Q4, 2025 News & Reports – October to December

DECEMBER

North West Indoor Games

With nearly 1,500 entries for the North West Indoor Games in TUS Athlone on Monday 29th December, it was a very long day of competition for everyone, both athletes and officials, but despite the pressure everything went off well in the end. Among the huge entry was a small but enthusiastic squad of some of the Club’s younger members, eager to close out 2025 with some racing experience and get in some early practice for the upcoming indoor season.

There was nine races in the u/10 girls 60m where Mia Barry was delighted to win her race, ahead of Cliodhna Fitzpatrick who raced well, while Meabh Doyle and Cara Hickey placed close second places in their races. Overall from the more than 50 runners, the Mullingar girls placed well up.

Mel Bohan was just too good for the opposition in the u/12 boys 600m, winning his race with ease and placing first overall on time from the three races to win the gold medal and Mel will be one to watch in the upcoming Leinster indoors. The youngest age that can compete in race walking in Leinster is 12, but the organisers laid on some walk races for younger ages, racing over relatively short distances. Not content with burning up the 60m sprint track, our u/10 girls also took part in the u/10 girls 400m race walk where Mia Barry, Cara Hickey, Meabh Doyle and Cliodhna Fitzpatrick showed great versatility in a new event for them. They rounded of the day in the u/10 girls 4x200m relay where they blasted to victory and the gold medals.

In the field events, Donnacha Doyle competed in the u/14 boys high jump, leaping to a fine 1.45m to place 5th, just outside the medal places, while his younger brother Gearoid Doyle finished 6th in the u/12 boys high jump [GD].

Ardagh Challenge Road Races

Over 160 took on the challenging hilly course in the Ardagh 10 Mile around the picturesque Longford village on Saturday morning 27th December. The course included a significant very tough uphill climb at the 2 mile mark that stretched for over a half mile, followed by some fast downhills before another uphill climb to the finish. It certainly wasn’t a course for the faint-hearted but up for the challenge was Andy Nevin who raced hard all the way and though couldn’t close the gap on the winner finished an excellent 2nd place in a swift 57:31. He was followed home by Mark McAdden 6th place (59:08) and Timmy Mescall (68:46) battling all the way to finish well up the field of runners.

There was a 5k race, which took nearly 130 runners on a fast course until the final climb to the finish. Leading the Mullingar group home was young Aaron Kenny finishing 5th overall in 19:05, first u/16 boy. Finishing fast behind him in eighth place was Mel Bohan in 19:28, alongside his father, Val Bohan. Also competing was Aisling Farrell (21:04), followed by Penny Bohan in 21:26, first u/16 girl and Dean Keogh in 21:39 [GD].

Rita & Robbie Christmas 5k

Navan AC hosted the annual Rita & Robbie Christmas 5k on Saturday morning 27th December and 450 runners packed into Claremont Stadium for the race start, which took runners around the surrounding road network on the east of the town, before returning for a lap of the track to the finish. Conor Sherwin was in excellent form, always vying for the lead before having to give way to a more experienced senior athlete but still showing good form to finish second with a fine time of 15:23, which was also first u/20 man. Enda Seery was also very smooth in his running throughout and finished in 18:17 [MO’S].

Shane Brennan Memorial 5k

Newtownforbes was the venue for the annual Shane Brennan Memorial 5k on St. Stephen’s morning where just over 400 runners completed the run, including six members of the Glennon family, along with the McCabe husband and wife duo, Brigid and Nicky, and Steven Underwood and Breda McDonnell.

Matthew Glennon was 3rd overall in 17:05, followed by Daniel Glennon just 10 seconds adrift in 4th place in 17:15. Andrew Glennon was next in for Mullingar Harriers in 18:36, with Susan Glennon finishing 3rd woman in 19:16. John Glennon completed the course in 20:47, followed in by Gareth Glennon in 21:33. Brigid McCabe finished off another successful year of running with a time of 25:21 to win her master category with ease. Nicky McCabe came home in a time of 27:18, winning his master category in a very close finish, followed in by Steven Underwood in 27:32, and the Mullingar contingent was completed by Breda McDonnell, third in her master category [MO’S/GD].

Fields of Athenry 10k

Eddie Newman has raced the Fields of Athenry 10k every year since 2010, with the exception of 2020 when it was cancelled die to Covid. This popular annual event on St. Stephen’s Day is regarded as one of the top road races in the country, so it was no surprise that it attracted over 2,300 finishers, a record number since the inaugural race back in 2002. In cold but otherwise ideal running conditions, Eddie was pleased to finish in 38:27, winning his age category with ease. Linda Cunningham won an entry to the race, so was happy to make her first appearance in Athenry and take on the rolling hills of the local countryside, finishing in a fine time of 45:03. Also competing and enjoying the race and atmosphere in Athenry was Ciaran Mulkerrins and Sorcha Hennessy Silke who ran along together and finished in 54:54 [LC/GD].

Cavan Christmas 5k Dash

The Cavan Christmas 5k Dash was held in the grounds of Farnham Estate on the outskirts of Cavan Town on St. Stephen’s morning. Run on a trail around a local lake it attracted nearly 360 runners, including Alan Crowley who finished 5th overall in 17:33. Clubmate Mark Ronan was in a chasing pack and he eventually pulled away to take 12th place in 18:16, with Pauric Brady coming home in 19:40 [MO’S].

Kilbeggan 6k

A regular favourite on the race calendar, the annual Kilbeggan 6k continues to grow year on year and attracted nearly 500 participants on St Stephen’s Day, including a large contingent of nearly 50 from Mullingar Harriers who enjoyed a fine dry calm day, perfect for running. John Ryan did his best to keep in touch with eventual race winner, Michael Murphy (Tullamore Harriers AC), but had to concede in the closing stages though finished a strong 2nd place in 18:18, followed in by Dan Morris 4th (19:14), Kevin Moore 5th (19:26) and Kris Foster 9th (19:42). Showing her class in the women’s race, Claire Fagan pulled clear to win the women’s race with relative ease in 20:03, finishing an excellent 10th place overall. Other notable performances came from Paul O’Reilly 11th (20:21), Oisin Clarke 12th (20:27), 1st u/20 man, Conor Walsh (20:50), 2nd u/20 man, Lily Walsh (21:59), 3rd senior woman and Daniel Cummins (22:53), 3rd u/20 man to give Mullingar a clean sweep 1-2-3 in the u/20 men category.

Others competing were Eddie Lynch (22:55), 1st in his master category, Morgan Isdell (23:01), Dara O’Shea (23:11), Aaron Kenny (23:18), Kieran Nolan (23:32), Cillian Gavin (24:17), John Gallagher (24:58), Catherine Smyth (25:32). Breda Daly (25:32), 1st in her master category, Thomas Tynan Daly (25:42), Conor Gavin (25:43), Siomha Leonard (25:49), 3rd u/20 woman, Paddy Daly (25:58), Conleth Mullen (27:42), Caoimhe Lynam (27:43), Caroline Mullen (27:43), 2nd in her master category, Brendan Rice (27:49), Miriam Walsh (27:56), 3rd in her master category, Zane Smukste (27:59), Claire Lennon Gavin (28:17), Maisie Walsh (28:36) runnnig with her father Colm Walsh (28:36), Ellen Cummins (28:37), Aoibheann Lynam (28:39), Brian Boyle (29:11), Isabel Tynan Daly (29:15), Sarah Cummins (30:04), Conor Kiernan (30:48), Sean McMullin (31:44), Caroline Boyle (31:55), Grace Cummins (33:13), Aidan O’Donoghue (33:14), Heather Kelly (33:14), Gemma Kelly (36:08), Catherine Walsh (36:39) and Estere Skrastina (41:42).

It was great to see so many members of Mullingar Harriers running in support of a local race and as the race is a fundraiser for the Crumlin Children’s Medical and Research Foundation, supporting a great cause too, as they worked off the Christmas excesses in Kilbeggan [GD].

Drogheda Christmas 5k

UNREPORTED

Sunday 21st December

876 finishers

Conor Sherwin 9th in 15:30

T&F Live Meeting #2

Aimee Wallace ended 2025 in style with an Irish u/20 indoor 1,000m record of 2 minutes 47.76 seconds at the Track &Field Live Meeting #2 at the National Indoor Arena in Dublin on Wednesday evening 17th December, bettering her own record of 2:48.40 set in December 2024. Aimee went out hard from the gun, tracking the pacemaker, Niamh Murray (Bray Runners AC), a 400m specialist who took Aimee though 700m right on target and over the final 300m Aimee maintained the pace to win by a long way and set a new National u/20 record, which sets her up perfectly for indoor Championships in the New Year [GD].

European Cross Country

It was 25 years since Ireland won senior men medals at the European Cross Country, and on Sunday afternoon 14th December in Lagoa (Portugal), the five man Irish team that included Mullingar’s Jack O’Leary and Cormac Dalton were determined to put that medal drought to rights in the Senior Men 7,500m.

The day was dry and mild and the specially built course was full of twists and turns and made up of both grass and sand and gravel and looked more like a course used for cyclo-cross, or even BMX racing, certainly nothing like the miserable wet and mud experienced in Derry at the National Seniors after which the teams for Portugal were selected, but you can only race what’s put in front of you and nothing was going to deter Jack and Cormac from giving their very best over the five tough laps. For Cormac, this was his sixth consecutive appearance for Ireland at the European Cross Country, his fourth consecutive year in the senior race, while for Jack it was his first Irish vest since 2019, so he had plenty to prove.

