Q3, 2025 News & Reports – July to September

SEPTEMBER

Loughrea Grey Lake 10k

Loughrea AC hosted its Loughrea Grey Lake 10k on Sunday afternoon 28th September. Conditions were good for running as nearly 200 competitors took on the very hilly course around Lough Rea. Among them was Linda Cunningham, battling the relentless hills for the first 5k and with some good downhills in the second half of the race, she took the prize for 2nd woman overall, happy with a time of 45:48 for the course, an improvement of 2 minutes on her time two years ago on the same course [LC].

Star of the Sea AC Open Cross Country

A big squad of over 80 Mullingar athletes travelled to Meath on Sunday 28th September for the Star of the Sea AC Open Cross Country, the traditional season-opener for Mullingar for many years. Conditions were perfect on the day, and though the hilly course proved testing, the Mullingar athletes gave great accounts. The top 6 in each juvenile race received individual medals, just 3 athletes were required for team scores, and by the end of the day, Mullingar athletes won 27 individual juvenile medals, including 6 gold, 12 juvenile teams won medals, and Conor Sherwin finished third in the men’s race, leading the men’s team to victory.

The first race of the day was the u/9 girls 500m where Tara Coyne raced to victory, and with Alana Spain finishing fast in 4th place, and with Laila Morgan, Mary Byrne, Aoibhin Noone, Ciara Baker and Shauna Nohilly providing great support, the team placed 1st Club to put Mullingar on the medal board. It was success too for Mullingar in the u/9 boys 500m where Tiernan Clinton raced hard to 3rd place, and with great team packing and support from Evan Clifford in 6th, Timmy Munnelly in 7th, unlucky to just miss a top-6 medal in a photo finish, Senan Byrne, Joe Hickey and Padraig Savage, the boys were delighted to finish 2nd Club.

We had a very big team in the u/10 girls 500m race, led home by Cara Hickey in 2nd, ahead of Mia Barry 3rd, Meabh Doyle 4th and Adele Bertolo 5th to secure gold medals for 1st Club. Also running well in support was Mary-Kate Davitt, Sophie Whitelaw, Madison Bell Lynch, Cliodhna Fitzpatrick, Ciara O’Shea, Grace Tallon, Fodhla Hughes, Sarah O’Connell, Isobel O’Brien, Roisin Bourke, Ali Hennessy and Sara Pietrzak. Shay Gavigan placed 2nd in the u/10 boys 500m to lead the big Mullingar team of Liam McLoughlin, Senan Whelehan, Matteo Fitzpatrick, Cian Clifford, Kealan Morahan, Rory Grehan, Conor Kiernan and Eanna O’Carolan to 2nd Club.

Not to be outdone by her younger sister, Emily Rose Coyne was just too strong and swept to victory in the u/11 girls 1,000 race, and with great support from Maisie Walsh, Heather Kelly, Rachel Robinson, Elsie Hegarty, Shona Rice, Aoibhinn Baker, Madeleine O’Brien and Rosie O’Brien, there was no surprise when the girls finished 1st Club to keep the team medals coming Mullingar’s way. On to the u/11 boys 1,000m where even though Emmet Walsh, Liam Byrne, Eddie Collins and Eoghan Savage didn’t win individual medals, thanks to their fine efforts and a good example of how cross country is all about the team, the boys finished 3rd Club and were delighted with their team bronze medals.

Helen McGrath showed the opposition a clean pair of heels to win the u/12 girls 1,500m and battling well behind her on the tough hills and finishing strong was Caitlin McCormack, Roisin Keane, Rose Harte, Kate Horohoe, Aoibheann Lynam, Eimear Nohilly and Ciara O’Carolan, securing well deserved medals for 1st Club. We had another quality team in the u/12 boys 1,500m where Olly Wright (2nd), Donagh Bourke (3rd) and Ethan Byrne (4th) and Jamie Hoey made it look easy and finished 1st Club.

We had no team in the u/13 girls 1,800m but top marks to Caoimhe Lynam and Abigail Nohilly for running so well on the tough hilly course and we’ll see these girls in action again in the coming weeks. Normal team medal winning business resumed in the u/13 boys 1,800m where we had three in the top 6 to ensure 1st Club, thanks to Cillian Gavin (4th), Aaron Robinson (5th), Conor Gavin (6th), well supported by Darragh Evans.

In the u/14 girls 2,000m race, Amelie G Kelly finished 3rd, with Clodagh Keane close behind in 4th, and with Liadan Gavin providing the important third score in 7th place, just outside the individual medals, this ensured Mullingar placed 1st Club. The u/14 boys 2,200m saw Harry Flanagan and John McManus at the front of the race until 600m to go when the eventual winner made a break, but Harry secured individual silver for 2nd place and John bronze for 3rd. Rian Gavin made sure Mullingar had the first three scorers home and brought the team home as 1st Club.

Lily Walsh had a dominant win in the u/15 girls 2,500m, leaving the rest of the field trailing behind. Clodagh Doran was our only other athlete in this race and if we had a third girl to simply crossed the finish line, in any position, a team prize was definitely there for the taking. Oisin Clarke and Antonio Bertolo worked together to drop the rest of the field early in the u/15 boys 2,500m race, and after opening a large gap early in the race fought it out for 1st and 2nd, with Oisin working his way to victory. Once again we were missing that important third scorer and with a 1-2 from Oisin and Antonio, team gold medals were certainly left behind.

With no u/16 race, Cormac McGrath, Daniel Horohoe and Evan Nohilly stepped up to race in the u/17 boys 4,500m to join Conor Walsh. After sitting on the early race leader’s heels for the first 3k, Conor made a move on a steep climb and once he opened a gap he pushed on for victory. Cormac and Daniel had a great run together with Cormac finishing 4th to Daniel’s 5th, securing 1st Club. Evan Nohilly played his part mixing with the third scorers from other teams and finished well up.

The final race of the day was the Men’s 6,000m, which was a combined race for u/20, Senior & Master men. Due to Leaving Cert exam commitments in June, Conor Sherwin had his first race in a long time but was undeterred by having to negotiate four laps of the very tough course. He went with the early pace and even though he couldn’t stay with the eventual first and second place men, he continued to run strong and was rewarded with a fine 3rd place finish, delighted with his performance so early in the season after a long break. Following Conor home was Mark McAdden who placed 3rd in his master category, and with Tommy Byrne and JP O’Brien putting in great shifts, the men were delighted to finish 1st Club.

We showed at Star of the Sea that we have a strong squad, but teams can only be successful if the team has scorers. In Leinster we’ll need 4 to score and we need our athletes to represent us, so please come along to Belvedere over the 2 days of the Athletics Westmeath Cross Country, so we make up teams for the Leinsters. Quite a few fourth scorers could find themselves with a Leinster medal around their neck, but they need to run first.

This was an excellent opening fixture for Mullingar Harriers and everyone that took part will gain from the experience and bring it into the season ahead, especially our younger ages for which was their first real taste of cross country racing with the Club. Thanks very much to the coaches that attended to look after the juvenile athletes, but especially the parents for bringing their children to the event [CW/GD].

Rathfarnham 5k

UNREPORTED

Dublin, Sunday 28th September

1,289 finishers

Jamie Battle 3rd (14:07), Kevin Moore 51st (15:37)

50th Anniversary Book Launch

It was standing room only in the Bloomfield House Hotel on Wednesday evening 24th September when over 200 people attended the launch of the 50th Anniversary Book. MC for the evening was Joan Mulvihill who started the evening by holding a lively panel discussion with Bobbie Begley, Michael O’Sullivan and Bridget McCabe who recalled some of their highlights of the past 50 years, and gave their thoughts on what the future might hold for themselves and for the Club. We remembered the late Joe Weafer RIP, who edited the 25th Anniversary Book and a copy of the 50 year book was presented by Bobbie Begley to Joe’s widow, Agnes Weafer. In recognition of the strong link between the Bloomfield House Hotel and the Harriers since its early days, Cormac Finnerty made a presentation to Mark Lawlor, Duty Manager of Bloomfield House Hotel, of a framed photo of Cormac winning the youth International Cross Country race held at Bloomfield in January 1987.

Finally, it was the turn of guest speaker Michael O’Leary to say a few words and after an entertaining speech that was greatly enjoyed by the big crowd, he concluded by formally launching the book to bring the formal part of the evening to a conclusion. After the formalities, it was time for everyone to mingle and catch up with members past and present, some of whom hadn’t seen each other in many years, and to view the hundreds of photos on display on notice boards around the room, which brought back many happy memories.

For anyone who could not make the launch or who didn’t get a chance to pre-order a book, you can still order a book either online or contact any member of the committee [GD].

