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

Q3, 2021 News & Reports – July to September

 

SEPTEMBER

 

Westmeath Schools Cross Country

Cancelled last year due to Covid-19, the Westmeath Schools Cross Country made a very welcome return to Belvedere on Wednesday 29th September, an indication perhaps that things are slowly getting back to normal and hopefully the worst of the Covid pandemic is behind us. That said, there were still some restrictions in place and the use of face coverings and hand sanitiser was in evidence in line with public health advice.

In between two wet and miserable days, we were very lucky to catch a good weather window and the event took place in lovely mild and dry conditions. It really wasn’t a surprise that numbers taking part were well down on previous years, but smaller numbers didn’t make the competition any less keen, and certainly didn’t dampen the enthusiasm and excitement of the girls and boys from schools right across Westmeath that did attend. Most schools still sent some children, even if fewer than in previous years, and it was great to see some additional schools taking part that had never taken part before and feedback from their teachers and parents was very positive and they’re already looking forward to coming again in 2022. Smaller numbers means we struggled to meet the fixed costs of holding the event, such as the hire of temporary toilets, public address, ambulance and first aid cover, and of course lots and lots of medals, so we’re extremely grateful to Westmeath County Council for their generous “Festivals and Events” grant, without which we could have made a substantial loss.

The grounds in Belvedere looked beautiful and underfoot conditions were great for running. The hard work put in by volunteers from the Club in setting up the course meant that everything was ready on the day. It was great to see the enthusiasm in the competitors from the youngest first class pupil to the eldest sixth year students, cheered on by teachers and parents. The event is still very popular and we hope that schools and parents will continue to support it in future years. We are indebted to the many volunteers, members and friends of Mullingar Harriers, who turned up to help officiate and make the day a success.

Sincere thanks also to the Westmeath Civil Defence who were on hand in good numbers to look after any first aid needs with their customary professionalism. The Management and staff at Belvedere House and Gardens were also of great help in organising the day at a venue that is ideal for hosting such an event and the grounds came in for particular praise from the teachers and parents that attended. Thanks too to the local Gardaí who attended and ensured traffic entered and exited Belvedere safely, particularly important given the major road works being carried out on the N52 right outside 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 in the next week or two.

Family Mile

We got the lines finished on our new track just in time for the Family Mile on Sunday morning 26th September, which was organised as part of the European Week of Sport, and supported by Sport Ireland and Athletics Ireland. This was the first time for many of our members and their families to run on the new track and to see it up close and about 200 took up the opportunity. There was a series of six one mile races, starting with the younger children and their families and moving on to races for boys and girls and for adults too, which were well supported and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Feedback on the new track was very positive and everyone agreed that it is a major boost for the Club and one we’ll enjoy for years ahead. Participants received a medal at the end of their run but if anyone missed out, please enquire at any training session.

Every Club that hosted a family mile has a chance to win up to €500 in vouchers of sports equipment for their Club. To be in with a chance to win for Mullingar Harriers, we’re asking everyone that took photographs on the day to please post them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, tagging @sportireland and @irishathletics and @athleticsireland while using the hashtag #BeActive.

Berlin Marathon

The last time Eddie Newman ran the Berlin Marathon was in 2009 when he finished just 31 seconds outside the 3 hour mark. He completed 16 marathons since then, each in under 3 hours, the last 6 in under 2 hours 50 minutes, so he was fully justified to target another sub-2 hours 50 minutes finish in the Berlin Marathon on Sunday morning 26th September where he lined up with nearly 23,000 others.

Running very consistently up to the halfway mark he was on target for a 2 hour 46 minute finish but the combination of high temperatures of 24degC and high humidity took its toll and he was forced to ease back a bit. Admitting that he had to dig very deep and required great mental resolve to finish, he did so in 2 hours 50 minutes 13 seconds, to place 557th overall and 6th in his master age category.