Cormac went out quite hard but quickly settled in to his running, close to the leading group, conserving as much energy as possible and staying inside the top 20 places, a good place from which to gauge how a race is unfolding. The leading group began to slowly stretch out but Cormac stuck to his task and held his position as the laps counted down. Going into the final lap, Cormac had moved up to 10th place. As expected, the final lap was a furious burn-up and though Cormac lost one place, he was still delighted to cross the finish line well up in an excellent 11th place, third finisher for Ireland, just behind Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC) in tenth. In contrast, Jack was much more conservative and it wasn’t until going into the third lap that he closed up to Cormac and Brian before slowly pulling away from them and running hard, especially on the last lap where he moved from 8th to 5th, was delighted to lead the team home in a superb 5th place, matching the fifth place by Joe Sweeney (DSD) in 2011, the best finish by an Irish man since the first European Cross Country was held in 1994. Thanks to a superb collective team effort when all five Irish men finished in the top 20 places, Darragh McElhinney (Bantry AC) in 16th and Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers AC) in 19th, it was second place and the team silver medals for Ireland.

Speaking after the race Jack said that watching the u/23 men running to individual and team gold, and the other Irish teams doing well gave the senior men huge confidence. Nick Griggs (CNDR Track AC) winning the u/23 race was really inspirational, and everyone on the start line was raring to go. It was a tough course, so he knew he had to be conservative early on and work his way through the field. The whole team agreed that it was great to be on the podium, and hopefully they can stay there for a long time. Thanks to the senior men silver, individual and team u/23 gold, and u/20 bronze for Emma Hickey (United Striders AC), Ireland finished fourth on the medal table, a great result for Ireland. Congratulations to Jack and Cormac on their medal winning performances in Portugal, arguably the best athletic achievement in the history of Mullingar Harriers AC, all the more fitting in the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Club. A big shout out too to Mullingar’s Joe Ryan who was in Portugal as an accredited coach, and to Cian McPhillips (Longford & UCD AC) a member of the 4 x 1,500m mixed relay team that placed sixth in an exciting and close race [GD].

National Race Walking Championships

With yellow weather alerts, the forecast for the World Athletics Racewalking Tour Event in St. Anne’s Park, Raheny on Sunday 14th December looked very bleak indeed, as visitors from 19 countries coming from as far away as Asia, Africa and both North and South America arrived in Dublin to take on a variety of continental racewalkers from the top European nations. This now annual event incorporates the Irish National Race Walking Championships, with seniors racing 20k, u/20 and masters racing 10k, together with a selection of open juvenile competitions. The programme this year included a Marathon Racewalk for the first time, so the programme started earlier than usual and also led to the standard senior 20k races starting at the later time of 12 noon. This later start proved a blessing in disguise, as the rains cleared but still left a damp surface with the potential to produce slow times.

As a consequence of his great performances in racewalk earlier in 2025 that led him to the World Championships in Tokyo, Oisin Lane is automatically qualified for the European T&F Championships next year in Birmingham, England. This allowed him to drop down to the shorter 20k distance. For the senior men and women, another new element was a combined start for both the 20k and half marathon (21.1k) distances. So, Oisín was joined on the start line by his younger sister Aisling Lane and his fellow clubmate Matthew Glennon. When the gun went so did Oisin. With many athletes aiming for the longer half marathon distance and therefore starting a little more cautiously, Oisin had his full focus on winning the National 20k title and therefore went straight to the front with focus and a relentlessly consistent pace. As the pack jostled for positions, Oisin kept increasing his lead through the key markers of 5k, 10k and 15k.

Amongst the pack, Matthew was having an extended battle with his main rivals for the Irish championship medals. Meanwhile, Aisling was walking close to her personal best through 5k and 10k, but soon after this she slowed a bit due to the cold and damp conditions. However, her rivalry with the athletes from the other nations had drawn her well clear of all her Irish competition. Meanwhile, Oisin raced on smoothly and confidently and was the first to cross the 20k line and win the National Senior title. Feeling strong, Oisín continued on and held off the fast finishing Eduardo Camarate of Portugal to also win the World Tour Half Marathon event, his second gold medal of the day.

Back in the field, the National silver medal position had got beyond Matthew, but in the head to head for bronze, his main rival was forced to concede to Matthew’s improved technique and dropped out. This left Matthew isolated as he fought to overcome the fatigue of these battles and the actual race distance but he held on bravely to claim the National bronze medal from yet another fast finishing Dublin rival. Not too far back, Aisling was also working hard but by the last quarter of the race she managed to lap her now tiring main rival and so could work on maintaining a comfortable rhythm to the end of the 20k and win her first National Senior title (while still only 19).

A unique piece of history was made, as according to the experts, going back to the first Irish Championships in 1873, Oisin, Aisling and their father, Michael, are the first “father, son and daughter” combination to win a National Championship Senior title in the same event. So, in a historic year for Mullingar Harriers, their athletes continue to make unique National athletics history too.

The Irish Road Racewalking Championships also included the National 10k u/20 Championships. The line up for this included John Glennon. While John has won several titles, including the SIAB Schools International, he knew that he was facing massive competition from the up and coming Seamus Clarke who won a silver medal in the European u/18 Championships. Wisely, John choose to walk his own pace and settled into a hard, strong and steady pace that guaranteed him a National u/20 silver medal and a big new PB of 46:35. From the National Road Championships, Mullingar athletes “walked” away with 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal, not a bad finish to 2025.

Along with the World Athletics World Tour events and the Irish National Championships, the event included several open juvenile competitions and competing in the underage 5k was Daniel Glennon. Having won medals over 3k at both the SIAB Schools International and the Irish Juvenile Championships, Daniel was moving up to the longer 5k (while still only u/17). Daniel walked with the focus and maturity of a much older athlete to record an excellent time of 23:17 to finish in second place, splitting two top young Greek racewalkers who were seeking qualification standards for next year’s European u/18 Championships. As Daniel left the best of Irish and British racewalkers way behind him, he too can look forward to achieving the required standard for the European u/18 next year if he gets the right training and the right competitions.

Also racing was Gareth Glennon, who took part in the u/16 open 3k, even though he is only u/14. He too finished second in 14:48, a very good time for one so young [ML].

Telford 10k

UNREPORTED

Sunday 14th December, Telford (near Birmingham)

Timmy Murphy (Wave 1) 31:43

Malaga Half Marathon

The Andalusian port city of Malaga was the venue for the annual Malaga Half Marathon on Sunday morning 14th December. Located on the Mediterranean coast, the warm temperatures and spacious beaches are a nice backdrop to the race. The route winds its way through and around the city in a largely flat but twisting and turning course, with limited straights to get fully into one’s stride. Criona Reid was one of over 7,000 athletes to sample the race at the weekend. Running a steady and controlled race, Criona described the conditions as warm but very dry and pleasant. She was very pleased with her time of 1:36:04 and loving the enjoyable race atmosphere [MO’S].

National Novice & Juvenile Uneven Ages XC

The domestic cross country season for 2025 rounded off on Sunday 7th December at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, Dublin where the National Novice & Juvenile Uneven Ages Cross Country Championships were held in very difficult conditions. Heavy rain all week, and especially on the day made the course very wet, slippy, muddy and heavy going, but our athletes made the most of the challenging conditions to round off a very successful year for Mullingar Harriers. Adding to the challenge of the day was illness among our squad, which saw only 47 of the total squad of 61 that we had entered able to compete, though some of those were clearly not at their best, but top marks for running anyway so as to not let their teams down.

The heavens opened just as the u/11 girls 1,500m race was called to the line, but there was no going back and getting off to a very strong start was Emily Rose Coyne who kept in contention throughout and was rewarded with a terrific 9th place finish to win an individual medal, and she also earned a silver medal with the Leinster team in the Inter-Provincial competition. Following Emily in was Cara Hickey, Mia Barry, Meabh Doyle, Maisie Walsh who was not well before the race but showed great team spirit and determination by running for the team anyway, and Zoe O’Donoghue who lost a shoe during the race which clearly hampered her. The girls finished 8th Club team, out of the medal places, but this was a great result at National level.

Leading the Mullingar team home in the u/13 girls 2,500m was Helen McGrath, fighting hard for every place, and despite good support from Caoimhe Lynam, Lauryn Smith, Aoife Dunne, Isabelle Morris and Katie Bohan the team finished out of the medal places. The Mullingar and Westmeath team in the u/13 boys 2,500m worked very hard but despite the best efforts of Daniel Cummins, Adam O’Donoghue, Cillian McManus (Athlone AC), Donagh Bourke, Mel Bohan, Aaron Robinson, Cillian Gavin and Conor Gavin, illness among some took its toll and though this very talented team deserved better, they finished out of the medal places this time.

Lily Walsh was our only starter in the u/15 girls 3,500m and had just one goal in mind, a race victory. Moving into the last of three laps, Lily went to the front but shortly after taking control of the race, although feeling relaxed, an illness Lily was trying to overcome took its toll and she got sick mid-stride. Losing four places while throwing-up, Lily fought back to 2nd place, but the task of chasing down all four girls was too much in her condition. Although the victory on the big stage will have to wait another year, a second place finish is a fine performance and one to celebrate nonetheless. Lily did have a gold medal around her neck on the way home though, having scored on the Leinster team that won the Provincial title. Illness robbed our team in the u/15 boys 3,500m of half their squad, including one of the pre-race favourites, Cillian Galvin. Regardless, our team put in a huge effort with Oisin Clarke and Antonio Bertolo securing top 30 positions. Aaron Kenny was called up at the last minute, and in his first ever cross country race impressed coaches and teammates alike with a great run to record the team’s third score. Gareth Glennon was the important fourth scorer, and with support from Robert Whelan and John McManus, the boys finished 2nd Club. A fine achievement for a full strength team, never mind one so badly weakened by so many absences, proving this team has great strength in depth. Oisin and Antonio also scored on the Leinster team, but they were just beaten to a podium spot finishing fourth Provincial team.

The u/17 boys 4,500m had three big laps of a very muddy, dug-up course to contend with. Conor Walsh led the Mullingar team them home with a performance to remember, finishing in 9th place, his first top 12 finish at a National Cross Country. Morgan Isdell, Daniel Glennon, Daniel Horohoe, Evan Nohilly, Cormac McGrath, Scott Cogan and Cian Hyland, representing Club and County helped both Mullingar and Westmeath teams to seventh place finishes, very creditable finishes in a National final. Conor also scored on the Leinster team, but finished out of the medals in fourth place in a close finish.