Westmeath Schools Cross Country

The Westmeath Schools Cross Country took place in Belvedere on Wednesday 24th September on a beautiful dry warm sunny day. As expected, the grounds in Belvedere looked beautiful and underfoot conditions were perfect for running. Thanks to the hard work put in by volunteers from the Club in setting up the course, everything was ready on the day. As always, we are indebted to the many volunteers, members and friends of Mullingar Harriers, who turn up in big numbers to help when the call goes out, and this time was no exception and we had lots of help to make the day a success. It was great to see such enthusiasm in the competitors from the young first class pupils to the older secondary school students, cheered on by a big crowd of teachers and parents. The event remains one of the most popular of the year and the feedback from teachers and parents was very positive, so we look forward to continued support in future years.

Sincere thanks to Westmeath Civil Defence who attended to look after any first aid needs with their customary calm professionalism. The Management & staff at Belvedere House & Gardens were also of great help in organising the day at a venue that is absolutely ideal for hosting such an event. Thanks also to An Garda Siochana for their invaluable assistance monitoring and controlling traffic on the N52, as cars and buses entered and exited Belvedere. Finally, our thanks to the teachers and schools for competing and ensuring that the event continues to be one of the most eagerly awaited sporting events on the calendar for those of school going age in Westmeath.

The Primary school top 20 individual finishers and team scores and the Secondary schools top 10 individual finishers are available HERE. Congratulations to all who took part and as usual, the standard of competition was extremely high and medals were hard won for all the competitors. Team medals will be distributed to the schools [GD].

Griffith Avenue Mile

The Griffith Avenue Mile in Marino, Dublin is Ireland’s premier one mile road race and is a unique running event for all the community and for all abilities. This year’s edition took place on Sunday afternoon 21st September and after the mass participation fun run, which attracted a huge entry, it was the turn of the elite athletes to toe the line and among them was Cormac Dalton. After a great battle throughout, Cormac drew clear in the closing stages to win in 3:59 in a close finish, earning a great victory in a great event [GD].

BMW Berlin Marathon

Lisa McEntee competed in the BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday morning 21st September. Noted as one of the top marathons, it is much sought after to gain a place at the start line. Uncomfortably warm conditions made the race that further bit more challenging for the 55,000 who took to the start line. It was the 51st staging of the event, and Lisa followed her pre-race plan executing the early kilometres at a steady pace, matching her planned race pace that she has practiced throughout the summer. While the 27degC heat took its toll, Lisa was very satisfied to maintain a steady pace throughout finishing in 4:45:53 [MO’S].

Athlone 10k

Run in conjunction with their annual half marathon, the Athlone 10k hosted by Athlone AC took place in dry and bright conditions on Sunday morning 21st September. On a flat course taking in the Greenway, the race started and finished at the TUS Athlone Campus. There were just short of 100 runners including Kate Plunkett from Mullingar Harriers. Kate was pleased with her finishing time of 47:16 [MO’S].

Joe Ryan – a link to 800m success ar World T&F

Oisin Lane gave everyone in Mullingar Harriers a big local interest in the World T&F Championships in Tokyo, where he put in a terrific performance in gruelling conditions in the 35k race walk on day one.

As the Championships neared the end of its nine days, everyone in Ireland got caught up in the excitement of Kate O’Connor as she put in excellent performance after excellent performance in the heptathlon to win the silver medal, and everyone also followed the unfolding story of Longford AC’s Cian McPhillips, as he made a significant breakthrough on the World stage in the 800m, winning his heat, winning his semi-final in a new National record to qualify for the final, and in the final finishing just out of the medals in fourth place, setting another National record.

Adding to our local interest is that Cian’s coach is our own Joe Ryan, who has expertly coached and guided Cian since he was 13. We’ve been privileged to see Cian progress over the years as he trained regularly at the Club and knew he was destined for greatness, and everyone at the Club congratulates Cian on his achievements in Tokyo [GD].

Westmeath Examiner Community & Sports Awards

Congratulations to Aisling Lane who received the Young Sports Star of the Year Award for 2025 at the Westmeath Examiner Community & Sports Awards ceremony on Thursday afternoon 18th September in the Mullingar Park Hotel. This richly deserved Award comes on the back of a fantastic 2025 for 19 year old Aisling when she excelled on the National and International stage. Internationally, Aisling won the Dutch National Senior 10k and also the UK National Senior 20k title, the latter in a time that qualified her for the European Team Racewalking Championships in Czechia, where she made her senior International debut. On the home front, Aisling won the Irish Universities indoor and outdoor titles, took silver in the Senior indoors and outdoors, won the National u/23 walk in a new Championship Record, and took gold in the Leinster senior walk in a new Championship Record. Aisling attended the event with her mother, Mary, and representing Mullingar Harriers was Bobbie Begley and Margaret Daly [GD].

British Masters T&F

Twenty six Irish athletes competed in the British Masters T&F at Moorways Stadium, in Derby, England, using the event as a final warm-up for the European Masters T&F in Madeira, Portugal, in October. Among the Irish group, Mullingar Harriers was represented by Aidan O’Donoghue, who competed in the Discus, 200m and Javelin. All three events were on the final day of three, which was on Sunday 15th September, so Aidan had a demanding schedule of three events packed into a few hours. Aidan threw a season’s best in the Discus to finish in 8th place. He was competitive in the 200m, finishing outside the medals, but still happy with his performance. He finished with the Javelin where he was also very happy, throwing 34.98m to finish just out of the medals in 4th place [AO’D].

Lahinch Half Marathon

The inaugural Lahinch Half Marathon took place in very windy and wet conditions on Sunday morning 14th September. Among the participants was Claire Lennon Gavin, who is from the area. Claire described her run as “feeling like I was going to be blown off the course while getting drowned with constant heavy showers” but considered it a great endurance test as she prepares for the Dublin City Marathon. The course followed much of the Wild Atlantic Way in the area, looping along country roads through Liscannor and the surrounding countryside, with rolling hills adding to the challenge. 300 runners completed the distance, and Claire was satisfied with her time of 1:58:00 [MO’S].

Ratoath Half Marathon

The Ratoath Half Marathon on Saturday morning 13th September attracted 1,639 athletes. The race started and finished at Fairyhouse Racecourse and took a loped route through relatively flat country roads around the town. Conditions were mixed with several heavy showers during the race and a stiff breeze which was especially challenging in the unsheltered areas of the course. Seven athletes from Mullingar Harriers took part, all using the event as part of their preparation for the Dublin City Marathon. First home was James Keegan finishing well up in 1:16:02, with Andy Nevin closely behind in 1:16:23. Kedagh Geoghegan had a very steady run finishing in 1:20:11. Barry White training for his first marathon was very happy with a sub 1:40, finishing in 1:39:05, with Mark Dunne just behind in 1:39:33. Brendan Rice completed the course in 1:49:14, with Kelly Dunne finishing in 1:57:03 [MO’S].

Rhode Three Quarter Marathon

The Rhode Marathon, an inaugural event organised by Rhode AC, was held on Saturday morning 13th September. A request from eight Mullingar athletes preparing for the Dublin City Marathon, that a Three Quarter Marathon be added, was enthusiastically facilitated. While over 50 completed the marathon, the organisers made the 8 from Mullingar most welcome, organising chip timing and full results, along with access to water stations along the way and a host of refreshments at the finish. Our participants and their times were Mary Stuart (2:37:12), Dara O’Shea (2:37:58), Criona Reid (2:38:00), Orla Gillespie (2:41:38), John Long (2:41:38), Joan Hickson (2:48:06), Jane Creevy (2:48:28) and Marie Louise Johnston (2:51:32). Sincere thanks to Rhode AC for generously accommodating the Mullingar athletes [MO’S].

World T&F Championships

Due to the extreme heat and humidity being experienced in Tokyo during the World T&F Championships, World Athletics was forced to change the timetable and bring the start of the 35km racewalk back half an hour to try and protect the athletes from possible heat exhaustion and collapse. Such was the dangerous environment that Oisin Lane faced along with the top distance racewalkers in the World at 7.30am Tokyo time on Saturday morning 13th September.

Survival was the key word, so normal race tactics had to be abandoned by Oisin as the crowded field lined up in the Tokyo Olympic Stadium. Amazingly, from the gun the pace was very fast as the local Japanese walkers pushed hard at the front and led the field around the opening laps of the stadium and out onto the nearby road course where most of the race was held, lined by thousands upon thousands of loudly cheering Japanese fans. The tactic proved successful for one Japanese athlete but destroyed the race for his teammates and many others too. However, Oisin showed maturity beyond his years in letting them go and sticking to his planned adjusted pace and kept towards the back of the big field around the stadium and up the steep incline out of the stadium and reached 3km exactly on schedule, walking about 4:30 per km.

Oisin kept this pace all the way through the key markers at 5km, 10km, 15km, 20km and up to 25km, edging his way up the field into the top forty places, and then into the top thirty places, even placing as high as 24th for a short while. He achieved this by focusing on a precise hydration plan and constantly changing special caps containing crushed ice, as well as using frozen sponges and ice neck bands every 2km supplied from the Irish “refreshments table”.  He also maximised the general support table for athletes at every other kilometre mark.