If it’s any consolation to Eddie, even the elite athletes in the race were affected by the conditions and all the pre-race commentary that it would be won in a time very close to a World best came to nothing.

Irish Universities Cross Country Championships

Normally taking place in March the Irish Universities Cross Country Championships for 2020/2021 were delayed due to Covid-19 and were held on Sunday morning 26th September at the DCU Sports Grounds in Glasnevin, Dublin in dry, mild but windy conditions. Mullingar had three men competing for the DCU team and all gave excellent accounts against some top quality opposition. Jamie Battle (14th), Colin (D) Smith (25th) and Euan Lagan (28th) were all on the scoring team for DCU that finished 3rd team, playing a vital role in helping DCU to secure the bronze team medals.

SIAB Schools T&F International

Andrew Glennon had good reason to celebrate on Saturday 25th September when he made his International debut for Ireland at the SIAB Schools T&F International in Derbyshire (England). Competing in the boys 3,000m race walk, Andrew had to dig deep in the closing laps but his class showed through and he prevailed against a late challenge to win and earn a gold medal in his first International competition, which turned out to be the only gold medal won by an Irish boy in the entire competition. In the girls 3,000m race walk, Aisling Lane also showcased her talent with a fine second place finish to take silver. Congratulations to Andrew and Aisling on these great performances, which added to the team points to place Ireland third overall.

Now that Andrew has competed for Ireland, his name will be added to the Roll of Honour in the Clubhouse, bringing the total so far up to 114 since the Club was founded in 1975. Congratulations from everyone at the Club.

Mullingar Half Marathon

After an absence in 2020 due to Covid-19, the Mullingar Half Marathon made a very welcome return on Saturday morning 25th September. Traditionally held on St. Patrick’s Day when wind and rain can present problems, there were no such problems this year when over 530 runners gathered in Mullingar in warm and calm conditions, ideal for running, which certainly helped many run personal best times for the distance. There was a palpable buzz of excitement in the air at the start line as many were experiencing their first proper in-person race with a large entry in a very long time, among them a strong entry of thirty from Mullingar Harriers eager to take on the 21.1km undulating course that started in Austin Friar Street, included main roads, quiet country roads and the Royal canal towpath before finishing in Mullingar town park.

By the 5k mark, the leading group was well established, led by Timmy Murphy (Mullingar Harriers) and eventual race winner Mick Fogarty (Ferbane AC) going through in 16:24 with several more in close attendance. The leaders pushed on and with 7k to go, Mick had opened a gap of 10 seconds on Timmy and continued to push hard for the finish, going on to win in 1:10:38, with Timmy second place in 1:12:17 and Paul Buckley (Ferbane AC) third in 1:13:28. Following in for Mullingar was James Keegan 5th (1:15:58), Alan Crowley 19th (1:20:27), Eoin Clarke 20th (1:20:43) and Tom McGrath 21st (1:21:19), first in his master category. In the women’s race, it was all about Aine O’Reilly who led comfortably throughout to finish strongly in 1:25:00, thirty first overall and a clear winner of the women’s race from Cora Regan (Drumshanbo AC in 1:27:01) and Cathryn Brady (Brothers Pearse AC in 1:28:19). Following in behind Aine for Mullingar was Kedagh Geoghegan (1:26:53), Stephen Naughton (1:27:56), Jenny Algar (1:30:35), Enda Seery (1:32:02), Michael Clinton (1:32:02), Mary Stuart (1:33:54) third in her master category, Michelle Bohan (1:35:11), Paul Ginnell (1:38:22), Colm Walsh (1:39:18), James Cribbin (1:41:59), Emer O’Hanlon (1:41:59), Siobhan Farry (1:42:59), Joan Hickson (1:46:07), Terri Greene (1:47:22), Caroline Mullen (1:49:53), Jason McCabe (1:50:38), Orla Ginnell (1:52:05), Jane Creevy (1:52:54), Patricia Broderick (1:52:53), Kevin O’Brien (1:53:39), Gemma Kelly (1:57:38), Emer Savage (2:07:32), Des Walsh and Geraldine Walsh.