Ailbhe O’Farrell was our sole competitor in the u/19 girls 5,000m and despite the tough conditions put in a spirited performance to finish well up. Ailbhe nearly won a silver medal with the Leinster team, missing out by one place, agonisingly close to what would have been a richly deserved reward for her efforts. We finished the juvenile programme with the u/19 boys 5,000m where the Mullingar team was hit by the absence of Conor Liston due to illness. Jamie Wallace threw down the gauntlet from the gun, pushing the early pace with the leading pack. Going into the final lap it was down to two, and it was only in the final 400m that a gap opened and Jamie had to concede but ran in strong to take 2nd place, a great result and one he was very happy with. Donagh Carey and Luke Greene had stayed with the leading group for most of the way and finished strong behind Jamie and with great support from Matthew Molloy and John Glennon who never let up in their efforts, the team was very unlucky to finish 4th Club, just out of the medal places, missing bronze by just two points. However, Donagh and Luke won bronze medals with the Leinster team, so didn’t go home empty-handed.

After the juvenile programme, attention turned to the adult Novice races, regarded as the most competitive cross country races in Ireland. Susan Glennon toed the line with 130 other women for the Novice Women 4,000m where she put in a simply brilliant performance keeping the pressure on and not letting up and fighting for every place to finish well up in a terrific 18th place, which she expressed huge satisfaction with after the race. Nearly 220 men contested the Novice Men 6,000m where the Mullingar team was impacted by a few notable absences. Undeterred, Ross Killalea lost no time and settled in quickly with the leading group, working hard and maintaining his effort and place as the laps counted down. Going into the final lap and still in a strong position, Ross dug deep and making up several places was delighted to finish in a great 14th place, exceeding his pre-race target of a top-20 finish. Running strongly behind him on the energy-sapping course was Dan Morris, Ian McCormack, Kris Foster, Paul O’Reilly and Conleth Mullen who worked their way to a very creditable sixth Club finish. There’s no doubt but a full strength team would have finished comfortably in the medals, but it wasn’t to be this time.

Well done to everyone that competed, you can be very proud of your efforts, and thanks too to the parents and coaches that attended in good number to cheer all our athletes on. While medal honours proved difficult to win we could still celebrate the success of 9th place for Emily Rose Coyne (u/11), 2nd for Lily Walsh (u/15), 9th for Conor Walsh (u/17), 2nd for Jamie Wallace (u/19), another 4 medals won with Leinster teams, and team silver for our u/15 boys. This concludes the domestic cross country season for the year and everyone deserves a break now to recharge the batteries to begin all over again in the New Year [CW/GD].

Lough Boora 5k Santa Dash

Lough Boora Discovery Park, just a 20 minute drive from Tullamore, was the venue for the annual Lough Boora 5k Santa Dash on Sunday 7th December. The event in its tenth year is noted for being a great family event in the scenic Park. It has a fast flat 5k off-road route through the picturesque park in the Boora Bog restoration site.

Five Mullingar Harriers athletes were part of a field of nearly 200 finishers. Training partners James Keegan, Kedagh Geoghegan and Alan Crowley had a great battle just behind the lead athlete. In the end, James came home 2nd in 16:45, followed by Kedagh in 16:49, just pipping Alan into 3rd as he came home in 16:50. Eddie Lynch was very pleased with his running, recording a time of 18:50, as too was Conor Corcoran with a finishing time of 19:47 [MO’S].

NOVEMBER

Leinster “B” XC and Juvenile Mixed XC Relays

We made the relatively short journey to Stradbally in Co. Laois on Saturday 29th November, the home of the annual “Electric Picnic” festival where we witnessed some electric performances from the Mullingar athletes at the Leinster “B” XC and Juvenile Mixed XC Relays. After some heavy rain all week and very heavy rain overnight, we feared the worst, but the rain stopped early and we enjoyed a dry calm day and the sun even broke through in the afternoon. Underfoot conditions were really good for the entire programme, despite the amount of rain that fell during the week. Huge credit to the host club, Oughaval AC, for putting everything in place for what turned out to be a very enjoyable event.

The day started with the mixed relays, which was an “A” Championship event, so competition was fierce in every race. Mullingar fielded two teams in the 4 x 250m u/11 mixed relay, where Heather Kelly, Shay Gavigan, Laurie Keane and Matthew Kelleghan on one team and Eanin Staunton, Senan Whelehan, Sophie Doran and Callum Delaney on the other gave it their all but finished out of the medal places. The Mullingar team in the 4 x 250m u/13 mixed relay was Aoife Dunne, Cillian Gavin, Roisin Keane and Conor Gavin but despite terrific determination and team effort they also finished out of the medal places. Some of our relay runners used the relays as a warm-up for their later “B” cross country races, a testament to their fitness.

Moving to the “B” Championships, Meabh Doyle finished well up in the u/11 girls 1,000m, leading the team of Laurie Keane, Eanin Staunton, Heather Kelly, Cliodhna Fitzpatrick and Sophie Doran to a very respectable 6th Club finish. Shay Gavigan just missed an individual medal as he finished just outside the top 12 places in the u/11 boys 1,000m, and with Austin Keaveney close behind, followed by Matthew Kelleghan and Senan Whelehan, the boys were unlucky to finish 5th Club, outside the medal places, but top marks for effort.

Aoife Dunne contested the u/13 girls 1,500m and Senan Clinton the u/13 boys 1,500m where both ran well and were happy to be competing in a Leinster cross country. We finally got in the medals in the u/15 girls 2,500m where Chloe Bell simply dominated, racing comfortably and leading from gun to tape showing signs of the ability we knew she possesses to win by a big margin. Behind her, Shaynah Mitchell (5th) and Amelie Kelly (9th) also picked up individual medals with top-12 finishes and Clodagh Keane’s crucial fourth score ensured top place on the podium and gold medals for the Club team. Liadan Gavin, Hannah Dunne and Muirin Dunne kept the good news coming adding to the first four scores as County scorers and winning silver for the Westmeath team.

We finished with Senan Walshe having a good run in the u/15 boys 2,500m to finish mid-pack and Trijol Bhattacharjee securing a top 20 finish in the u/17 boys 3,000m race. Very well done to all our athletes who raced in Stradbally. Events like the Leinster “B” competitions are ideal opportunities for Club members who either don’t make teams in the “A” competitions, or are new to the sport, or are anxious or nervous about racing. We would like to see many more of our athletes take part in these events and we need the support of parents to bring the juvenile members to competitions to help them develop in the sport. A big thanks to the parents that took their children to Stradbally and to the Club coaches, especially Gemma Kelly who took the lead on the day getting our athletes ready for their races [CW/GD].

Waterford AC Half Marathon

On a dry crisp November morning on Saturday 29th, the Waterford AC Half Marathon took place on the road network adjacent to the SETU Waterford University Campus. The race started and finished on the club, with the spectacular sight of over 2,000 athletes lining up across the track and extending for over 100m down the finishing straight. The runners spread out quickly as the course brought them through the surrounding road network near to the university campus on the outskirts of the city. Some rolling hills and sharp corners tested the runners who included Timmy Mescall from Mullingar Harriers. Timmy was very pleased with his run, coming home well up in the first 200 runners in a fine time of 1 hour 32 minutes and 27 seconds [MO’S].

National Senior & Juvenile Even Ages XC

The Senior Men 7,500m was the final race of the day at the National Senior & Juvenile Even Ages Cross Country at the Templemore Sports Complex in Derry on Sunday 23rd November, expertly hosted by City of Derry Spartans AC who left no stone unturned in setting up a memorable event for everyone; if only the weather had behaved! Cormac Dalton and Jack O’Leary capped off the day for Mullingar by securing their places on the Irish team to compete at the European Cross Country in Portugal in December. On paper they were pre-race certainties to make the team, but there is nothing really sure in cross country and it took two very strong performances to see Cormac finish 3rd and Jack in 4th after a really thrilling race. Cormac and Jack were always to the fore from the start and negotiating the sticky muddy course with great determination, and as the laps counted down, they were part of a small leading group and it was only in the closing stages of the final lap that the medal places really began to emerge, with Cormac caught up in a furious sprint finish over the final 200m to cross the line third, followed closely by Jack in fourth to secure their places on the Irish team.

However, the action didn’t stop there and with Jamie Battle making up good ground in the closing stages to finish fast in a brilliant 11th place, all eyes were on Mullingar’s fourth man, Vinny Connolly, who absolutely emptied the tank with a typical no-holds barred all-out effort to literally collapse over the line, ensuring that the Mullingar men placed 2nd Club and secure their places in next year’s European Club Cross Country Championships, which was a pre-race ambition for the team. Thanks to terrific support and team packing by John Ryan, Diarmuid Fagan, Ross Killalea, Kevin Moore, Timmy Murphy, Andy Nevin, Ian McCormack and Conleth Mullen, the men finished 3rd County too, which was a real medal bonus for the team.

However, long before the senior men took to the line, the juvenile programme started with the u/12 girls 2,000m. The Mullingar team was led home by Helen McGrath in a fine 12th place to win an individual medal. Running in strong behind Helen came Maisie Walsh, Caitlin McCormack, Caitlin Doyle and Aoibheann Lynam but unfortunately the girls finished out of the team medal places. Helen was also the second girl to finish on the Leinster team in the Inter-Provincial competition, but unfortunately Leinster finished out of the medal places. Donagh Bourke led the Mullingar team home in the u/12 boys 2,000m. With Mel Bohan right on his heels and with good support from Olly Wright, Huw Keaveney. Senan Clinton, Killian Hardman and Emmet Walsh the boys finished 7th Club, out of the medals, but a very creditable finish in a National final. Jacob Buckley took a fall during the race, which knocked him completely off his race and he was unable to finish, so we wish him a speedy recovery. Donagh also scored on the Leinster team but that team was unlucky to finish out of the medals too.