As the second hour of the race approached, the clouds parted and everyone felt the burn of the blazing sun and humidity remained up to 90%. Unfortunately at this same time the athletes support table ran out of sponges (as well as ice for a while) and like everyone else, Oisin began to suffer and so from 25km onwards his pace dropped lap by lap as he struggled on. While his pace wilted over that last gruelling 10km, his focus and determination never waned. Lap by lap he pushed on until he got the bell and left the road to head for the Olympic Stadium and the ecstasy and relief of the finish line, which could not come soon enough for everyone. Despite the sheer exhaustion and stressful circumstances he enjoyed the unique experience and exhilaration of the final lap of the stadium in front of a fanatical crowd. To finish 28th in a torrid environment where one third of the World class field failed to finish and at the same time not receiving a single red card for any fault in technique is a magnificent tribute to Oisin’s focus, skill and personal determination. Well done Oisin [ML].

Lucan Harriers AC 5 Mile

The annual Lucan Harriers AC 5 Mile race attracted 567 runners to the Dublin venue on Sunday morning 7th September. It was overcast and a stiff breeze reduced the humidity levels on a challenging course with some stiff inclines. Enda Seery was the sole participant from Mullingar Harriers, and he was pleased with his time of 31:14 [MO’S].

Dingle Half Marathon

Susan Glennon made the long trip to West Kerry on Saturday 6th September to take in the Dingle Half Marathon, an event run in conjunction with a full marathon. It is noted for its splendid scenery but with many difficult hilly sections to test the just over 1,800 finishers of the half marathon. In overcast and cool conditions, Susan ran a very steady race and came home 2nd woman in a time of 1:25:27 [MO’S].

Kenmare Trail Run

Leona Behan took to the Kingdom on Saturday morning 6th September. She completed the Kenmare Trail Run, a 59km run over hill and mountain trails in the Kenmare area of Co. Kerry. Leona completed the distance in 8 hours 41 minutes 56 seconds. The elevation gain in her trek across the mountains was a staggering 1,716 metres. A great achievement and certainly gives her plenty of confidence to tackle the shorter traditional marathon distance of 42.2km in Dublin at the end of October [MO’S].

Ardee 5k

UNREPORTED

Ardee, Co. Louth, Saturday 6th September

306 finishers

Mark Ronan 23rd (19:15)

Ireland West Three Quarter Marathon

UNREPORTED

Swinford, C. Mayo, Saturday 6th September

228 finishers

Dara O’Shea 52nd (2:35:20), Lisa McEntee 186th (3:13:36), Declan Costello 204th (3:21:37)

AUGUST

Tullamore Half Marathon

The Bord Na Mona Tullamore Half Marathon, incorporating the National and Leinster Championships took place on Saturday morning 30th August. Starting outside the Harriers Stadium, it took in a scenic route through Mucklagh, Killurin and Cloonagh before finishing with a lap of the stadium track. The course was generally flat with some gently rolling hills along the way. Conditions however, proved challenging with widespread heavy showers and a cross wind making for a difficult race for all contestants.

1,189 finishers included 43 from Mullingar Harriers. It was another very successful championship for the club with team and individual medals making their way home after an eventful day’s racing.

Individual National Masters Medals went to Mary Stuart (1:30:03) Gold in her category, Jacintha Reilly (1:31:32) Gold in her category, Maura Dervin (1:37:01) Silver in her category, Dan Morris (1:12:42) first Mullingar athlete home and bronze in his category, Eddie Newman (1:26:37) bronze in his category, and Aisling Corcoran (1:32:00) bronze in her category. In the Leinster Championship, Mary Stuart won gold in her master category as did Jacintha Reilly, while Maura Dervin took silver in her category, as did Dan Morris in his, Eddie Newman also took silver in his, Aisling Corcoran won silver in her category, followed home closely by Criona Reid (1:32:20) who won bronze, and Emer O’Hanlon (1:40:16) also won bronze.

In the team event, at National level, there were two gold medal performances with both the master women o/35 and o/50 Club teams winning their categories. A special word for our o/50 Club team of Maura Dervin, Emer O’Hanlon and Marie Louise Johnston (1:42:29) who have now captured the National Club team gold medals in 2025 for 5k, 5 miles, 10 miles and half marathon. The o/35 Club team comprised Aisling Corcoran, Criona Reid and Aeilish McGovern (1:34:59).

Our Senior women Club team took National silver with Susan Glennon leading them home in 1:25:03, followed by Mary Stuart and Jacintha Reilly. The Senior men Club team secured National bronze with Dan Morris, Kris Foster (1:14:36) and Ian McCormack (1:16:08).

In the Leinster Team events, there was gold for both the master women o/35 and o/50 Club teams. The o/35 Club team comprised Aisling Corcoran, Criona Reid and Aeilish McGovern, with the o/50 Club team made up of Maura Dervin, Emer O’Hanlon and Marie Louise Johnston. Silver went to the Senior women Club team of Susan Glennon, Mary Stuart and Jacintha Reilly. The Senior men Club team of Dan Morris, Kris Foster and Ian McCormack took Leinster bronze.

The Leinster Championship includes County team medals and there was further medal success for the Mullingar athletes. The Senior women County team captured the silver medals, with Susan Glennon, Monika De Almeida (Athlone AC), Mary Stuart, Jacintha Reilly, Aisling Corcoran and Criona Reid making up the scoring members.

In the Master women o/35 County team category it was Gold for Westmeath with Aeilish McGovern, Zane Smukste (1:37:14), Aine O’Reilly (1:38:20), Laura Fitzpatrick (1:39:41), Orla Gillespie (1:40:07) and Linda Cunningham (1:41:24). The Master women o/50 County team took silver with Maura Dervin, Triona Kinnane (Athlone AC), Lisa O’Rourke (Athlone AC) and Emer O’Hanlon. The Master women o/60 County team won gold with Mary Stuart, Maura Dervin and Julie Maguire (Athlone AC). The Master men o/35 County team took bronze with Dan Morris, Alan Crowley (1:19:39), Enda O’Carolan (1:20:02), Eoin Clarke (1:20:15), Paulius Patackas (1:22:09) and Darren Carroll (1:28:58).

In the Open Team races held in conjunction with the Championships with 4 to score on a team, there was further success for Mullingar. Our women Club team of Susan Glennon, Mary Stuart, Jacintha Reilly and Aisling Corcoran took the silver medals There was a dramatic close call in the men Club team race. Gold went to Tullamore Harriers with a combined time of 4 hours 57.23 seconds. The Mullingar team of Dan Morris, Kris Foster, Ian McCormack and Paul O’Reilly (1:18:53) were just 5 seconds behind to take silver with a combined time of 5 hours 2.24 seconds. Indeed, they held off the third placed team Raheny Shamrocks by a mere 1.13 seconds, demonstrating the value and competitiveness of team racing.

Results for our other participants were James Cribbin (1:26:19). Thomas Gilligan ran 1:33:17, Jason McKevitt 1:33:18, Aideen Tansey 1:34:16, Declan Claffey 1:36:04, Orla McLaughlin 1:36:05, Joe Curley 1:36:07, John Long 1:36:11 and Conor Corcoran 1:36:51. Tom Byrne ran 1:39:44, Mark Geoghegan came in with a time of1:40:57, John McNamara ran 1:43:15, Gemma Kelly ran 1:43:39, Caroline Mullen 1:46:14, Brendan Rice 1:49:53, Matt Creagh 1:52:19, Martin Mullen 1:53:11, Ray Smyth 1:58:54 and Anna Redmond 1:58:56 [MOS/GD].

Tara 5k

UNREPORTED

Co. Meath, Friday 29th August

295 finishers

John Glennon 6th – 1st u/20 man (16:56)

Summer League

Over the summer months a league format of races was held for our juvenile members, which proved to be very popular. The competition had two categories with a 1,000m race for u/9, u/10 and u/11, and a 1,500m race for u/12, u/13, u/14 and u/15. Racing once in each of May (29th), June (26th), July (24th) and August (21st), over 160 young athletes took part in what was a competitive yet fun event giving our youngest members the opportunity to learn about race tactics and about their own abilities.

In the 1,000m race the competitors were divided into 5 teams of about 20 runners and in the 1,500m event 4 teams of 15 members competed. Team scores for each round were based on the accumulation of the first 10 scorers on each team, with individuals also vying for prizes.

Although the racers were rewarded with treats at the end of each race, there was a far bigger treat in store at the prize presentation on Tuesday 26th August when five of the Club’s senior athletes, all of whom are International athletes having represented Ireland on multiple occasions, were on-hand to meet their younger Clubmates and award the winners with their medals. Cormac Dalton, Aisling Lane, Oisin Lane, Jack O’Leary and Aimee Wallace, wearing their Team Ireland gear, were happy to mingle with the juveniles, answer questions and stand in for selfies, adding to the atmosphere on the evening.

