Castlepollard 5k 2021 (11th Aug)
Plenty of Mullingar success at Castlepollard 5k
Cancelled last year due to Covid-19, the Castlepollard 5k made a very welcome return on Wednesday evening 11th August. Historically always an excellent event hosted by North Westmeath AC, this year was no exception. There was a limit of 200 allowed, which quickly filled up when entries opened, and on the night there was the usual great racing and hotly contested battles in all age categories all through the field of runners. Competitors came from far and wide, and naturally Mullingar Harriers was very well represented and turned out in good number to support our near neighbours in North Westmeath AC. Starting near the square in Castlepollard, the course was out and back to Tullynally Castle, taking in a loop of the beautiful grounds and with the wind on their backs on the final 1k back to the finish, it was fast and furious to the line with most running their fastest kilometre in that last section. It’s a fast course, highlighted by the sub-15 minute finishing time in the men’s race and 17 minute time in the women’s race.
Coming quickly on the back of the Kilbeggan 10 mile, where several members of Mullingar Harriers ran personal best times, they continued this good form in Castlepollard with more personal best times, but a special mention must go to James Keegan though who ran a personal best in Kilbeggan and followed it up with a personal best of 15 minutes 28 seconds in Castlepollard, finishing 4th overall and leading the Mullingar group home. Next in was Diarmuid Fagan in 7th place (15:45), 1st junior man, followed by Timmy Murphy (15:48), Ian McCormack (15:53), Brian Martin (16:20), John Whitelaw (16:43), Alan Crowley (17:05), Eddie Newman (17:19) 2nd in his master category, Kedagh Geoghegan (17:27), Ken Whitelaw (18:10), Sinead Whitelaw (18:11) 2nd senior woman, Aine O’Reilly (18:23) 3rd in her master category, Enda Seery (18:39), Stephen Naughton (18:56), Jenny Algar (19:06), Michelle Bohan (19:08), Amy Mahony (19:44), Grace Byrne (19:45) 2nd junior woman, Mary Stuart (20:32) 2nd in her master category, Pat Muldoon Senior (22:09) 2nd in his master category, Criona Reid (22:29), Eva McMorrow (22:56), Terri Greene (22:59), Caroline Mullen (22:59), Patricia Broderick (23:03), Brigid McCabe (23:29) 1st in her master category, Martin Mullen (23:29), Gemma Kelly (23:59), Eamonn O’Reilly (24:06), Emer Savage (24:55), Nuala Daly (25:30) and completing the Mullingar group was Christy Creagh who placed 3rd in his master category.
Well done to the local organising committee in North Westmeath AC on hosting such a great race.