Illness and absence absolutely destroyed any real prospect of success for the Mullingar team in the u/14 boys 3,000m but top marks for effort by Daniel Cummins, Harry Flanagan, Adam O’Donoghue, John McManus and Rian Gavin who gave it their all in rapidly deteriorating conditions of wind and rain. There was no luck for Daniel with the Leinster team either as they finished out of the medals too.

Lily Walsh was our sole representative in the u/16 girls 4,000m where the course had really begun to break up due to the heavy on and off rain giving long stretches of soft sticky mud which was very difficult to run through. Lily is made of stern stuff though and while she didn’t enjoy the muddy conditions still put in a really good performance to finish 5th, winning an individual medal, a silver medal with the Leinster team too, but the icing on the cake was a place on the Irish team to compete in the u/17 Celtic Cross Country in London next February. We knew Mullingar had a very good team in the u/16 boys 4,000m and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Keeping in contention and running hard to the finish and fifth place was Cillian Galvin. He was followed home by Oisin Clarke, who was sick all week, Daniel Horohoe, who’s improving week-on-week, Antonio Bertolo, Morgan Isdell, Cormac McGrath, Evan Nohilly and Robert Whelan all putting in the hard yards for the team, working through the tough conditions, and rewarded for their efforts with silver medals for 2nd Club. The team also finished 4th County, just outside the medals. Cillian and Oisin also scored on the Leinster team but the team finished out of the medals. Scott Cogan had a bad fall during the race and was taken to the medical tent for a while for observation as a precaution but happily he seemed to recover alright, so we wish him well. As with Lilly Walsh after her race, a bonus for Cillian was a place on the Irish team to compete in the u/17 Celtic Cross Country in London next February too.

By the time the programme reached the u/18 & u/20 women 4,500m, the course was like a swamp in places and underfoot conditions were really difficult. Aimee Wallace (u/20) had hopes of a place on the Irish u/20 team at the European Cross Country but those hopes were cruelly dashed as she crossed the finish line in 5th place, leaving her only a very slim chance at best of selection. This was despite having a really good race and it was only in the closing stages that the gaps began to widen at the front and despite Aimee’s best efforts she just couldn’t get back on terms; a huge disappointment for such a talented athlete. Running in hard behind Aimee came Grace Byrne (u/20), Ailbhe O’Farrell (u/20), Jessica Cunningham (u/20), Blathnaid Peters (u/18), Lydia McDonnell (u/18) and Emma Lagan (u/18) to place the Mullingar women  a terrific 4th u/20 Club, out of the medal places but a great team effort. Jamie Wallace (u/20) had the signal honour of leading the Mullingar team home in the u/18 & u/20 men 4,500m with a really good tenth place finish in really tough conditions. With great support from Donagh Carey (u/20), Conor Walsh (u/18), Matthew Molloy (u/18) and Oisin Kehoe (u/18) the team place a very creditable 7th u/20 Club. Unfortunately, despite entering a full team of six, with illness and absence, we hadn’t enough u/18 boys to make up a team. An upside for Conor Walsh though was that he won a silver medal with the Leinster u/18 team, so didn’t go home empty handed.

Another Mullingar athlete with European Cross Country ambitions was Claire Fagan, who contested the Senior women 7,500m. Working hard all the way, Claire just couldn’t quite get on terms with the leading group and had to settle for a ninth place finish, not what she hoped for but cross country takes no prisoners unfortunately. With Elizabeth Carr, Sinead Whitelaw and Orlaith Flanagan battling hard all the way to the finish, the Mullingar women finished a very creditable 6th Club.

This brought us finally to the senior men 7,500m race where Cormac Dalton and Jack O’Leary secured their places on the Irish team at the European Cross Country, making this Cormac’s sixth consecutive appearance in a row, his fourth as a senior, and Jack’s welcome return to Euro Cross, his last time being back in 2019. These stellar performances taken together with Club & County medals for the senior men, and qualification for the European Club Cross Country next year, top 12 finishes for Helen McGrath, Lily Walsh, Cillian Galvin, Celtic Cross Country selection for Lily Walsh and Cillian Galvin, and team silver for our u/16 boys team, the Mullingar athletes and supporters left Derry on a high for the long journey home.

We won’t forget today’s conditions too soon! It rained a lot, it was really windy, it was bitterly cold, puddles everywhere, mud where there wasn’t puddles, everything covered in muck. Well done to the athletes for racing in those conditions! [CW/GD].

British & Irish Masters International XC

In its 36th year and regarded as the most prestigious masters cross country competition, the British & Irish Masters International Cross Country took place on Saturday 15th November at Roundhay Park in Leeds, a regular venue for the English National Cross Country Championships. Teams from Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland competed. More than 80 Irish masters athletes, including 5 from Mullingar, lined out in what proved to be an exceptionally demanding series of races. The heavy rain we experienced across Ireland in the week before the event was mirrored in northern England, leaving the course extremely heavy, muddy and very challenging underfoot. Coupled with the naturally hilly terrain, with one very steep climb, the conditions pushed every athlete to their limits and even these well-seasoned masters runners found it very difficult.

On hand to give vocal support and encouragement was a good team of supporters from Mullingar, including Olivia Cooney, Terri Greene, Joanna Tyrell, Nuala Moran, Caroline Mullen, Siobhan Farry and Michelle Kavanagh who captured all the action with her camera. Also there in support was John Moore, a stalwart of Dundrum AC in Tipperary supporting Dundrum athletes in Leeds and also his son Kevin on his International Debut.

The first race was the 6,000m for Men & Women age 65 to 79. Pushing through the tough conditions in the women race, Brigid McCabe was delighted to finish well up, fourth score for the Irish team in her category, playing her part in helping the team to first place and the team gold medals. In the men’s race, finishing strong was Sean McMullin, fourth score for Ireland in his category and helping the team to second place behind England. Also running really well in the tough conditions was Nicky McCabe, third score for Ireland in his category but the team was unlucky to finish fifth behind Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, though on the same points as Wales.

Moving to the 6,000m for Women age 35 to 64, Maura Dervin put in a very determined effort to finish fourth score for Ireland, very happy to help the team to gold in her category. A shout out to Caroline Harney Ayton (Parnell AC in Wicklow), a former member of Mullingar Harriers AC who finished well up in her category, the second score for the Irish team in her category that placed second behind a very strong England team. Caroline made her International debut as a member of Mullingar Harriers AC back in 2004 and it’s great to see her still running so well on the International stage over 20 years later.

The final race with a Mullingar interest was the 8,000m for Men age 35 to 49, and Mullingar eyes were focussed on Kevin Moore making his International Debut. By now, the course had broken up significantly and underfoot conditions were extremely tough, especially on the gruelling steep uphill sections, but Kevin dug deep and with impressive determination he battled his way to the finish, fifth score for the Irish team that placed second behind a strong England team in his category.

When all the scores of the different masters’ men and women’s competitions were tabulated, Ireland placed second overall behind England. A great day of competition by the Mullingar masters representing their country and club in Leeds, but for Kevin Moore it was an even more special day as it marked his International Debut too, so his name will now be added to the International Roll of Honour in the clubhouse, the 133rd name, so far [GD].

Bordeaux 10k

The race programme for the Bordeaux Half Marathon on Sunday afternoon 9th November included a 5k and a 10k, and using the 10k race to sharpen up for the National Senior Cross Country in Derry in two weeks was Jack O’Leary and Jamie Battle. Showing that he is really coming into form, Jack was delighted to finish 2nd in 28:13, with Jamie also having a great run behind to finish strong in 19th place in 29:04. Performances like these will give them added confidence of competing well in Derry, where they will be part of a strong Mullingar team [GD].

Kilbeggan 2025 – The Volunteers

Staging the Athletics Leinster Senior, u/23 & Juvenile Uneven Ages Cross Country Championships in Kilbeggan Racecourse was an excellent example of the power of volunteers to achieve success. Mullingar Harriers had 75 adults in place as the first of almost 1,000 athletes and probably double that number in parents and supporters converged on Kilbeggan from 9am. As the first volunteers arrived just after 7am, the receding fog still covered the site, gradually burning away to provide a welcome dry and at times sunny day. The list of roles and responsibilities was coordinated and people were allocated to car parking, crossings on the running track, start area, finish line, managing the turning points on the different laps on the course, and a myriad of other tasks. The course had been built using 6km of white electric fencing tape, 500 plastic fence posts, 500m of plastic mesh fencing, 120 signs and 70 timber stakes. Everything was managed and completed, allowing the Athletics Leinster officials and their own volunteers to successfully run off the fourteen races on the programme. The public address system, Westmeath Civil Defence personal, food and refreshment facilities, the tented village for the Clubs, all added to a festival atmosphere. Outside the venue, the Gardai managed the road traffic to and from the site with their customary professionalism and expertise.

As a Club, it was a huge undertaking, but was delivered thanks to the many members who contributed to the volunteer effort. As the final race concluded in the fading light, they worked in teams to dismantle the course, which was finished off and moved off the racecourse by midday on Sunday. The heartbeat of a club is its members and the ability to organise and deliver an event of such scale is a credit to everyone involved. Joining the many adults volunteers were the next generation, a big number of our younger members, helping with some of the tidying up of the fencing, rope, signs and other items. Take a bow our volunteers, young and older, a great reflection on a club with a future where the volunteer is central to its success [MO’S].

