly, 2. Louis Kiernan, 3. Oisin Clarke; 600m 1. Louis Kiernan, 2. Aonghus O’Reilly, 3. Oisin Clarke; turbo javelin 1. Aonghus O’Reilly, 2. Louis Kiernan, 3. Oisin Clarke.

Boys u/14 – 80m 1. Zack O’Leary, 2. Dylan Boland, 3. Ciaran Mulvany; 800m 1. Scott Cogan, 2. Zack O’Leary, 3. Daniel Horohoe; long jump 1. Ciaran Mulvany, 2. Daniel Horohoe; javelin 1. Ciaran Mulvany, 2. Zack O’Leary, 3. Cormac McGrath.

Boys u/16 – mile 1. Matthew Molloy, 2. Conor Walsh, 3. Conor Geoghegan.

London Marathon

The headline after the London Marathon on Sunday 23rd April was Kevin Kiptum running the second fastest time in history to win in 2 hours 1 minute 25 seconds, shattering the course record, in an astonishing performance that at one stage threatened to break Eluid Kipchoge’s World best. Kiptum tired towards the end and finished 18 seconds short of Kipchoge’s record, but that aside, Mullingar thoughts were on how Kris Foster would fare among the more than 53,000 mere mortals taking on the 42.2km classic distance.

The three hour mark is the standard all men want to better in a marathon and going into the London Marathon, that was the clear goal for Kris. It’s easy to get carried away in the excitement of running with thousands of others and go off too fast, but Kris kept a cool head and sticking firmly to his race plan and drawing on all the miles and miles put in at training over many months, he kept to his plan and put in the hard yards needed in London, especially the last few painful miles, and was delighted to finish in 2 hours 57 minutes 19 seconds, well under his pre-race target.

St. Andrews AC 10k

The St. Andrews AC 10k took place in Ashbourne, Co. Meath on Sunday 23rd April. The entry was small, only 68, but Enda Seery reports that he had a decent run on a course with a good few twists and turns and was happy to finish fifth in 39 minutes 49 seconds.

Maynooth 10k & 5k

The Maynooth 10k and 5k took place on Sunday morning  23rd April in cool but dry calm conditions, perfect for racing. Organised by the parent teacher association of Maynooth Education Campus, the race was a fund-raiser for the upkeep of the school’s playing fields and facilities. The 10k race attracted an excellent entry of 430. Mary Stuart raced home in 42 minutes 11 seconds to win her master category, followed by Joan Hickson (45:22) and Richie Kelly close behind (46:04). A total of 260 ran the 5k race where Alex Sheridan finished in 20 minutes 42 seconds, just missing a prize as he placed fourth junior man.

Irish Universities T&F

The Irish Universities T&F took place at the superb new Dundrum South Dublin AC track on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd April, the first competition to be held at the new track in beautiful scenic surroundings in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains. Mullingar had five members competing for their Colleges, winning six medals between them.

Eoin Quinn (DCU) won his heat of the 800m with ease on Friday afternoon to qualify for Saturday’s final. The final went out fast from the gun, going through the bell in 51 seconds, with Eoin nicely positioned in fourth place, setting the race up for an exciting finish. Going down the back straight for the final time, Eoin kept working hard and finishing fast he had enough in reserve in the home straight to bring himself into third place and the bronze medal.

Contesting the extremely competitive 200m heats on Friday afternoon, Charles Okafor (DCU) finished fourth, unlucky to just miss a place in the final by only a few hundredths of a second. Charles returned to the track for the 4x100m relay on Saturday afternoon, running a terrific third leg and helping DCU to a runaway victory to win another Irish Universities gold medal and earn valuable team points for DCU.

Colin Smith (DCU) ran in the 1,500m heats on Friday afternoon finishing comfortably in fourth place to qualify automatically for Saturday’s final but didn’t feel one hundred present warming up, so wisely decided to sit the final out rather then risk injury so early in the season.

Moving to the 3,000m race walk, Mullingar had two members in action, Oisin Lane (UL) and Matthew Glennon (DCU). Oisin took the pace out fast right from the start, quickly pulling away and only had Matthew for company for some time. Both pushed on and were simply too strong for the opposition, but Oisin had the edge and slowly pulled clear to dominate the race and with a faultless display in this difficult technical event won well in a new UL record of 11:49:46, followed home by Matthew in second also having a great race.

The day ended with the 4x400m relay where Charles Okafor stepped up a distance to run the first leg for DCU and Eoin Quinn dropped down to run the second leg. Charles ran a fine race over the unfamiliar distance to hand over in second place by only a tiny margin. Eoin dropped back to third place on the back straight but made his move on the second bend to close on the leaders before unleashing his customary fast finish in the home straight to retake the lead for DCU, and the team went on to win easily.