In the 1,000m race for u/9 to u/11, the top three girls were Emily Rose Coyne, Cara Hickey and Maisie Walsh. The boy’s race had four on the podium with Shay Gavigan a clear winner, Rian Healy in second place and Austin Keaveney and Jack Corroon sharing third. The longer 1,500m race for the older juveniles saw Lily Walsh win the girl’s competition with Siobha Leonard second and Amelie G Kelly third. A very close boy’s competition resulted in Antonio Bertolo, Daniel Cummins and Cillian Gavin all sharing top spot, followed by John McManus in second and Mel Bohan in third.

With the competition held on the grass track over a relatively long distance, the event served as great preparation for the upcoming cross country season with all members proving to themselves that they are ready and able for the bigger races ahead [CW].

Longford Half Marathon

With a festival of races in Longford on Sunday 24th August, including an Ultra Marathon, Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k options, some athletes from Mullingar Harriers took the opportunity to test their training progress over the Half Marathon distance as they target events later in the autumn. Evan McCormack and Eoin Clarke paced the 1:30 runners, while similarly Eithne Spellman and Joan Hickson tracked the 1:50 pace group. Among the nearly 490 competitors proper, Joan Mulvihill and Matt Johnston worked together and were pleased to come home well inside their sub-2 hour target, both recording times of 1:57:30 while Aine Kane was very happy to finish in 2:01:37. Conditions were described as warm and humid, especially in the latter part of the race, with the relatively flat opening 16k giving way to a more up and down terrain for the closing 5k [MO’S].

Strandhill Warriors Run

Strandhill is 8k west of Sligo Town. Nestled at the foot of Knocknarea Mountain, where at its summit at 1,070 feet sits the megalithic cairn where Maeve, the legendary Queen of Connaught, is reputedly buried. Each year runners converge on Strandhill to follow in the footsteps of her ancient warriors. The Strandhill Warriors Run, a 15k race from the beachfront in Strandhill makes its way up to Queen Maeve’s cairn and back to the beachfront. This year 1,200 took part on Saturday afternoon 23rd August, including Matt Creagh and Declan Costello from Mullingar Harriers. Both completed the distance in under 1 hour 45 minutes. It was warm and humid during the event and the steep incline up to the summit tested everyone to their limits. Well done Matt and Declan on completing such a challenge, helping their preparation for the Dublin Marathon in October [MO’S].

Celbridge AC 5k

Celbridge AC held their annual 5k race starting from their clubhouse, running around the town and finishing with 1 lap of their track. On a beautiful evening on Thursday 21st August, Jamie Wallace and Andy Nevin toed the line along with 680 other competitors. Jamie competing in his second ever 5k was the first Mullingar Harrier home, finishing in 8th place overall in a time of 15:22, which was good enough to win the u/20 race. Andy has been running longer races in preparation for this coming marathon season and finished in 10th place overall in a time of 15:25, a new personal best for him [TW].

St. Coca’s AC Kilcock 10 Mile

St. Coca’s AC staged the Kilcock 10 Mile on Sunday 17th August. A tough and challenging course taking in country roads mainly to the west of the town, it was an opportunity for those training for upcoming half marathons and indeed the Dublin marathon to test their level of fitness and stamina. The just over 450 finishers included 3 from Mullingar Harriers. First home was Alan Crowley, happy to dip under the one hour mark in a fine time of 59:33. Fergus Nugent is in his first year with the club, having soldiered as he says himself as the lonely long-distance runner for many years. He is certainly enjoying the structure of meeting up with fellow athletes for regular training and was pleased with a finishing time of 1:05:24. Maura Dervin ran a very fine 1:14:48, comfortably winning her master category, and is very happy with her training for the upcoming Tullamore Half Marathon [MO’S].

Rathkenny AC 5k

UNREPORTED

Rathkenny, Co. Meath, Saturday 16th August

315 finishers

Barry White 43rd (20:50)

Frank Duffy 10 Mile

Part of the Dublin City Marathon race series, the Frank Duffy 10 Mile took place in the Phoenix Park on Saturday morning 16th August. Run on part of the course for the marathon in October, Lisa McEntee took the opportunity to test her training. Finishing in 1:34:35, she admitted that it was a tough course, with plenty of sharp rises along the way. Conditions were very humid and warm, but thankfully there were plenty of water stations and a great array of refreshments after the race for all of the 3,645 participants [MO’S].

Castlepollard 5k

In warm and very humid conditions, North Westmeath AC staged the Castlepollard 5k on Wednesday evening 13th August. The general consensus of the runners was that the humid conditions had a big influence on the race, making it difficult to perform to optimum levels, with many slowing a little to deal with the high temperatures. The course followed the traditional route out of the town, through the grounds of Tullynally Castle, and returning to finish just outside the town square. There were several rolling hills mixed with spacious straight stretches to give varied challenges to the 251 finishers.

Among them was a very strong contingent from Mullingar Harriers, with a total of 48 across a wide range of ages competing. Leading them home was Dan Morris third place in 15:47, followed closely by Ross Killalea in fourth (15:51), followed by James Keegan (16:14), Tony Doran (17:08), Luke Greene (17:12), Paul O’Reilly (17:25) and Paulius Patackas (17:37) earning him second in his master category, finishing well up in the top twenty places. Following them in was Andy Boyhan (18:03), Enda Seery (18:26), Daniel Horohoe (18:39), Fergus Nugent (18:43) and Kieran Nolan (18:54). Ailbhe O’Farrell (19:22) finished an excellent third senior woman, followed by Timmy Mescall (19:20), Dara O’Shea (19:23) and Jason McKevitt (19:31) third in his master category. Next was Ger Feerick (19:33), Jacintha Reilly (19:37) fourth senior woman, Joe Curley (19:42), Mick Fagan (19:47) and Conleth Mullen (20:08). There were master category wins for both Aisling Corcoran (20:11) and Mary Stuart (20:15). Thomas Byrne came home in 21:06, John Burke in 21:15, Linda Cunningham finished second in her master category with 22:07, with Laura Fitzpatrick finishing in 22:20. Also competing was Philip Burke (22:30), Paul Plunkett (22:50) and  Caroline Mullen (23:20) third place in her master category, with Lorraine Claffey completing the 5k in 23:23, Martin Mullen in 23:45, followed closely by Michael Purdue (23:50), with Matt Creagh home in 24:24. Terri Greene (24:43) was second in her master category, Brigid McCabe won her master category in 25:01, followed by Declan Costello (25:07), Kevin O’Brien (25:25) and Ray Smyth (25:49). Anna Redmond completed the course in 26:04, with John Bannon the next Mullingar athlete home in 26:12. Nuala Moran secured third in her master category with 26:27, Caroline Boyle ran 26:30 and Sean McMullin took second in his master category with 27:06. Michael Greene ran 27:35, Finn Roddy 30:07, Nicky McCabe was third in his master category in 32:05, and the big Mullingar group was completed by Breda McDonnell who secured second place in her master category, walking the distance in 61:21 [MO’S].

BMC Grand Prix

Claire Fagan improved her personal best for 5,000m to 16:04.40 on Saturday evening 9th August in England. She was in action at the British Milers Club Grand Prix in Trafford (Manchester), a World Athletics Challenger Tour Meeting. Following on from a big personal best for 3,000m in July, Claire’s new best for 5,000m shows steady progress over the last few years [GD].

IFAM Outdoors

Competing at the IFAM (International Flanders Athletics Meeting) at the Putbosstadion in Oordegem, Belgium on Saturday evening 9th August, which was a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Meeting, Cormac Dalton dropped down to race in the 1,500m and was very pleased to record a new personal best time of 3:42.28 for the distance [GD].

Streets of Galway 8k

UNREPORTED

Salthill, Galway, Friday 8th August

2,877 finishers

Ciara Foy 77th (29:35), Linda Cunningham 385th (26:16)

Kells AC 5k

Three Mullingar Harriers athletes took part in the Kells AC Heritage 5k around the centre of the town and taking a few spurs into some historical areas on the outskirts of the town on Friday evening 8th August. A very good field of 429 runners completed the event, and Vinny Connolly was a very close second overall in 15:13, followed by John Whitelaw coming through in 17:22, with Barry White finishing in 20:44 [MO’S].

Dysart 4 Mile Classic

When Bobbie Begley took on the role of chairperson of Mullingar Harriers at the AGM in January, as the club was in its 50th year, he made his intentions very clear early on that he wanted to hold a road race as part of the celebrations to mark the club’s milestone birthday. Thanks to Bobbie’s vision and leadership, the Dysart 4 Mile Classic took place on Tuesday 5th August on a lovely summer evening. Based at Murphy’s Public House, the race was run on a straightforward out and back course, and an added bonus was that the road was closed to traffic for the race, greatly adding to the comfort and safety of the runners, officials and stewards.