Leinster Senior, u/23 & Juvenile Uneven Ages XC

Early morning fog cleared and gave way to a cool but dry and very calm day in Kilbeggan Racecourse on Saturday 8th November where the Leinster Senior, u/23 & Juvenile Uneven Ages Cross Country was held. Mullingar Harriers was the host Club and although this was a new venue, thanks to Trojan work over the last months and weeks, it all came together on the day and Mullingar’s army of volunteers laid out an excellent course with great visibility that meant spectators could stay on the very accessible ambulance road around the horse race track and follow all the action up close. The course itself had long steady inclines rather than any sharp hills but a few twists and turns, creating a nice balance that challenged the stronger runners but didn’t really disadvantage the weaker ones. Despite lots of rain during the week leading up to the event, underfoot conditions were very good with only a few short stretches of soft mud to negotiate, which was reflected in the great racing enjoyed by everyone that attended.

Hosting the event was only possible due to a great team effort by lots of volunteers from the Club but we must pay special thanks to Westmeath Civil Defence, the Garda Siochana, and especially Stephen Heffernan, the Manager of Kilbeggan Racecourse, and the Racecourse Committee for allowing the use of their excellent venue, which came in for universal praise from everyone that attended.

Being a home venue so to speak, it was no surprise that Mullingar Harriers was out in force and with a squad of over 100, we had athletes competing in every race. Such numbers competing was reflected in the great individual and team successes, notably Leinster titles for Emily Rose Coyne (u/11), Lily Walsh (u/15), Cillian Galvin (u/15), ten other top-12 individual juvenile medals, team medals for six juvenile Club teams and four juvenile County teams, and County medals for our senior men team.

The Leinster Championships got underway with the u/11 girls 1,500m where Emily Rose Coyne led from early on and raced to a brilliant victory and the Leinster title, leading the very big team of Maisie Walsh, Mia Barry, Cara Hickey, Zoe O’Donoghue, Meabh Doyle, Adele Bertolo, Heather Kelly, Sarah Cummins, Sophie Whitelaw, Eanin Staunton, Rachel Robinson, Shona Rice, Sophie Doran, Maddie O’Brien and Madison Bell Lynch to silver medals for 2nd Club. We had a big team too in the u/11 boys 1,500m too, led home by Rian Healy, followed by Shay Gavigan, Matthew Kellaghan, Liam McLoughlin, Emmet Walsh, Luke Cosgrove, Ben Coloe, Rafe Murray, Daniel Cosgrove, Rory Grehan, Matteo Fitzpatrick and Liam Byrne who all ran very well and were unlucky to finish out of the medals against tough competition.

Helen McGrath raced very hard to the line in the u/13 girls 2,500m and was rewarded with a fine 8th place finish for her efforts. Thanks to great support and team packing behind her by Caoimhe Lynam, Isabelle Morris, Lauryn Smith, Katie Bohan, Farah Fox (Athlone AC), Aoife Dunne, Ellen Cummins, Caitlin McCormack, Abigail Nohilly, Caitlin Doyle, Rose Harte, Aoibheann Lynam, Roisin Keane and Kate Horohoe, no surprise that this talented team finished 1st Club and a very creditable 5th County. On to the u/13 boys 2,500m where Daniel Cummins kept right in the thick of the action from the start and was delighted to cross the finish in 5th place. With Cillian McManus (Athlone AC), Donagh Bourke, Adam O’Donoghue, Cillian Gavin, Conor Gavin, Aaron Robinson, Killian Hardman, John Healy and Jacob Buckley running hard and providing terrific team support, the boys finished 1st Club and 3rd County, to qualify for the National finals.

Up front in the u/15 girls 3,500m race everything went to plan for Lily Walsh, leading the field from the start and just after half way into the race making a decisive break. Holding on to her lead all the way to the finish Lily added the u/15 Leinster title to the u/16 title she won two weeks earlier in Gowran. Unfortunately some of the other Clubs had a little more in depth than Mullingar and the girls were edged out of team prizes this time round. Regardless, the team, including Shaynah Mitchell, Clodagh Keane, Chloe Bell, Amelie G Kelly, Hannah Dunne, Alice Hyland, Muirin Dunne, Liadan Gavin, Emily Tully and Clodagh Doran, did themselves proud on the big stage. The Mullingar team in the u/15 boys 3,500m was expected to make their presence felt and they didn’t disappoint, winning the team event with an impressive 20 points. The team was always in the main leading group and with 1,500m to go, Cillian Galvin was in the duo that broke away from the field. Approaching 1,000m from the finish, Cillian attacked going up a slight incline and kept the pressure on trying to shake off his opponent who was doing his best to stay with him. Into the final 500m and Cillian found another gear and pulled clear to win by nine seconds for an impressive victory. With Oisin Clarke in 4th, Antonio Bertolo 6th, Gareth Glennon 9th, team gold for 1st Club was secured. Backed up by Harry Flanagan, Robert Whelan, Aonghus O’Reilly, Senan Walshe and Rian Gavin, the team also finished 2nd County, brilliant results for an excellent team.

The Mullingar team in the u/17 girls 4,500m was led home by Tianna O’Leary and despite Beibhinn O’Reilly, Isabel Tynan Daly, Blathnaid Peters and Emma Lagan running with great courage and determination, unfortunately they finished outside the medal places, but top marks for effort and the girls did themselves proud. Most of the Mullingar team in the u/17 boys 4,500m were moving up an age, but that didn’t stop them giving it their all. Conor Walsh had a great race to finish 4th, and with Daniel Glennon, Scott Cogan, Daniel Horohoe, Morgan Isdell, Cian Hyland, Evan Nohilly, Cormac McGrath and Trijol Bhattacharjee putting in strong performances against strong competition, the team were delighted to finish 1st Club and 3rd County.

Ailbhe O’Farrell and Lydia McDonnell lined up in the u/19 girls 5,000m and both ran extremely well with Ailbhe running steadily for the first 3,000m and coming through the field to finish in 11th place, with Lydia running strongly in behind her. The final juvenile race of the day was the u/19 boys 5,000m where the team of Donagh Carey in 4th, Conor Liston 10th, Luke Greene 12th, and Oisin Kehoe 14th, narrowly missing an individual top-12 individual medal, combined to finish an excellent 2nd Club. With great support from John Glennon, Matthew Molloy and Txema Lozano, the team also finished 2nd County to conclude an excellent day for the Mullingar juvenile athlete squads.

With the conclusion of the juvenile programme, attention turned to the senior races. We had no team in the Senior Women 6,000m race but Susan Glennon and Orlaith Flanagan were undeterred and put in strong performances and expressed satisfaction with their races. The final race of the day was the Senior Men 9,000m where Mullingar had a strong team looking to retain the Club title they have won the previous two years. Diarmuid Fagan and John Ryan were in very strong positions for most of the race, but unfortunately were unable to finish due to illness. This effectively put paid to any real hope of team victory, but pushing on hard was Vinny Connolly, Kevin Moore, Ross Killalea and James Keegan, unlucky to finish 4th Club, missing team bronze by just three points. However, with great support and team effort by Ian McCormack, Enda Seery and Conleth Mullen, the team finished 3rd County, adding the final set of medals to Mullingar’s collection after a long and exciting day of competition.

Thanks to the many parents and coaches that attended to support our teams, especially our young u/11 teams where some of them were competing in their first Leinster Championship races, so they really needed plenty of attention and support to keep any nerves at bay. The juvenile even age teams that have qualified from Kilbeggan – six on a club team and 10 on a county team – will go forward to the National finals in Dublin in December [GD/TW/CW].

New York City Marathon

Coming from 150 countries, a huge entry of 55,000 runners took to the streets of the Big Apple on Sunday morning 2nd November, for the TCS New York City Marathon that wound its way from Staten Island, through all five boroughs, before finishing in Central Park. It was dry sunny and with a light wind, so conditions were ideal for running.

For Orla Gillespie it was a case of two marathons in a week, having completed Dublin only the previous Sunday. Mark Bennet who had trained with the Mullingar group over the past few months was our second runner. Both set out with pre-race plans and got into their pace from an early stage. With such a large field of runners there was always company throughout the course. It is said that the last 3 miles in New York, while spectacular with the support, entry into Central Park and all the flags of the competing nations to take in, there are several short rolling hills to test the endurance and stamina. Mark was very satisfied with his finishing time of 3:45:19 and Orla who travelled with some friends was happy with a second marathon in just 8 days and completed the course in 3:50:49 [MO’S].

Cross Internacional de San Sebastián

UNREPORTED

Sunday 2nd November

World Athletics World Cross Country Tour Silver event

Claire Fagan (Senior Women 6,900m) 4th in 23:33

Cormac Dalton (Senior Men 6,900m) 6th in 19:52

National, Leinster & Westmeath Marathon Medal Results

The recent Dublin City Marathon incorporated the National and Leinster Marathon Championships, and for the first time, the Westmeath Marathon Championships too. The results for all three Championships have now been confirmed and we’re delighted to note that Club members recorded a massive medal haul of 35 across the three Championships, with 17 more won by members of the other Clubs in Westmeath, a fine return of 52 for the County.

In the National championships, there was individual gold for Mary Stuart in her master category, and she also teamed up with Criona Reid and Aisling Corcoran to capture the club team gold in their master category. Timmy Murphy and Eddie Newman captured silver medals in their respective master categories.

In the Leinster championships, it was individual gold in their respective master categories for Timmy Murphy, Mary Stuart and Eddie Newman, while Criona Reid captured bronze in her master category. The team of Criona Reid, Mary Stuart and Aisling Corcoran added to their club national gold with victory in the Leinster championship.

The Westmeath marathon proved a rich vein in medals for the Club. The gold silver and bronze medals for senior men went to Timmy Murphy, James Keegan and Alan Crowley and for senior women went to Ciara Foy, Joan Flynn and Criona Reid. The master men o/35 gold was won by Kedagh Geoghegan, silver by Stephen Bracken (Coralstown Kinnegad AC) and bronze by Athlone AC’s Leonard Kneafsey. In the corresponding master women o/35 category, the winner was Sinead Whelehan (Coralstown Kinnegad AC), silver went to her club colleague Agnieszka Bujok, with Mullingar’s Jessica Crowley taking bronze.