In the team competition, DCU finished first and UL second, assisted by the points won by the Mullingar Harriers athletes competing for their Colleges.

Royal Canal Run

The Royal Canal Run on Saturday 22nd April included a choice of 10k and half marathon and was held in cool, damp conditions on the canal loop around Longford. Almost 300 ran the 10k race where Andrew Nevin raced to the front from the gun, taking the early lead and was never challenged all the way to the end to win in 34 minutes 16 seconds. Jacintha Reilly joined over 230 others for the Half Marathon and after an excellent run finished well up in twenty seventh place overall, crossing the finish line in 1 hour 32 minutes 01 second, the fourth woman to finish.

Great Ireland Run (incorp. AAI National 10k)

An unfortunate error by race stewards at the Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park on Sunday morning 16th April meant the entire field of just over 1,800 runners missed a turn resulting in everyone running only about 8.5k instead of 10k. The race incorporated the National 10k, so those results were thrown into chaos as a result of the error and it’s not clear if the National 10k results will stand or not.

Given the shorter race distance, the finish times are irrelevant but leading the Mullingar squad home and finishing well up was Johnny Morrissey, followed not too far behind by Eddie Newman placing 3rd in his master category. Following them in was James Cribbin, Pauric Brady, Mary Stuart placing 2nd in her master category, closely followed by Maura Dervin taking 3rd in her master category. Also competing was Paul Byrne, Emer O’Hanlon, Linda Cunningham, Paul Ginnell and Clodagh Foley.

Given the error in distance, the results simply recorded finish times – for what they were worth – and places, but no team results have been published. We do know however that Eddie, Mary and Maura will receive their National medals.

Clara AC 5k

Race three in the Offaly 5k Race Series took place on Sunday 16th April when the Clara AC 5k was held on a flat fast course on closed roads for added safety, starting at Clara GAA and taking the just over 300 runners through the town before looping back to the GAA to finish. Finishing very strongly and well up in fifth place in a very competitive race was Conor Sherwin in 16 minutes 20 seconds, winning a prize for 1st junior man. Nicky McCabe finished in 25:32 to take 2nd prize in his master category. In the women’s race, the Mullingar group was led home by Caroline Mullen in 22:40, and with support from Brigid McCabe (22:35) 1st in her master category and Joanna Tyrrell (24:05), the Mullingar women finished a very creditable ninth Club. Also running well and enjoying their races were Olivia Cooney (24:13), Nuala Moran (24:28), Pauline Troy (25:11) and Claire Lennon (25:42).

Bryan Clay Invitational Meeting

Cormac Dalton was in superb form racing over 10,000m at the Bryan Clay Invitational Meeting at the Cougar Athletic Stadium, California on Friday morning 14th April, finishing in fourth place in a superb time of 28 minutes 04.29 seconds. This was a personal best time by 46 seconds for Cormac and ranks him fourteenth on the Irish all-time list of performances. In a high class race, Cormac positioned himself in the lead group with some of the best collegiate athletes in the USA and finished very strongly to deliver a real breakthrough run. He reached 5km in 14 minutes 13.8 seconds and ran the second half of the race in 13 minutes 50 seconds, highlighting scope for even more improvement over both 5,000m and 10,000m.

Cormac has represented Ireland at Senior level in the past two European Cross Country Championships and the European Cup 10,000m and performances like this will help create the platform for a distinguished International career. He will now turn his attention to the NCAA regional qualifiers where he will bid to gain qualification for the NCAA national collegiate finals.

“Battle of Clontarf” 10 Mile 2023 (incorp. Leinster 10 Mile)

St. Anne’s Park in Raheny was the venue for the “Battle of Clontarf” 10 Mile on Easter Monday 10th April, which incorporated the Athletics Leinster 10 Mile Championship, adding to the interest and competitive edge of the race. The course was two laps of the park, which remained open to other users, but the organisers and host Club, Raheny Shamrock AC, made sure there were plenty of stewards around the course to keep the course clear for the runners and in fact the casual users of the park made excellent spectators as they cheered the runners along, adding to the atmosphere. This race returned last year after a two year absence due to Covid restrictions, when just over 300 took part, but this year numbers surged and nearly doubled to 560, marking an excellent return to normality after Covid. The weather was quite mild and good for running, though the early morning persistent drizzle wasn’t ideal. However, just as the runners were called to the start, the rain suddenly stopped and the race was run in dry conditions, which was excellent for the runners and spectators. Being dry also meant that the runners could gather at the finish after the race to cheer others in and to hold the post mortems normal after every race. Being dry also meant the runners weren’t tempted to cover up with dry clothing and get away as quick as they could and once they had done their cool they could stay for the presentation of prizes and medals.

