National Racewalking Championships & World Athletics Racewalking Tour 2024 (15th Dec)

Harriers Racewalkers win half the National Racewalk Titles

The final National Championships of 2024, the National Racewalking Championships, was incorporated into the World Athletics Racewalking Tour, held in a cool and breezy St. Anne’s Park in Raheny on Sunday 15 December. Of the six gold medals available, Oisín Lane won the Senior Men 35k, Aisling Lane won the u/20 Women 10k and a great day for the Club was rounded off by Colm Walsh comfortably winning the Master Men 10k.

Oisín Lane made his debut at the extra-long Senior Men 35k in a competition which included 2 Olympic medallists and several others from across Europe and from North, South and Central America. At stake for the elite senior International racewalkers was the overall prizes for the World Athletics Tour and valuable points towards the outright prize of $125,000 based upon the results of all these competitions held across four Continents during 2024. Walking to a controlled plan, Oisin maintained a steady sub 4:30 per k pace to go through 20k just under 90 minutes, while moving into second place in the Irish Championships at this point. From then on, the distance and the gradients and the increasing breeze began to take its toll on everyone, but Oisin worked hard to come through to be the leading Irish walker by 25km. He held this position all the way to the end to win the National title while improving his standing to finish sixth overall in 2:37:35. Mission accomplished and a welcome shower awaited.

Similarly accomplished was the performance of his younger sister Aisling Lane racing her final event as an u/20 athlete, in the u/20 Women 10k. She too started with a carefully planned target pace of just over 5 minutes per km. A pack of four young Irish racewalkers soon formed. However, Aisling held her pace and form, which the others simply could not live with. She reached the 5k mark in 25:12 and a clear lead. It then became a case of Aisling versus the gradients and the breeze for the majority of the race as Aisling battled solo to cross the line to win in 50:38 and a massive new personal best by over 2 minutes. Aisling now graduates to the Senior racing scene with the unique satisfaction of knowing that she has remained unbeaten in all Irish Schools competitions and in all Irish underage road Championships.

While Aisling and Oisin worked to their plans, Colm Walsh prepared carefully for his Master Men 10k. He showed the benefit of his years of experience as he walked with a perfect racewalking technique that soon brought him well clear of all of his rivals. Again, the course slopes and the erratic breeze were his main challenges for the entire duration of the 55:57 that it took him to complete his task and win the gold medal.

Also representing the Club in the accompanying development races was Daniel Glennon who took a big jump up in distance for an underage athlete to compete in the u/18 Boys 5k. While he found it difficult, he should be pleased with his second place result in 26:56. Likewise, his older brother Andrew Glennon showed a welcome return from an earlier injury to attempt the u/20 Men 10k. While he reached 5k in a very good 23:49 the conditions took their toll and he lost some valuable time but held on for a fine fifth place finish.