The master men o/40 gold went to Paulius Patackas, silver to Thomas Gilligan and bronze to Ger Feerick. In the master women o/40 race, Mary McCormack (Coralstown Kinnegad AC) took gold, silver went to Laura Fitzpatrick and bronze to Rebecca Rushe (Athlone AC). The master men o/45 gold went to Ken Whitelaw, silver to Enda O’Carolan and bronze to Robert Downes. In the master women o/45 race, Athlone’s Theresa Hughes took the victory, with second place for Aeilish McGovern and third for Orla Gillespie.

Athlone AC’s David Watson took gold in the master men o/50 category, silver went to his club colleague Paddy Hamilton and bronze to Garret McCormack of Coralstown Kinnegad AC. The master women o/50 category saw Aisling Corcoran victorious followed by Lisa O’Rourke of Athlone and her club colleague Triona Kinane took third spot. In the master men o/55 category, victory went to Andrew Bracken of Coralstown Kinnegad and his club colleague Martin Downes took second place. Gold in the master women o/55 category was won by Emer O’Hanlon with Athlone AC’s Rosarii Dunne taking the silver medal. In the master men o/60 category, Eddie Newman led the category, with Mel Leahy of North Westmeath taking silver, ahead of Michael Purdue taking bronze. Mary Stuart added to her gold medal collection with top honours in the master women o/60 category and Padraig Irwin of Athlone AC took gold in the master men o/65 category [MO’S].

OCTOBER

Bobby Rea Cross Country

Jamie Battle opened his cross country season with an impressive victory at the Bobby Rea Cross Country held at the Billy McNeil Memorial Park in Belfast on Sunday afternoon 26th October. Jamie was prominent in the leading group of the Senior Men 8,000m from the early stages and made a decisive move before the halfway point in the race. From there, he steadily extended his lead and won by almost thirty seconds. Jamie has just returned from a training camp in Font Romeu, France and capitalised on the opportunity to race immediately and was rewarded with a confidence boosting win [JR].

Dublin City Marathon

The 44th Irish Life Dublin City Marathon took place on a chilly and at times wet morning on Sunday 26th October. The breeze stiffened as the morning progressed giving a headwind to be encountered from mile 1 to 7 and again from mile 13 to 15, adding to the challenge. While the event was a sell-out of 22,500, those who toed the line numbered just over 18,500.

The event incorporated the National Marathon and the Athletics Leinster Marathon, and with individual and team medals to be won in both, competition was very keen across all age categories. This year, the Westmeath Marathon Championship was also run in conjunction with the race, adding to the competition for medals.

Mullingar Harriers had a great turnout and 42 who achieved their individual targets in completing the race. There was also a strong entry from the other clubs in Westmeath, namely Coralstown Kinnegad AC, Athlone AC and North Westmeath AC, so the Westmeath Marathon proved to be very competitive.

There was unanimous agreement from all finishers of the difficult conditions, especially in the second half of the race, with wind and rain proving a very real challenge. The dedication to training and preparation paid off handsomely despite these challenges and there were several personal best times from the Mullingar athletes.

Timmy Murphy (2:27:34) was the first Mullingar athlete home, finishing 24th overall, fourth in his category in the National Marathon, and winner of the Westmeath Marathon. James Keegan (2:38:51) was second to finish, picking up the Westmeath silver medal, and Alan Crowley (2:45:38) was the third Westmeath finisher. Ken Whitelaw (2:47:29) won Westmeath gold in his category, Kedagh Geoghegan (2:48:13) won Westmeath gold in his category, while Enda O’Carolan (2:51:41) was second and Robert Downes (2:55:02) third in their category in Westmeath.

Ciara Foy (2:57:42) was the first Westmeath woman to finish, just missing out on the Club record for the distance by under 30 seconds. Eddie Newman (2:58:03) earned National bronze and Westmeath gold in his category, and Paulius Patackas (2:58:40) competing in his debut marathon, won his category in the Westmeath Championships. Joan Flynn (3:06:21) was the second woman to finish from Westmeath, while Dara O’Shea ran an excellent personal best of 3:07:55.

Mary Stuart ran a magnificent 3:16:35 to earn National gold in her category as well as Westmeath bronze, Thomas Gilligan (3:17:16) won Westmeath silver in his category, Aeilish McGovern (3:17:17) won Westmeath silver in her category, Criona Reid ran 3:17:49 and set another personal best and won her category in the Westmeath Championships. Eoin Clarke ran 3:18:09 and Aisling Corcoran ran 3:21:53, which earned her Westmeath silver. Ger Feerick (3:24:25) won Westmeath bronze in his category, Barry White ran 3:25:36, Andy Boyhan ran 3:26:03 and Orla Gillespie ran 3:28:02, which earned her Westmeath bronze.

Next in was Tom Byrne (3:28:32), Conor Corcoran (3:28:34) and John Long (3:30:19). Emer O’Hanlon had a personal best of over 30 minutes with 3:30:32 to earn Westmeath gold in her category, followed by Joe Curley (3:31:28), Stephen Olwell (3:34:00) and Laura Fitzpatrick (3:43:04) who won Westmeath silver in her category. Jane Creevy ran a personal best of 3:43:58, as did Marie Louise Johnston with 3:44:47. Joan Hickson ran 3:47:16, and Michael Purdue 4:01:03, which took him to Westmeath bronze in his category.

Kelly Dunne ran 4:06:35 in her debut marathon, and Jessica Crowley finished her debut in 4:08:56. Lorna Moody ran 4:10:32 and Claire Lennon 4:12:35, Martin Mullen (4:25:14) picked up Westmeath bronze in his category, followed by Declan Costello (4:32:57), Anna Redmond (4:45:08), Aoife Austin (4:53:12) and Matt Creagh (4:54:02).

This was a wonderful turnout from Mullingar Harriers with great performances from all. The full Leinster, National and Westmeath results will be finalised during the week with more medals certain to be heading to Mullingar. Details next week [MO’S].

Frankfurt Marathon

Steven Underwood was one of just over 12,000 runners that took to the streets around Frankfurt on Sunday morning 26th October for the annual Frankfurt Marathon, which was run on a flat course on a chilly morning with a light breeze. Steven completed all his training with the club’s marathon group and running a very consistent pace throughout he finished in 2:50:32, which he was very pleased with, and he was also delighted to hear the news from Dublin of how his training companions got on in their race [MO’S].

Leinster Novice & Juvenile Even Ages XC

Mullingar Harriers got the autumn cross country season off to a good start at the Leinster Novice & Juvenile Even Ages Cross Country on Sunday 25th October in Gowran, Co. Kilkenny, winning 11 juvenile top-12 individual medals, including a gold for Lily Walsh, 5 sets of Club team medals, and 4 sets of County team medals. Impressive as these results are, they actually pale in comparison to the 9 club, 6 county and 13 juvenile individual medals won last year, due in large part to a disappointing absence of 24 of the squad of 100 athletes entered, which took its toll on some team performances.

On a more positive note, in contrast to the very mixed weather in the week leading up to the event with very heavy showers on most days, we were absolutely delighted with the dry conditions, even though it was very windy and quite cold, so underfoot conditions were very good for running. The day started with non-Championship races for girls and boys u/10 and the young Mullingar athletes were delighted to compete over 800m in front of a very big crowd of spectators, giving them a taste of what’s ahead in times to come. Well done to Shay Gavigan, Robert Bohan, Austin Keaveney and Conor Kiernan on their performances; the future is bright for Mullingar and we can expect to see these boys in action in future Championship races.

After the excitement of the under 10 races, the first Championship race, the u/12 girls 2,000m took to the start line. This race had the biggest entry of the day, and among the huge field of 140 girls was a big squad of 13 from Mullingar. Helen McGrath was always in contention at the front and after a great race brought the team home with a fine second place finish, followed by Lauryn Smith who isn’t long recovered from a recent illness and will greatly improve and get back to her best with further training, then came Maisie Walsh, Caitlin McCormack and newcomer Caitlin Doyle in quick succession, followed by Aoibheann Lynam, Ava Meehan, Rose Harte, Laurie Keane, Heather Kelly, Kate Horohoe, Shona Rice and Eimear Nohilly battling hard to the finish. Given the team performance, little surprise the girls finished 1st Club and get Mullingar off to a flying start on the medal table. A few of the girls were moving up an age and the experience will stand to them when they run in their own age in two weeks. Despite a few absences, we still had a big squad of 11 boys in the u/12 boys 2,000m, giving us plenty to cheer for. Keeping with the leading group from the gun, Donagh Bourke finished an excellent 4th place, and with Mel Bohan in 10th, Olly Wright in 13th, just missing an individual medal by one place, and Huw Keaveney in the top twenty, the boys finished 2nd Club, missing gold by only a few points. Packing in behind them was Ethan Byrne, Michael Kiernan, Jacob Buckley, Senan Clinton, Killian Hardman, John Healy and Emmet Walsh to add to the medals as the team placed 3rd County.

Our team in the u/14 girls 3,000m was hit with a double whammy as two of its strongest team members suffered unfortunate incidents. Chloe Bell had a respiratory issue in the closing stages which robbed her of her best, and Siomha Leonard was knocked, spiked, and lost a shoe at the start of the race. Although clearly suffering, both pushed on to the finish in true cross country spirit, with Siomha recording what was possibly the bravest race of the day, even scoring for the team, before being brought to hospital for treatment for her injury that required six stitches. The team was led home by Amelie G Kelly, followed by Clodagh Keane, Siomha Leonard, Isabelle Morris, Chloe Bell, Caoimhe Lynam, Katie Bohan, Farah Fox (Athlone AC), Liadan Gavin, Aoife Dunne, Grace Farry and Abigail Nohilly. Missing two key athletes was too much of a loss and the girls unfortunately finished out of the medal places. Best wishes to Siomha for a speedy recovery. The Mullingar boys in the u/14 boys 3,000m were far more fortunate, although the outcome could have been very different if Daniel Cummins “adventure” on his journey to Gowran had taken any further twists, breaking down but getting going again and arriving just on time to lead the team home finishing 4th place overall. Gareth Glennon was also a top 12 finisher crossing the line in 10th place. Strong runs from Harry Flanagan and Cillian Gavin ensured Mullingar finished 2nd Club. Conor Gavin and Rian Gavin crossed the line together adding to the Westmeath scores, securing bronze medals for 3rd County. Giving great support and completing the team was John McManus who suffered a painful stitch mid-way forcing him to stop temporarily, but not wanting to let the team down, he dug deep and resumed racing in true cross country team spirit, followed home by Fintan Harte and Cillian Martyn.