There are some tricky parts of the course, with twists and bends, especially around the Rose Garden, so not a course necessarily for fast times, but all the Mullingar athletes turned in solid performances in pursuit of Leinster honours. Eddie Newman had hoped to run under an hour but despite a great effort in the finish straight with his eyes firmly fixed on the timing clock over the finish gantry, he finished just seconds outside the hour, in 60:03, but was still happy with his effort, which placed him 2nd in his master category. Close on his heels and also finishing with a very fast and determined effort was Alan Crowley in 60:12, a lot quicker than last year, to place well up in his master category but out of the medals. Mullingar had six women in action and were targeting team honours. Aisling Corcoran led the Mullingar women home in 69:39, and with great support and team packing by Gemma Kelly (75:30), Linda Cunningham (78:21), Caroline Mullen (79:17), Marie Louise Johnston (79:28) and Patricia Broderick (88:00), the master women team of Aisling, Gemma and Linda finished 4th Club, but when all six were combined, they finished a terrific 3rd senior women County team, so they all earned Leinster medals for their efforts.

Congratulations to all the Mullingar athletes on their efforts in what was an excellent Leinster Championship race.

Moynalty 4-Mile

Moynalty AC staged their annual Moynalty 4-Mile Road Race on Easter Monday 10th April around the surrounding Co. Meath roads with a start and finish in the Community Park, adjacent to the centre of the village. Heavy showers and blustery conditions were the order of the day. With 308 runners passing through the finish line, Enda O’Carolan was delighted with a 3rd place finish in a fast 23 minutes 28 seconds. Young Alex Sheridan was also very pleased with his run, finishing in 27:46.

Ballyliffin 10 Mile Coastal Challenge

The annual Ballyliffin 10 Mile Coastal Challenge took place on Saturday 8th April. Starting in the picturesque village of Ballyliffin, Co. Donegal the course winds its way through the Inishowen Peninsula with spectacular views out across the Wild Atlantic Way among the rolling hills and finishes on the beach adjacent to the village. Among the 611 finishers was Mullingar Harriers and Donegal native Maria Doherty. The showery and windy conditions did not detract from her efforts and Maria was well pleased with a finishing time of 1 hour 20 minutes 47 seconds.

Noel McManus 5k, 10k & Half Marathon

The Annual Noel McManus Run returned to the beautiful surroundings of Lough Rynn Castle in Mohill, Co. Leitrim on a lovely mild and sunny Friday morning 7th April. Race entrants had a choice of 5k, 10k and half marathon, and Mullingar had someone in each race, having some big performances and podium places for most.

A fine field of 256 runners started the 5k race and after a good run, Enda O’Carolan finished 2nd, winning his master category, in a time of 18 minutes 3 seconds. The 10k race was a smaller affair where 118 finished, and coming in third overall and delighted to be the 1st woman to finish was Jenny Algar in 40 minutes 34 seconds, followed in by Michelle Bohan (41:27) sixth overall and 2nd woman to finish, and John Meehan (43:39) 10th overall. Just 61 took on the Half Marathon, but that didn’t take from the competitiveness of the race and Kedagh Geoghegan was very happy to win in an excellent 1 hour 18 minutes 11 seconds. Mary Stuart (1:34:00) had to work but pulled clear in the closing stages to win her master category and Joan Hickson (1:50:10) completed the Mullingar group. Kedagh and Mary’s times were almost exactly the same time they ran the Mullingar Half only three weeks before, so they are clearly in terrific shape.

Streets of Kilkenny 5k

The prospect of a fast 5k on a two lap course starting and finishing in Kilkenny city centre attracted nearly 900 to the Streets of Kilkenny 5k on Thursday evening 6th April. Being part of the Peugeot Road Race Series, a group from Mullingar eagerly toed the line looking to earn valuable points in the Series. The race was packed with some serious talent, including Olympian Andrew Coscoran from Star of the Sea AC who won in 14 minutes 14 seconds, so it was definitely a fast course. Best of the Mullingar group was Vinny Connolly in 14 minutes 59 seconds, which was a super run. Vinny was backed up by Ian McCormack (15:57), Kris Foster (16:29) and James Cribbin (18:29) in the men’s race, and in the women’s race Mullingar’s best was Sinead Whitelaw (17:49), followed in by Aine O’Reilly (18:49), Susan Glennon (19:09) and Emer O’Hanlon (22:07). Aine was 2nd in her master category but more importantly for Mullingar, the best 3 women and best 3 men team of Sinead, Aine, Susan, Vinny, Ian and Kris was 4th team in the Peugeot Series and the team of Sinead, Aine, Susan and Emer was 3rd woman team, making it a very productive trip to Kilkenny.

