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

It’s beginning to look like Christmas (29th Nov)

 

It’s beginning to look like Christmas

The Christmas street lights are switched on in towns and villages, some homes are putting up their trees and decorations, we’ve had the Late Late Show Toy Show, so despite how Covid-19 has ravaged 2020, we know Christmas is coming! The long awaited announcement by the Taoiseach on Friday evening 27th November confirmed that the tough six week level 5 Covid-19 restrictions come to an end this week when we move to level 3 (with exceptions), meaning some rules will be relaxed in the coming days and more will follow nearer to Christmas. This is great news for households, businesses and retail outlets and injects a bit of hope that we’ll all get to enjoy Christmas, even if in a somewhat more subdued fashion and certainly not in the same way as in the past. There’s actually very little change for Club activities though and the only change is that our adult members can train together again at the Club grounds in social-distanced “pods” of 15 from this week, but outdoor events are still prohibited, so there is no likelihood of a return to competition any time soon, as that would require a move to level 2 allowing 200 to gather for outdoor competitions.

That said, Athletics Ireland has reaffirmed its commitment to doing all it can to hold National cross country events in the New Year, provisionally pencilling in dates in February, meaning the Leinster cross country fixtures would take place in mid to late January, everything being subject of course to Covid-19 restrictions at the time allowing it. It is very possible, even likely, that relaxing the rules for Christmas will lead to increased infections in the New Year and a return to tighter controls, which would clearly scupper any plans for cross country events in January, but maybe things will just push out to February and March? We continue to live in hope and training continues at the Club during the week and in Belvedere at the week-ends to make sure our athletes are in the best possible shape when we get the green light for a return to competition.