Unfortunately, a number of absences meant we had no team in the u/16 girls 4,000m. Lily Walsh kept her focus on the business end of the race and after sitting with the lead group until just after the halfway mark, pushed on to victory, winning the Leinster title. Muirin Dunne and Beibhinn O’Reilly made the most of the day, showing the rewards of consistent training and easing their way around the long course. Lily’s win completes a hat trick of Leinster titles for 2025, adding to her indoor 800m and outdoor 1,500m titles. Mullingar bounced back in style though in the u/16 boys 4,000m in what was our most successful race of the day. Cillian Galvin almost added a second Leinster title to Mullingar’s portfolio, just being out-sprinted and finishing in 2nd place in a very close finish. Oisin Clarke and Antonio Bertolo weren’t far behind and picked up individual medals with 4th and 8th place finishes. A big run from Daniel Horohoe with a top 20 finish secured the team title, 1st Club, but the squad has been training well this year and with Morgan Isdell, Cormac McGrath and Evan Nohilly all coming home close behind, the Westmeath team finished 1st County.

The 5,000m for u/18 & u/20 Women was a combined race where the u/18 women could win medals in both the u/18 race and as members of u/18 and u/20 teams. Absences meant that Mullingar didn’t have an u/18 team, but had just enough for an u/20 team. Having a really good race and fighting for every place, Ailbhe O’Farrell raced home in 12th place overall, 4th u/20 and unlucky to just miss a medal. Blathnaid Peters (u/18), Lydia McDonnell (u/18) and Emma Lagan (u/18) raced hard to the finish and when combined with Ailbhe, finished a very creditable fifth u/20 Club. The 5,000m for u/18 & u/20 men was also a combined race, where like the corresponding women’s race, u/18 men could win medals in both the u/18 race and as members of u/20 teams. Mullingar had strong u/18 and u/20 teams, so medal hopes were very high. Putting in a great effort and battling to the finish, Donagh Carey (u/20) led the Mullingar team home in 10th place overall (6th u/20), followed by Conor Walsh (9th u/18), Luke Greene dipping hard at the line to grab 12th place in the u/18 race, followed by Matthew Molloy (u/18), Conor Sherwin (u/20), John Glennon (u/20), Daniel Glennon (u/18), Oisin Kehoe (u/18) and Txema Lozano (u/18) all giving maximum effort for the team. When the results were sorted, it was little surprise that the u/18 team finished 1st u/18 Club by a good margin and 3rd u/18 County. Including all the u/18 and u/20 together, Mullingar finished 3rd u/20 Club and 4th u/20 County, just outside the u/20 County medals.

The day finished with the adult races. Among the big field for the Novice Women 4,000m was a Mullingar team led home by Orlaith Flanagan in a fine 10th place, and with great support from Sharon O’Dowd (15th), Claire Ross, Linda Cunningham and Caroline Mullen leaving nothing behind, the women team finished a very creditable 5th Club. The long day of racing concluded with the Novice Men 6,000m, which as usual lived up to its reputation as one of the most competitive races in Leinster cross country with four laps of the course, fighting the hills and wind, to contend with. Unfortunately, this was where the wheels really fell off the Mullingar wagon in terms of absences. Far from looking to defend the title the novice men won the last two years, we couldn’t even field a full team; even though we had entered eleven men, only three ran. That said, top marks for effort by Mark Ronan, Enda Seery and Conleth Mullen who stuck to their task and gave their best efforts.

That rounded off the day for Mullingar with plenty of individual and team successes and excellent running by everyone who was there. The second round, for Senior and juvenile uneven ages will take place in Kilbeggan in two weeks. The juvenile even age teams that qualified from Gowran will go forward to the National finals in Derry in four weeks. Juvenile uneven teams for Kilbeggan will be finalized by Club officials this week but in the meantime, it is vital that everyone continues to train hard and be in the best possible condition for the next round of the Leinsters and for the National finals beyond, so we expect everyone to keep in full training over the coming weeks, especially in Belvedere this week-end [GD/CW].

Autumn Open XC & National Juvenile XC Relays

Heavy overnight rain took a while to clear on Sunday morning 19th October and it kept raining on and off for a few hours but stopped just before the first race at the Autumn Open International XC Festival & National Juvenile XC Relays, held at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown. Despite the rain, underfoot conditions were surprisingly good for running.

The day started with the cross country relays where Mullingar Harriers stormed to victory in the first race of the day, the u/11 girls 4 x 500m relay, leading the race from start to finish. Emily Rose Coyne led the team out with a very quick first 500m, before handing the baton to Cara Hickey who ran strongly over the next section of the course to hold onto the lead. Maisie Walsh was the team’s third runner and she maintained the girls leading position, before handing over to the anchor athlete, Mia Barry. Mia fought hard the whole way to the finish to claim a very well deserved first place. This team all put in fantastic individual performances and worked very well together to claim Mullingar Harriers first ever National Juvenile Cross Country Relay title. Along with our winning team, Mullingar also had two other teams in the race, Tara Coyne, Heather Kelly, Sophie Whitelaw and Laurie Keane made up a team, and Adele Bertolo, Rachel Robinson, Sophie Doran and Cliodhna Fitzpatrick made up the other. All the girls ran very well and all twelve girls are to be commended for their performances and achievements at National level. Six of these girls are underage again next year and will have gained valuable Championship, experience which will stand to them in future races.

The u/15 girls 4 x 1,000m team had three girls stepping up an age group, Amelie G Kelly, Chloe Bell and Clodagh Keane. They led the team out over the first three legs moving around the field between twelfth to seventh position, but never far off the leading places. Lily Walsh was in ninth place leaving the changeover zone for the final leg, and with a gap of over 100m to the lead pack, it was going to require something special to work her way onto the podium. Setting off at a blistering pace onto the 1,000m loop, Lily worked her way into second place just running out of track before crossing the line within a second of the winning team. After four strong legs the girls won National silver medals, which should give them a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.

The u/15 boys 4 x 1,000m team took to the line knowing they too had a chance of success, and Oisin Clarke gave them the best chance possible, leading the race after the first leg. John McManus moved up an age for this race, and Robert Whelan was making his debut at this level for the club. They kept the team in contention throughout, but more experienced teams managed to move ahead with just enough of a gap to hold off a fast chasing Antonio Bertolo closing fast on the last leg. The boys eventually finishing a very creditable 5th place. With a couple of team members unavailable to run on the day, this team is one to watch this cross country season with more successful days ahead. Well done to all our juveniles who ran today. Cross country is a team event and relays emphasis just how important each athlete’s contribution is.

The adult races in the Autumn Open Cross Country took place after the juvenile relays. This year, the event was part of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour, as a Bronze tour event.  As in previous years, the races were also used as the trial for the Irish teams to compete at the British and Irish Masters International Cross Country in Leeds in mid-November, so competition was fierce, as master athletes fought for a place on teams.

The first race was the women 6,000m, which was a combined race for u/20, Senior & Master Women & for Master Men over 65 years, with a combined total of over 120 on the start line. Aimee Wallace was running very well at the front of the u/20 race before she unfortunately had to withdraw following an injury. Sinead Whitelaw was our first finisher, placing well in her master category but out of the top three places that would earn her automatic selection on the Irish team. Next in was Maura Dervin, who placed 3rd in her master category to claim an automatic and very well-deserved place on the Irish team, followed by Brigid McCabe who finished strongly in 2nd place in her master category to secure her place on the team too. Sean McMullin also secured a well-deserved place on the Irish team when he finished 2nd place in his master category, while Nicky McCabe put in a good performance to finish 5th in his master category, unlucky to finish outside the selection places.

The final race of the day was combined u/20, Senior and Masters Men race, where the u/20 men ran 6,000m and the senior and master men ran 8,000m, and we saw more Mullingar athletes among the very big field of nearly 170 competing on the challenging course. Jamie Wallace ran very well to finish well up in the u/20 men race. John Ryan worked hard throughout the 8,000m course to finish strong in the Senior men race, followed home by Vinny Connolly and Diarmuid Fagan. Kevin Moore showed his class to finish 5th in his master category and put himself in contention for selection for the Irish masters team. Dan Morris also ran well and finished two places behind Kevin in the same master category. Eddie Newman and Eddie Lynch both raced well to finish 5th and 7th respectively in their master category [CW/SW].

Amsterdam Marathon

The 50th edition of the Amsterdam Marathon took place on Sunday morning 19th October. Starting and finishing in the Olympic Stadium, which holds a special place in Irish Olympic history, given Dr. Pat O’Callaghan won the first gold medal for Ireland at the 2028 Games in Amsterdam, our own Brendan Rice was one of over 25,000 runners taking part. In sunny conditions with a light breeze the temperatures remained in the mid-teens throughout the race. Noted to be a relatively flat course which took athletes through much of the historic sites of the city and its suburbs, Brendan started strongly running the early stages a little ahead of target. He crossed the 10k mark in a fine 50:35, before having to ease back his pace. He went through the halfway point in 1:49:29 but found it necessary to ease off further from 30k as the heat and fall off from the gentle breeze began to impact all the runners. Brendan was still delighted to re-enter the Olympic Stadium and take his final lap to the finish line in a time of 3:55:24, a big 12 minute improvement on his previous best for the distance [MO’S].