Berlin Half Marathon

It was very cold and quite windy for the Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday morning 2nd April but despite the less than ideal conditions, Andrew Nevin wasn’t distracted from his task and carefully following his pre-race plan, was delighted to finished well up in 121st place of over 26,000 finishers in 1 hour 10 minutes 51 seconds, a new personal best by over 30 seconds. Well done Andy.

National Juvenile Indoors

The indoor season concluded on Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd April when the National Juvenile Indoors were held in Athlone. Mullingar had three girls in the u/18 girls 1,500m on Saturday morning, Aimee Wallace, Grace Byrne and Caoimhe Kilmurray. Aimee lost little time setting the early pace and slowly drew out the field behind her. She continued to work hard as the laps counted down but couldn’t shake off one girl who stuck a pace behind her all the way until she struck at the bell for the last lap to take the lead. Aimee dug deep to respond but just didn’t have enough to catch her and re-take the lead and after a very fast last lap Aimee finished in second place. Meanwhile, Grace had worked her way to the front of the chasing group and opened a gap that couldn’t be closed and guaranteed herself a medal with a great final lap, to see Mullingar take silver and bronze, with Caoimhe not far behind but out of the medals.

Kyle Faherty is still very new to the 400m but that certainly didn’t show as he ran hard from the gun in the u/17 boys 400m, leading at the bell. Despite continuing to work hard to hold his place, at the 300m point he had to surrender the lead and though he ran as hard as he could to the finish, crossed the line in third place, a good result but unfortunately his time was not enough to advance to the final on this occasion.

Moving to the race walks, Daniel Glennon put in a great shift in the u/15 boys 1,000m walk, and was unlucky to miss out on the gold medal by only half a second in a very close finish but was still delighted to win the silver medal. Following Daniel in was Ronan Kelly who put in a great effort and was rewarded with a fine sixth place finish in his first National Indoor final. In the longer u/17 boys 1,500m walk John Glennon worked hard all the way in a tough race to finish third and was rewarded with the bronze medal. We finished with the u/19 boys 1,500m walk where in a rare defeat, Andrew Glennon was pipped right on the line by just three hundredths of a second in an extraordinarily close finish in a race walk to win the silver medal.

We finished with the 60m sprints where Finn Roddy won his heat of the u/16 boys 60m to qualify comfortably for the final. In the final, he blasted aggressively from the blocks to put himself right in contention but in a near-blanket finish with only hundredths separating the top places, he finished fifth in an extremely close race but can be very proud of his efforts in his first National Indoor final and knows that the experience will stand to him and he can only improve in future competitions. Also competing in the sprints was Quyen Bartley (u/17 girls 60m) and Barry Walsh (u/17 boys 60m) who both competed strongly but didn’t qualify from their very competitive heats.

Sunday opened with the 200m where Kyle Faherty and Barry Walsh lined up for the heats of the u/17 boys 200m. With three heats and only the winner of each and the next three fastest times advancing to the final, qualification was always going to be difficult. Undeterred, Kyle blasted around the tight indoor bends to finish second in a close race and it looked like he had done enough to qualify for the final. However, his celebration was short-lived as unfortunately he was disqualified for a lane infringement on the second bend in a very close call. This was a very unexpected end to his indoor season but Kyle will learn from the experience. Barry had contested an earlier heat where he put in a good effort but didn’t advance to the final.

Scott Cogan ran a very smart heat on the u/14 boys 800m where he kept in touch with the leading group and with a terrific final lap brought himself rapidly though the field into second place to qualify for the final. The final was held in the afternoon and though Scott ran a good bit quicker he had to settle for a place out of the medals in sixth place, but this is a fine result in a National final.

The u/18 girls 800m was a straight final and on the start line for Mullingar was Aimee Wallace and Grace Byrne. Aimee and Grace settled into the pack but at the halfway point Aimee moved quickly to cover a break at the front. Running hard over the second half, especially over the final lap, Aimee pushed the leader all the way to the finish and a new Championship Record, with Aimee close behind in second place in a new PB of 2 minutes 12.17 seconds, which was also inside the previous Championship Record. Grace ran very well and finished strongly out of the medals on this occasion.

This finished the indoor season with two silver medals for Aimee Wallace, silver medals for Daniel Glennon and Andrew Glennon, and bronze medals for Grace Byrne and John Glennon, and great efforts from the rest of the Mullingar athletes that competed.

Westport Half Marathon

Tommy Byrne made the long trip to Westport on Saturday 1st April to compete in the Westport Half Marathon held in conjunction with the marathon on the roads around the Mayo town. He was pleased to return a time of 1 hour 35 minutes 51 seconds on a day of mixed weather conditions with plenty of sunshine and showers and a strong headwind to greet the nearly 800 runners over the final 5km back into the town centre.