AAI National Half Marathon 2019 (11th August)

Mullingar masters on the hunt for National half marathon medals

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon on Sunday morning 11th August had an entry of nearly 5,500 and as the race incorporated the AAI National Half Marathon Championship, among the entry was over 800 looking for National honours, an impressive entry for a National Championship. Starting at Fitzwilliam Square and heading on a relatively flat course for the first 10k to Chapelizod, the runners then climbed sharply over the next 4k into the Phoenix Park and after taking effectively a lap of the Phoenix Park with some downhill sections but also another 3k of hills, the race ended on the main road in the Park. It was a testing course, and adding to the difficulty, there was also a stiff wind for good measure.

First home for Mullingar was Breda Daly in 1:43:11, followed by Des Walsh and Geraldine Walsh, the Mullingar trio running very well given the windy conditions and hilly sections on the route. Geraldine won her master category to add another National title to her collection, Des finished 4th in his category, missing a medal by just 16 seconds or equivalent to about 30m, so it was very close, and Breda finished a very creditable 8th in her category. Congratulations to the three of them on their fine performances in a tough National Championship.