European Master T&F

Aidan O’Donoghue competed at the European Master T&F Championships in Madeira, Portugal on Monday 13th October. The venue was set in spectacular scenery in the town of Ribeira Brava and conditions were ideal, with blue skies and temperatures in the low to mid 20degC. Aidan was satisfied with his series of throws in the Javelin competition, throwing well over his best on each throw and getting close to 40m with his final throw, but the javelin is a very technical event and unfortunately it did not land at the correct angle every time and as a result were not recorded [AO’D].

Westmeath Cross Country – Day 2

The second day of the Athletics Westmeath Cross Country took place in Belvedere on Sunday morning 12th October in cool and calm conditions, which were perfect for athletes and spectators. Day 2 was for girls and boys for u/9, u/11, u/13, u/15 and u/17 and like day one the previous week, entries were well up on previous years, helped by a good number from Athlone AC and a big number of guest runners from Longford AC. As always, Belvedere proved itself an excellent cross country venue, testing everyone that ran. An added incentive to doing well on Day 2 was that the teams selected will run their Leinsters in Kilbeggan, giving them a home venue for a change.

Many of the juveniles who took part on Day 1 the previous week were back in action again, either running in their own age or moving up an age group, to get in some race experience. There were lots of newcomers and the big number of girls and boys that ran in the non-Championship under 9 races really enjoyed themselves and were delighted with their medals. Moving to the Championships proper, the race distances were no problem for those that have been training regularly. The course in Belvedere is a great test of cross country endurance and those that train there regularly will have no problem with the courses chosen for the Leinsters. There were some very good individual performances but Championship cross country is also about team running, so everyone was being closely watched by Club coaches, particularly the newcomers.

Thanks to all who helped with parking, recording the results, marshalling and stewarding on the course, to the many parents who came and supported the competitors, and to the Management & Staff of Belvedere for the use of the excellent grounds, and to the athletes who provided great competition.

The Leinster Championships take place over two days, with two weeks between each, so juvenile athletes can run in their own age group and can move up an age group to make up teams. The results of both days and application in training will be used to select teams to represent Mullingar and Westmeath in the Leinster Championships [GD].

Click HERE for the results of Day 2.

Melbourne Marathon

UNREPORTED

Sunday 12th October

12,145 finishers

James Carton (3:42:11) 99th of 328 in master category

Galway Bay Half Marathon

Run in conjunction with a 10k and a full marathon, the Galway Bay Half Marathon was postponed due to Storm Amy the previous week and took place on Saturday morning 11th October in dry and overcast conditions. The course took the 1,059 runners on a two-lap circuit along the Salthill promenade and extended area by the bay. Ciara Foy was always to the fore in the women race and eventually came home a clear winner in a fine time of 1:24:13. This gives Ciara great encouragement, as her focus this year is the Dublin City Marathon and her training is coming to fruition now with less than two weeks to the big day [MO’S].

Irish Universities XC

The Irish Universities Cross Country took place in Tymon Park, Dublin on Saturday 11th October and the four Mullingar Harriers athletes who were representing their respective universities all contributed to their team scores.

First up was the women 5,000m in which Aimee Wallace represented DCU and Grace Byrne the University of Galway. Both started well up with the main pack, and as the race reached halfway, a group of eight had broken away from the chasing group, with Aimee in the lead group and Grace just a little further back in the chasing group. As the race reached the 4,000m mark the leading group was now down to five with Aimee still in it. Turning for home with 200m to go Aimee moved into fourth, but chasing down the leaders and crossed the line in a fast finish to place 3rd, just two seconds off the winner. Grace finished extremely strong, running hard the whole way to the line to take 25th place in a big field. Aimee and Grace were delighted with their runs and both helped their universities to team medals, as DCU finished 1st team and University of Galway 3rd team.

Moving to the men 8,000m, Ross Killalea and Conor Sherwin both represented DCU. The race went off at a blistering early pace with Conor going with it but after 3,000m you could see the leading group starting to slow down, and Ross settled in the middle of the pack, quite happy to let the race unfold in front of him. With 2000m to go both Conor and Ross were almost running side by side encouraging each other on. At the finish line Ross was the fifth and Conor the sixth scorer for DCU, helping their team to 4th place, just missing out on a team medal [TW].

Westmeath Cross Country – Day 1

We were very fortunate that the last of rain and strong winds of Storm Amy had blown across the Country during Saturday night, and Sunday morning 5th October dawned clear and dry for Day 1 of the Athletics Westmeath Cross Country in Belvedere. It was still a bit windy but it was lovely and dry and we know that the ground in Belvedere holds up brilliantly despite rain, so underfoot conditions were very good.

Competition was for girls and boys under 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 years of age and for women and men under 18, 19, 20 and novice, senior and masters. There’s no doubt but Storm Amy didn’t put anyone off from taking part and the number of competitors was well up on previous years across all ages, helped by a good attendance by athletes from Athlone AC and Coralstown Kinnegad AC in the adult races, and a number of guest athletes from Longford AC and Shercock AC in the underage races. There was great competition in each race and performances were very encouraging in the older age groups in particular, where the focus was on places on Club and County teams at the Leinster Cross Country Championships.

The boys and girls that ran in the non-Championship under 8 and under 10 races really enjoyed themselves and were delighted with their medals, one for the top 20 finishers. Moving to the Championships proper, the course in Belvedere is a great test of cross country endurance and those that train there regularly will have no problem with any course at Leinster. There were some very good individual performances but Championship cross country is also about team running, so everyone was being closely watched by Club coaches, particularly the newcomers. Cross country racing always throws up some surprises, and we saw some surprising changes in the finishing order down through the fields in most races, which we expect to see more of as the season progresses. Some weren’t sure they’d finish in the medals and they surprised themselves on the day. It’s still early in the season and some will improve more than others as we near the Leinsters, so keep up the training and continue to deliver the surprises!

All the underage races were very keenly contested and the last race of the day was a combined race for women and men under 18, 19 and 20 years, and for novice, senior and master women and men. All the women ran 4,000m, the older master men also ran 4,000m, the senior men ran 8,000m and the rest of the men ran 6,000m, with everyone starting together and running over the same course but with different numbers of laps. It was some spectacle to see nearly 70 runners, the biggest field in many years, racing hard out from the start and making their way around the rolling hills of Belvedere. An added incentive to perform well this year was the introduction of Perpetual Trophies for u/20, senior and masters women and men, generously sponsored by Apache Pizza, John Gavin & Co. Accountants, Bell Lane Coffee Ltd., Brigid & Nicky McCabe, and Eoin Clarke & Co. Solicitors.

Ailbhe O’Farrell won the Apache Pizza u/20 woman trophy, Jamie Wallace won the Apache Pizza u/20 men trophy, Susan Glennon won the John Gavin & Co. Accountants senior women trophy, Dan Morris won the Bell Lane senior men trophy, Sinead Whitelaw won the Brigid & Nicky McCabe master women trophy, and Mark McAdden won the Eoin Clarke & Co. Solicitors master men trophy.

The Club’s masters group was well represented and it was great to see a number of our most recent new members compete in cross country for the very first time after just a few training sessions over the last few Saturdays. The training continues each Saturday now, so further opportunities will become available as the cross country season gets into full swing in the coming weeks.

Any of our juveniles who may be disappointed with their race on Day 1 has a chance to make amends on Day 2 on Sunday morning 12th October in Belvedere, when there will be races for boys and girls under 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 years of age. The first race will be at 11am, so the younger runners should be in Belvedere before 10.30am to get ready and know where they have to run. The Athletics Westmeath Cross Country is an open competition and you don’t have to be a member of a Club to take part, so everyone is very welcome to compete.

The Leinster Championships take place over two days, with two weeks between each, so juvenile athletes can run in their own age group and can move up an age group to make up teams. Therefore, we expect all juveniles to compete on both days of the Westmeath Championships unless ill or injured or they might be disappointed if not selected. The results of both days and application in training will be used to select teams to represent the Club and Westmeath in the Leinster Championships. The results of the men and women races on Day 1 will also be used to select Club and County teams for the Leinster Championships.

Thanks to all who helped to record the results, marshal and steward on the course, to the many parents who came and supported the competitors, and to the Management & Staff of Belvedere for the use of the excellent grounds, our generous sponsors of the Perpetual Trophies, but especially to the athletes who provided great competition [GD/CW].

For u/8, u/10, u/ 12, u/14, u/16 results, click HERE; for u/18, u/19, u/20, Novice, Senior Master results, click HERE.

Longwood Three Quarter Marathon

The annual Longwood Three Quarter Marathon has long been seen as an ideal preparation for runners in the final weeks of preparation for the Dublin City Marathon. The course, which is relatively flat overall, presents as in Dublin, a number of rolling inclines and the occasional “hilly” sections. Six athletes from Mullingar Harriers who are planning to take to the city streets in less than two weeks, were pleased to get through the Longwood event in wet and windy conditions on Sunday morning 5th October, as the remnants of Storm Amy were still around. In a field of just over 1,200, Fergus Nugent finished in 2:21:34, followed by Barry White (2:37:47), Martin Mullen (3:15:20), Michael Purdue (3:21:29), Ray Smyth (3:44:15) and Aoife Austin (3:45:40) [MO’S].

Tarmonbarry Three Quarter Marathon

The athletic community in Longford organised an event just over the county boundary in Roscommon on Sunday morning 5th October, the Tarmonbarry Three Quarter Marathon. Taking part from Mullingar Harriers was Conor Corcoran who ran the distance with his training partner Tom Byrne, both finishing in 2:49:27. Also running was Laura Fitzpatrick (2:56:14) and Claire Canavan (3:03:55) [MO’S].

An Cosantoir 10k

UNREPORTED

Phoenix Park, Wednesday 1st October

669 finishers

Elizabeth Carr 21st, 1st woman (35:50)