It’s hard to predict entries for a new event, but we were delighted with the final entry of 375, of whom 314 ran and finished, which is very good for a new event. Given the big entries, we were glad that we engaged chip timing company My Run Results who looked after the online entries and the results on the night with their customary professionalism. Of note is that nearly 140 from the club raced, and seeing the big number of volunteers and stewards and officials from the club on the night, there’s no doubt but everyone at the club really got behind the event to make it a success.

The race just didn’t happen of course and there’s a big list of people and organisations that deserve huge thanks for making the race such a great success. Front and centre has to be Bobbie Begley of course, who left no stone unturned in rallying the troops to either run or help out. A founding member, Bobbie has been  a driving force in the success of the club over the 50 years. It was also great to see more of our founding members at the event, including John Mulvihill (who measured and helped marked the course with his customary precision and attention to detail), Seamus O’Brien (our MC on the night), Club President Seamus Gibney who started the race, Ollie Gallagher (who videoed everything), and it was great to see John Kenny another founding member from 50 years ago also there.

A special thanks to Adrian, Deirdre and Eleanor Murphy for hosting the race at Murphy’s Pub and for the delicious burgers and post-race refreshments that were very well received; their support was vital to the success of the race and came in for particular praise by athletes and spectators. Many thanks also to Ian McCormack for his Trojan work on the event and getting everybody in line before the race, and for organising the beautiful commemorative finishers medals. Thanks to Kris Foster for helping with the prize money and presentations, to Joe Fagan and his crew for helping to set up the course and organising parking. Thanks to Anna Bell and Matt Glennon for the use of their fields for parking, and to Adrian Murphy for other parking too.

Before we ever got to the race there was a lot of background work in the months and weeks leading up to it, and we must express sincere thanks to Barry Kehoe (Chief Executive, Westmeath County Council) and Municipal District staff members Frank Dolan and William Ryan for their help in securing a temporary road closure, and to Westmeath County Council for its generous support under the “Festival and Events Grant Scheme”, helping to offset some of the costs of the event. Thanks also to Jason McKevitt for publicizing the race so positively in the newspapers and on Midlands 103, which no doubt contributed to the high turnout, and thanks to the Westmeath Examiner and Westmeath Topic and Midlands 103 for promoting the race and reporting on it. Also thanks to Anthony Cassidy and the local residents for supporting the event and for putting up with any inconvenience caused.

On the night, we were very grateful to Sergeant Ambrose Duggan and members of the Garda Community Policing Unit who directed traffic, enforced the road closure and ensured the event went off smoothly, to Westmeath Civil Defence for their attendance to look after any first aid needs and provide ambulance cover, and we mustn’t forget Ger Flynn who marshalled the race from the front on his bike. Thanks to Margaret Daly, Pauline Gaffney and Amanda Dalton who managed registrations, to Chris Cole from Culinara Coffee for providing coffee and tea on tap at such short notice, and to all the volunteers who helped with parking, water stations, stewarding, food etc. In addition to hot food at Murphy’s, we’re very grateful to O’Briens Centra who provided food, and to Avril Corbett and the local tidy towns committee for supplying sandwiches and food too.

Organised primarily as a celebration of 50 years, it was great to see so many families, former members and training partners taking the opportunity to simply run together, among them Jack O’Leary who was still recovering from winning the National 5,000m bronze medal only two days before and used the race as his second easy recovery run of the day. But of course, it was still a race and first to finish was Michael Murphy (Tullamore Harriers AC) in a swift 19:42, clear of Vinny Connolly (Mullingar Harriers AC) 2nd in 20:33 and Kevin Minnock (Tullamore Harriers AC) 3rd in 20:48. In the women race, the winner was Laura Mooney (Tullamore Harriers) in 22:39, followed in by Elizabeth Carr (Mullingar Harriers AC) 2nd in 23:05, and Edel Gaffney (Trim AC) 3rd in 23:30. The full results can be found on the My Run Results website LINK. MHAC finishers HERE.

In addition to a 50 year celebration for the club, we also marked 30 years since Mullingar Harriers AC first won the National Senior Cross Country title (in 1995) and we were delighted to cheer on Cormac Finnerty, Tom McGrath, John Burke and David Burke who were the members of that memorable team.

In a twist on the usual category prizes, we didn’t use ages but instead used categories like occupations, trades, student, farmer, locals, retired etc which gave many people a chance to get a prize that they otherwise mightn’t win in other races. We must record a very special thanks to Honorary Race Director, John Burke, for his extremely generous donation of a very special spot prize of a Highland Escape in Scotland. We also received Generous Spot Prizes from Wholesome Kitchen, Bell Lane Coffee, O’Briens Centra, Belvedere House & Gardens, The Greville Arms Hotel, Outdoor Escapes, Fran Kiernan of FJK Wood Turning, Mistervini Wine Bar & Shop, and from many individual members of Mullingar Harriers.

As well as the nearly 140 athletes from Mullingar Harriers, we welcomed lots of athletes from our neighbour Westmeath clubs of Athlone, North Westmeath and Coralstown Kinnegad. We also welcomed athletes from many clubs in the surrounding counties of Offaly, Meath, Kildare, Roscommon and Cavan and even further afield from Dublin, Tipperary and Cork, which was excellent to see. A very big thanks to all the runners and walkers who competed in the race and stayed on for the lovely food and refreshments after and help us celebrate 50 years [CF/GD].

National Senior T&F Championships

It was great to see Mullingar Harriers represented by twelve athletes at the National Senior T&F Championships in Santry on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd August, each giving their all on the National stage and winning four medals, another two coming very close in fourth place, others recorded personal bests, but every one of them performing brilliantly in the Mullingar colours.

Having finished his season with a memorable performance at the European u/23 Championships in Norway, Matthew Glennon could not resist the call to return to the fray one more time and competed in the Men 10,000m Race Walk on Saturday morning in warm and sticky conditions, a real challenge for distance athletes. Due to the extended racing season and a lot of top International events happening in recent weeks, it was a relatively weakened field and numbers were down this year. With one of Ireland’s Tokyo Olympians dominating the race, Matthew seized the opportunity to win a silver medal and while he would have wished for a faster time, the recent break took its toll on him in the second half of the race but to his credit his technique held up to the end. Now he can take a well-earned break satisfied with his National Senior silver medal.

Next in action for Mullingar was Aisling Lane who lined up with a full field of the best racewalkers in Ireland in the Women 5,000 Race Walk. By one kilometre, a pack of four had drawn away from the rest of the field. While even pacing is the best known strategy for distance events, the pack members were ultra-competitive and the lead changed hands a few times as various surging strategies were employed to try and break each other. By half way, the final finishing order had more or less been sorted and Aisling found herself having to settle into second place. While everyone suffered from the early aggressive tactics, Aisling fought to close the gap on the winner, but also having to fight hard to increase her lead over her pursuers who never let up either. That was how it remained with Aisling winning her second National Senior silver medal while still only age 19. A well-earned break now beckons for Aisling after a great season of personal bests, Championship records, and a Senior International vest while still a teenager.

Though a master athlete, Aidan O’Donoghue competed in the Men Javelin, where he was pleased with his overall performance, throwing right up to his best and will have learned so much competing against the best senior javelin throwers in Ireland. Drawn in the first of three heats of the Men 800m, Eoin Quinn timed his finish to perfection to finish in second place and automatic qualification for Sunday’s final. In the Women 1,500m Aimee Wallace cruised through her heat to qualify comfortably for Sunday’s final. We finished Saturday with the Men 400m where qualification was the eight fastest times over five extremely competitive heats. Kyle Faherty went out very hard in his heat, going through 200m and then 300m well up with the leaders and though he fell back a bit on the home straight, a new personal best of 52.11 seconds was just reward for a great effort. Patrick Leydon also ran a great race in his heat to finish strong in fourth place in 49.02 seconds, only marginally outside his best, which he set a year ago, so another great effort on the National stage.

Sunday was warm and humid, not ideal for distance races but Jamie Wallace stuck to his task in the 3,000m for u/20 men, which was run as part of the senior programme. Going with the early pace, Jamie quickly found himself in the early breakaway group of three. A big injection of pace midway saw the eventual winner pull clear and Jamie was left to fight for the silver medal. He continued to race well and it was only in the closing stages that he had to surrender the silver but came home in third in 8:43.23 to win the bronze, adding another National medal to Mullingar’s haul.

Given the huge entry for the men 5,000m there was two races and John Ryan and Ian McCormack were assigned to the Men 5,000m B Race, which was very competitive. John was right up with the leading group for most of the race, with Ian leading the chasing group for a long time. The pace really picked in the closing laps and John lost a few places but finished strong in an excellent eight place in 15:20.31, with Ian following him in to finish strong in 16:10.46.

The Men 5,000m A Race was packed with some of the best distance runners in Ireland, including Jack O’Leary and Cormac Dalton prominent throughout the race and setting the pace and leading it for most. With three laps to go, the pace increased and a group of four broke clear and raced hard to the finish, Jack in third and Cormac in fourth, but keeping right in the mix for medals. It was only on the final lap that the leading two began to open a gap and though Jack and Cormac chased hard the gap was too big at the finish and they crossed in third and fourth, Jack in 13:41.47 to win bronze and Cormac in 13:43.65 to take fourth. This was a terrific race that showcased the very best of Irish distance running and it was brilliant to see Mullingar men competing at the highest level.

The final of the Men 800m was always going to be a showdown between Mark English (Finn Valley AC) and Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) but Eoin Quinn settled quickly into his running in what turned out to be a cagey tactical race, which actually suited Eoin. Coming into the finish straight for the final sprint to the line, Eoin was right in the mix and chased Mark and Cian all the way to the line, but in a close race he finished just out of the medals in fourth place in 1:50.85 but knows that fourth in a National 800m final in a tremendous result considering he isn’t long back racing after a prolonged absence due to injury.

The final race with a Mullingar interest was the Women 1,500m final where Aimee Wallace set our hearts racing with medal expectation early on as she closely tracked the leaders in third place in a breakaway group of three. However, it wasn’t to be and despite her great efforts Aimee was reeled in over the final lap, eventually finishing seventh in 4:24.44 but can take so much pride from the race and being so competitive and brave in an exciting National final [ML/GD].

Limerick Half Marathon

Starting and finishing outside Thomond Park, the Limerick Half Marathon attracted nearly 550 athletes to the Treaty City on Sunday morning 3rd August. The race was run in very humid dry conditions but with a stiffening wind helping the athletes. The course took runners through many of the historic sights on a route around the outskirts of the city centre, proving challenging with regular rolling hills. It was a particularly good race for Mary Stuart as she battled hard with the eventual winner of the women race for most of the distance. Mary secured second overall in a fine time of 1:32:17, with her training partner Joan Hickson also very pleased with a finishing time of 1:44:39 [MO’S].

Streets of Athboy 5k

The annual Streets of Athboy 5k took place on Friday evening 1st August. It was a bright and dry evening with little wind and the course included a steep downhill in the first kilometre, which caught out some of the just over 400 finishers who over enthusiastically set out at a very fast pace. Not so the very experienced Vinny Connolly though, who was just pipped for the winner’s prize when coming home in second place in 15:15, with Enda Seery holding on well after admitting to setting out too fast to finish in 17:38 [MO’S].

Birr AC 5k

Birr AC staged the final race in the Healthy Offaly 5k series, the Birr 5k, on Friday evening 1st August when 376 runners took part, including Aisling Corcoran, who was delighted to win her master category, completing the race in 19:31 [MO’S].

JULY

Dublin Graded T&F – (#8 of 8)

At the final Dublin Graded T&F Meeting of the year in Santry on Wednesday evening 30th July, Eoin Quinn competed in the 800m. Eoin hadn’t raced much this season and was getting a race into his legs before the National Senior T&F. Eoin let the race develop in front of him, as the first 200m was run at a swift 25 seconds. With 100m to go, Eoin began his move and with 20m to go he hit the front and went on to win in a 1:50.44, which should give him confidence going into National Senior 800m.

Jamie Wallace was also looking for a preparatory race before the National 3,000m u/20, which is being held this year as part of the programme at the National Senior T&F. Jamie took part in the 1,500m grade A race, where he ran an excellent race to finish in fourth in a new personal best of 3:56.07 [TW].

FISU Summer World University Games

Representing the University of Limerick and Ireland at the FISU Summer World University Games in Bochum, Germany, Oisin Lane competed in the 20k race walk early on Sunday morning 27th July, his first time to compete at World level, which is great preparation for the World T&F in Tokyo in September.

The course was a 1,250m loop through a wooded park and had lots of twists, turns and dips and also had a long pull, so it was really like a cross country course, but on tarmac paths. The morning was very humid but rained beforehand, which helped to take the edge off the oppressive heat and humidity. The pack went out at a reasonable pace but didn’t really start racing until the third kilometre. Once Oisin got into real racing mode himself, he raced very intelligently and with great determination. The majority of the leading pack picked up red cards but Oisin maintained a totally clean sheet, a testament to his excellent focus and technique. Covering each 5k quicker than the previous, this was Oisin’s best race yet on the hardest course that he has faced abroad. He crossed the finish line well up in 11th place in 1:23:06, which is a new personal best and he was delighted with his result and also very happy that his preparations for the World T&F Championships in Tokyo in September are going so well [ML/GD].

Sarsfields GAA 5k (Newbridge)

UNREPORTED

Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Sunday 27th July

158 finishers

Alan Crowley 1st (17:58)

National Masters T&F

Mullingar was represented by seven master athletes at the National Masters T&F in Tullamore on Saturday 26th July. Competing in eleven events, the seven Mullingar athletes really made their presence felt by winning seven gold medals, one silver, and one bronze, and just missed two more medals with two fourth place finishes, so it was definitely a “gold rush” by the magnificent Mullingar masters.

The medal rush began in the Men 5,000m Race Walk, which was a mixed race for all the master men age categories. Colm Walsh settled in quickly and sticking to his task in this very technical event he raced to third place overall but first in his age category, delighted to win the National title. Finishing behind him was Sean McMullin who won his age category with ease to add another gold to his considerable collection of National medals. Meanwhile, in the field events, Ramona Carey was just too strong in the Women Shot Put and putting all her recent hard work at training to good effect, was delighted to win National gold by a big distance. over the following hours, Ramona added to her medal haul with a fine silver medal in the Women Javelin, delighted to win a medal in a new event for her and completed her medal haul by winning gold in the Women Discus, giving her three medals in three events.

Back on the track, Maura Dervin dropped down to the Women 800m and was simply untroubled in her age group and won to take National gold, comfortably clear of second place. Aidan O’Donoghue was unlucky to miss a medal by a narrow margin in the Men Shot Put, finishing fourth, but made up for it the Men 100m Hurdles where he raced to victory and the gold medal, and rounded off his day with the Men Javelin where he was happy to win the bronze medal after an excellent competition.

Competing in his first track competition in a Mullingar singlet, Dan Morris toed the line for the Men 5,000m. Conditions were tough for a distance event but Dan dug deep and despite the heat covered the twelve and a half laps in 15:45.24, an excellent time in the heat, but he was unlucky to just miss a medal, finishing in fourth place. We ended a great day back in the medals again when Tom Walsh simply dominated the Men 28 Pounds Weight for Distance to take gold and add another National title to his big collection [GD].

Brandon Bay Half Marathon

On Saturday morning 26th July, Zane Smukste competed alongside nearly 190 other runners in the Brandon Bay Half Marathon, an event that is run entirely on the golden sandy beach that stretches around Brandon Bay in Co. Kerry. Competitors doing the half marathon effectively run from one point of the 7 mile beach to the other and back. The event is the only running event in Ireland run entirely on the beach, so it provided a great challenge. Zane finished well up in a fine 28th place overall in 1:43:17, the 2nd woman finisher, and was delighted to win a prize for her efforts [GD].

National 10 Mile

The final race of the Athletics Ireland Race Series, the Irish Runner 10 Mile that incorporated the National 10 Mile Championship, took place on Sunday morning 20th July in the Phoenix Park in very wet conditions. Among the 1,800 finishers was a strong squad of 14 athletes from Mullingar Harriers. Dan Morris had the honour of leading them home in 55:02, a close 4th in his master category, followed by Kris Foster (57:49) and Ian McCormack (57:56). Also running well was Eddie Newman (1:04:42) to win the gold medal and National title in his master category, and James Cribbin (1:06:11). A determined Mary Stuart led the Mullingar women home in 1:07:53 to win the gold medal and National title in her master category. Sharon O’Dowd ran her first 10 mile race and was very pleased to finish in 1:08:34. She placed fifth in her master category on the day but with two women ahead of her winning Senior medals and you can only be awarded medals in one category, they’ll receive the Senior medals and Sharon moves up to the Bronze medal position, a great result in her 10 mile debut. Next to finish was Gerard Gavin (1:11:16) and Criona Reid (1:11:41) placing third in her master category and winning the National bronze medal. Also racing well was Marie Louise Johnston (1:14:16) 4th in her master category, Emer O’Hanlon (1:16:13), Linda Cunningham (1:16:29), Liam McGlynn (1:16:56) and Lisa McEntee (1:41:06).

Winning three individual masters medals was a great result, but of course there were team medals to be won too. In the team competition, the team of Sharon, Emer and Linda finished 3rd master women o/35 Club, and the team of Eddie, James and Gerard placed 3rd master men o/50 Club. Coming close was the team of Dan, Kris and Ian who finished 4th senior men Club. However, top marks to the team of Mary, Criona and Marie Louise who took the gold medals for 1st master women o/50 Club, achieving a hat trick of success in the series, with various team members combining to win the National 5k (Aisling Corcoran, Mary Stuart, Criona Reid), National 5 Mile (Mary Stuart, Criona Reid, Maura Dervin) and now National 10 Mile master women o/50 Club titles for 2025. Months in the planning, this was a wonderful achievement by such a talented and dedicated group of women and we congratulate them all on their strong performances at National level [LC].

Clann Gaels LGFA 5k

Bunbrosna, Sunday 20th July

93 finishers; 30 from MHAC

1st Eoin Clarke (18:17), 3rd Evan McCormack (19:30), 5th Daniel Horohoe (19:36), 6th Aisling Corcoran (19:55) 1st woman, 8th Seamus Clarke (21:47), 10th Tommy Byrne (23:12), Aeilish McGovern (23:18) 2nd woman, Michael Purdue (23:47), Lisa O’Brien (24:14) 3rd woman, Darren Carroll (24:26), John Long (24:29), John McNamara (24:29), Philip Burke (24:39), Mark Geoghegan (25:11), Martin Mullen (25:52), Kate Horohoe (26:05), Tiernan Smyth (28:35), Joanna Tyrrell (28:44), Richie Clinton (28:47), Joan Mulvihill (29:09), Ger Langtry (29:42), Vera McCool (29:51), Paul McCool Snr (29:51), Matt Creagh (29:59), Matthew Johnston (30:02), Abigail Nohilly (30:26), Eimear Nohilly (30:27), Shauna Nohilly (30:28), Claire O’Brien (59:55), Kevin O’Brien (59:55).

AAI Outdoor Games

SETU Carlow, Sunday 20th July

1,500m – Jamie Wallace 4th (3:59.87), John Ryan 10th (4:05.59)

European u/23 T&F

Matthew Glennon lined up with the top up and coming racewalking talent in Europe at the European u/23 T&F in Bergen (Norway), on Sunday morning 20th July, competing in the 10,000m Race Walk. In very warm conditions with no protection from the approaching midday sun, Matthew had to rely on his pre-planned and well-rehearsed cooling strategy perfected in training sessions in the weeks leading up to the Championships. Taking the opening laps cautiously helped him to cope and maintain a controlled pacing strategy well into the race, and this strategy also kept his technique up to the high standards demanded by the top International judges. However, in the latter stages as the tough conditions took their toll on him, Matthew fought to maintain focus and battled on bravely to reach the finish line in 25th place out of the 33 athletes competing, in a time of 44:47.96, a season’s best time and a time that many would be proud to be able to even run. While Matthew would have aimed for higher, it was nonetheless a very brave performance in tough conditions rarely encountered at home and he will have learned much as he aims for elite level Senior Championships [ML].

Nacht van de Atletiek (Continental Tour Bronze Meeting)

Heusden (Belgium), Saturday 19th July

Aimee Wallace – 1,500m (4:27.01)

SIAB Schools T&F International

Early on Saturday morning 19th July, Daniel Glennon represented Ireland in the 3,000m Race Walk at the annual SIAB Schools T&F International held at Moorways Stadium in Derby (England). Even though this was his international debut, Daniel was definitely not overawed and is the seventh sibling of the Glennon family to have racewalked for Ireland in this International underage event and he went about his business with determination and a reassuring confidence in his excellent technique in this highly technical event. The end result was a comfortable second place finish in 14:39.22 and an International silver medal to add to the large Glennon trophy collection from this event. Now that Daniel has made his International debut for Ireland, his name will be added to the Roll of Honour in the Clubhouse, bringing the total so far up to 132 since the Club was founded in 1975. Congratulations to Daniel from everyone at the Club [ML].

Louth u/20, Senior, Masters T&F

Lourdes Stadium , Drogheda, Thursday 17th July

Mohammad Al Bashir – 200m second (25.36sec, +0.2m/s)

Dublin Race Walking Summer Challenge

Taking a break from the current track racing season, three Mullingar Harriers race walkers opted to do the new road event called the Dublin Race Walking Summer Challenge that took place in a boiling hot St. Anne’s Park, Raheny on Sunday 13th July. Due to weather warnings of temperature to reach 30degC, the programme was brought back from an 11am start to several hours earlier. While the main event was a 35k and seemed to be an attraction for International athletes, the preference for the Mullingar athletes was to use the event as a speed workout over shorter distances.

First up was Oisin Lane at 8.30am for the 10k. With limited competition he walked a season’s best of 41:54 as he prepares for bigger meets abroad. Next at 9:30am was Aisling Lane and Sean McMullin attempting the 5k. With a substantial field and close competition Aisling had to be at her best and so it was as she set a new personal best of 23:56 to complete a clean sweep of club records for female racewalking. Sean came through to finish seven places further back and can be content that his preparations are going well for upcoming International master’s competitions [ML].

National Juvenile “B” T&F

Restricted to those that didn’t qualify for the National Juvenile T&F, the National Juvenile “B” T&F was held in a sunny and very warm Tullamore on Sunday 13th July. This event offers an excellent opportunity to compete in a National final with all the attendant official rigour but without the tough highest level of competition.

Aoibhe Martyn got things underway with the u/15 girls Long Jump where she jumped well but was unable to find the form that took her to the final eight in Leinster, which would have been enough to win, unfortunately finishing out of the medals in fourth place, but the competition experience will definitely stand to her. Switching her attention to the u/15 girls 100m, Aoibhe finished fourth in her heat after a very good run but it wasn’t enough to advance to the final from the very competitive heats. Aoibhe rounded off her day with the u/15 girls Shot Putt where she came close but just missed a medal, finishing in fourth place after a good competition [GD].

Edenderry 10 Mile

UNREPORTED

Edenderry, Co. Offaly, Sunday 13th July

294 finishers

Paulius Patackas 17th (1:01:24)

Kevin O’Brien (1:44:37)

British Milers Club – Watford Grand Prix

UNREPORTED

Saturday 12th July

Claire Fagan – 3,000m A Race – 4th of 12 (9:06.12 PB)

Aimee Wallace – 1,500m B Race – 7th of 12 (4:25.16)

National Juvenile T&F – Day 3

The final day of the National Juvenile T&F took place in a sweltering Tullamore on Saturday 12th July where plenty of fluids, sunscreen and keeping in the shade was the order of the day on what was the hottest day of the year so far. It was very warm from the off and got hotter and hotter as the day progressed, eventually reaching 30degC, which were very challenging conditions to compete in, but the Mullingar athletes proved up to the challenge.

Blathnaid Peters had an early start, lucky to miss the worst of the heat to come. Competing in the u/17 girls Javelin she was delighted to make the final eight. Despite throwing a massive improvement of nearly 5m on her best in Leinster, it wasn’t enough to finish in the medals, placing eighth overall, but considering she only took up the javelin a few months ago, making the last eight in a National final is a terrific result.

First on the track was Kyle Faherty who sprinted to second place in his heat of the u/19 boys 200m in a personal best time of 22.70 seconds to qualify for the later final. Blasting from the blocks in the final and running a terrific bend, Kyle was well placed coming into the home straight but in a close race he had to settle for fifth place, out of the medals, but another National final to his credit.

Lily Walsh ran a tactically clever race in the u/15 girls 1,500m, slowing the pace after making her way to the front of the group. Staying in control, with a large pack of runners behind her, she gradually increased the tempo until just Lily and last year’s runner-up broke clear with about 500m to go. From there the pace kept increasing until, at 200m to go, Lily released her last kick and opened a gap coming up the home straight to win by almost 2 seconds, delighted to win another National title.

Oisin Clarke and Antonio Bertolo had a very different experiences in the u/15 boys 1,500m. The leaders went out hard from the gun and never let up. As the group split into smaller packs, Oisin found himself in fourth place and chasing third for the latter half of the race but just couldn’t close the gap before the finish line, coming home in fourth place. Antonio got caught out of position when the breaks came at the front and was distanced early but put in a strong last lap to pass a number of runners and finished twelfth, but can take some consolation from competing in a National final.

The entry was so big for the u/18 boys 1,500m that they were split into two timed races, with the medals decided on the fastest times over the two races. Of course that meant both races were run hard from the gun and Luke Greene seemed to struggle a bit to settle into his running in his race but maintained his effort to the finish, out of the medal places but a good effort in the sweltering conditions.

We ended a long hot day with the u/19 boys 1,500m where Jamie Wallace never put a foot wrong, staying right up with the leaders and was perfectly placed to respond to a break from the front, chasing the leader all the way on the last lap and it was only in the last 50m or so that he finally had to concede he wouldn’t catch him, but finishing an excellent second place to take National silver. Finishing strong behind was Donagh Carey, leading the second group home in seventh place, which is a great result at this level [CW/GD].

Morton Games

It was nearly a sell-out in sun-soaked Santry on Friday evening 11th July where a huge crowd enjoyed some thrilling International T&F competition at the Morton Games, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Event. Mullingar Harriers was represented by a young relay team and by two senior Club stalwarts, all making their mark.

Before the main programme, there were juvenile relay races, including the very novel Mile Relay race, which was run as a 16 x 100m Relay. There were 12 teams and each team could have two girls and two boys on each lap, starting with u/10 on the first lap, moving to u/12 on the second, u/14 on the third, and finishing with u/16 on the final lap. Assembling the athletes at their change over positions before the race, all 192 excited girls and boys, was quite a challenge for the officials but once ready, it was race on. The Mullingar team was Robert Bohan, Tara Coyne, Adele Bertolo and Cara Hickey (u/10), Mel Bohan, Emily Rose Coyne, Maisie Walsh and Roisin Keane (u/12), Seamus Clarke, Katie Bohan, John McManus and Penny Bohan (u/14) and Oisin Clarke, Lily Walsh, Antonio Bertolo and Clodagh Keane (u/16). We didn’t always have two boys on each lap, so used three girls where needed, and others moved up an age to make up the team. It took nearly two laps for the race to fully unfold and we could begin to see where everyone was placed, and thanks to our brilliant younger athletes, by then Mullingar was in the top three places. John McManus took the baton in third place near the end of the third lap and with a brilliant effort quickly took the lead, which the team held to the finish, as Clodagh Keane brought the baton home safely to take the win. It was an exciting and fun-filled race and well done to them all.

Cormac Dalton and Jack O’Leary competed in the International 5,000m against some World class opposition. A fast pace from the gun saw the big field quickly settle into their running, with Cormac close to the front and Jack further back in the strung out line of runners. By 2k, the field began to split and a gap opened between the leading group that included Cormac and the second group with Jack. Clearly not happy with the gap, Jack moved to the front of the chasing group and began the long push to close the gap on the leaders. Working hard, Jack closed the gap over two laps and attached to the back of the leading group with four laps to go. Jack wasn’t done yet though and with three laps to go he moved quickly forward and began to challenge the leaders. Two laps to go and Jack was in second and full of running, with Cormac only a few places behind. Showing his strength as the National 10k road Champion and having the race of his life, Jack pushed on and though he had to surrender a few places on the final lap, he punched the air in delight as he crossed the line in fourth place and saw his time on the trackside clock, later confirmed as 13:22.67, a huge personal best by just over 16 seconds. Closing strong behind him in eighth place was Cormac in 13:34.07, a very strong performance. It was great to see two Mullingar men mixing it with the best in a top class race [CW/GD].

Coralstown Kinnegad GAA 5k

A large contingent of 22 from the club took part in the Coralstown Kinnegad GAA 5k on Wednesday evening 9th July, a race that attracted a good entry of nearly 230 finishers. Vinny Connolly was race winner, in 15:16, well clear of club mate James Keegan who was second with a strong finish in 16:17. As a measure of how strong the Mullingar group was, club members filled seven places in the top ten, and category prizes were won by several others. Also taking part was Paul O’Reilly 4th (16:50), Kedagh Geoghegan 5th (17:05), Alan Crowley 6th (17:09) 1st in his master category, John Glennon 7th (17:15), Enda Seery 9th (17:55) 2nd in his master category. They were followed in by Daniel Glennon (18:07) 1st u/20 man, Fergus Nugent (18:36), Susan Glennon (18:37) 21st overall and second place in the women race, Kieran Nolan (18:50), Declan Claffey (19:18), Andrew Glennon (19:42), Mary Stuart (19:54) 1st in her master category, Conleth Mullen (20:03), Dean Keogh (20:04), Aisling Corcoran (20:11) 2nd place in her master category, Jessica Cunningham (20:22), Colm Brennan (21:11), Brendan Rice (22:25), Siofra O’Halloran (25:56) and Michelle O’Halloran (26:08) [MO’S].

Oldcastle 5k

The Oldcastle 5k was held in overcast but very humid conditions on Wednesday evening 9th July and a light breeze was a welcome relief to the 180 runners who took part. Starting and finishing in the town square, the course took a loop circuit through the town and its outskirts, with a few rolling hills encountered along the way. Luke McDonnell was the sole representative for Mullingar Harriers and was happy with his run, coming in at 34:22 [MO’S].

Cork City Sports

UNREPORTED

MTU Cork, Wednesday 9th July

John Ryan – 3,000m (National Event – F) 9th in 8:39.17

National u/20 and u/23 T&F

After a very long day of competition at the National u/20 and u/23 T&F in Tullamore on Saturday 5th July, the first and last individual track races saw National Titles won by Aisling Lane and Diarmuid Fagan, book-ending what was a very good Championships for the small group from Mullingar Harriers that competed.

Having walked 13:57 and 13:55 (a Leinster record) in her last two 3,000m walk races, Aisling Lane knew that she only needed one second faster in the 3,000m u/23 Walk to set a new Championship Record, but breezy conditions and a rain soaked track made this a tougher challenge than anticipated. Only one competitor managed to stay with her for the first lap but from then on Aisling moved to the front and it became a solo effort. Despite the conditions, she held form and technique throughout. At the bell for the last lap she needed a swift 1:45 lap to achieve her goal and with determination she drove on hard over the final lap to cross the finish line first in 13:54.98, a new personal best, a new Championship Record by just one second, bettering the previous set 35 years ago in 1990, and mission accomplished for a delighted Aisling. This is also a Mullingar Harriers Club Record, so in the Club’s 50th Anniversary, Aisling’s name is added another time to the list of Club record holders. A PB, a CR, a Club Record – one second giving three happy results.

Matthew Glennon competed in the 5,000m u/23 Walk but a tightness in his hamstring hampered him and affected his technique, something you simply won’t get away with in the race walk. After receiving several warnings, he was eventually stopped a little over halfway through and disqualified, a terrible disappointment but one of the perils of Championship race walking.

Third in his heat of the 200m u/20 was enough for Kyle Faherty to qualify for the final. Drawing the tight inside lane two in the final, Kyle blasted from the blocks and ran an excellent bend and was well positioned coming into the home straight. Despite holding his form and continuing to work hard to the line he had to settle for sixth place, out of the medals but will take great encouragement from reaching another National sprint final.

The 200m u/23 was a straight final where Mohammad Al Bashir also drew the tight inside lane two, not ideal. He put that aside though and with a good start from the blocks, quickly got into his running and blasted around the bend into the home straight where he held his form and finished strong, out of the medal places unfortunately, but can be satisfied with his effort.

The final individual track race of the day, the 5,000m u/23, started fast but quickly settled into a good rhythm with Diarmuid Fagan leading the chasing pack on the early leader who had gone out hard and kept pushing on in the early laps, with John Ryan, a real medal prospect, tucked in nicely into the chasing pack. Drawing on his racing experience, Diarmuid knew the leader’s pace was too strong, so bided his time and slowly closed the gap. With six laps to go, Diarmuid took the lead and pressed on as the leading group began to break up and string out, but with John Ryan keeping in touch. With 600m to go, Diarmuid pushed on and at the bell surged forward, quickly opening a big gap on the back straight that couldn’t be closed and he came home clear to win the National Title. John finished fast behind in fourth, very disappointed not to realise his pre-race plans of winning a medal, but fourth at this level is an excellent result [GD].

Scottish Masters T&F Championships

The Scottish Masters T&F Championships took place at the Riverside Sports Arena in Ayr on Saturday 5th July. A small party of Irish athletes travelled over to compete, among them Aidan O’Donoghue. Conditions were cloudy with scattered light showers and temperatures in the high teens. Aidan had a good run in the 200m but finished out of the medal places. However, after the first three rounds in the javelin competition, he made the final eight and earned three more throws. His fourth round throw of 35.26m was enough to see him take the lead, holding it to the end and win the gold medal [AO’D].

Clontarf 5 Mile & Half Marathon

On a windy and wet morning on Saturday 5th July, the annual Clontarf 5 Mile & Half Marathon took place along the promenade and through part of the sand dunes in Clontarf. It was a very challenging course, especially on the out and back half marathon course. In the 5 Mile Race, among the 1,348 finishers, the sole Mullingar Harriers competitor was Joan Hickson and she was satisfied with her run, coming home in 38:55.

The Half Marathon had a huge field of over 3,000 competitors. Dara O’Shea worked his way through a crowded start and got into his rhythm after the first kilometre and was pleased to again cover the distance in under 90 minutes, finishing well up in his master category in 1:29:29. Mary Stuart continued her successful season and again took top place in her master category with a finishing time of 1:34:39. Marie Louise Johnston had a very steady run and while disappointed to miss a podium position in her master category, her fourth place finishing time of 1:44:10, was another good run for her. Lisa McEntee only joined the club in January and is taking in a few races to get experience of running and pacing. This was her second race in seven days and she was happy to post a time of 2:11:30 [MO’S].