Several Mullingar Harriers were also on important pacing duties, including Andrew NevinJoanna Tyrrell, Ian McCormack, Evan McCormackBernard Groenewald, Philip Burke, Declan Costello and Eamonn O’Reilly. Congratulations to everyone who took part and to the organisers for putting on such a memorable race.

Oklahoma State Uni. Cowboy Jamboree XC

Wearing the blue of Tulsa University, Cormac Dalton made a great start to competition in the USA on Saturday morning 18th September in Stillwater, Oklahoma at the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Cowboy Jamboree Cross Country, one of the oldest races in the USA. Competing over 8k, his excellent 15th place finish in 24:06, the second score for Tulsa, helped the Tulsa men’s cross country team to fifth place of 18 teams, a great result in his debut race for Tulsa where he showed his class and experience to patiently work his way through the field, gaining places with every lap.

Cormac’s next event will be at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas in two weeks time. That’s how they spell chilli in parts of the USA, so apart from some very unusual names of races in the USA, Cormac also has to adjust to the unusual spelling too!

Death of a legend – George Bell RIP

The death of George Bell on Monday 13th September has left a void that will be impossible to fill, especially among our Club members. Being a founder member, he was the life and soul of all gatherings ever since. His contribution was enormous. He was present at all Club functions and fixtures, and his contribution to other local organisations like cycling, GAA, politics and farming was always one hundred percent. A really great outdoors man, his annual flock of geese in his front field were a sight to behold!

George was very straightforward in his thinking, believing strongly in there being a right way and a wrong way in life, and that you should always try to do the right thing. Athletics was his passion, especially cross country and the muckier the course, the better George liked it, and he always made sure to encourage each and every competitor. His fundraising activities for the Club were simply enormous; flag days were special to him, his collection boxes would contain more than double the amount of any other collector such was his legendary capacity to extract money from his legion of friends and contacts. George recently visited our Club grounds to see the new all-weather track and he marvelled at the facilities now available to all Club members, a reminder of the importance of continuing fundraising.

The large attendance at his funeral was testament to the very high regard in which he was held by sports people everywhere, and among the attendance were former Club members and athletes from all the surrounding Counties. The many stories told of his exploits on the sports fields were re-told among all present, including his trip to the World Masters T&F Championships in New Zealand in 1980, which he thoroughly enjoyed. In 2010 he was honoured by Athletics Leinster with an Outstanding Service Award for his services to athletics in Westmeath and in 2014 he received the Westmeath Person of the Year Award from the Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council for his special service in the community. Each and every person who ever met George Bell will have their own special memories of a man who gave his all to whatever job he took on. He was a former Club President and an Honorary Life Vice-President and we will miss his wise counsel and friendship at our training sessions, events and meetings.

We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Sheila, to his adult children Anna, Ger and George, and to his extended family.

Tailteann Inter-Provincial Schools T&F

The Tailteann Inter-Provincial Schools T&F held on Saturday 11th September in Santry was the trial event to select Irish teams for the SIAB Schools T&F International to be held in Derbyshire (England) in two weeks time. Given her dominance in race walking in her age group in recent years, there was no surprise that Aisling Lane (Mercy Ballymahon) won the girls 3,000m race walk with ease, well over half a lap ahead of second place. A bonus for Aisling is that she was presented with the cup for best race walking performance at the Tailteann T&F. In the corresponding boys 3,000m race walk, Andrew Glennon (St. Finian’s College) also won very comfortably, with over 150m to spare on his nearest rival. These wins should see Aisling and Andrew selected on the Irish schools team. For Andrew, this will be his International debut, which is a great honour for him, his family, his school, and of course for the Club. Andrew’s older siblings, his sisters Edel, Rachel and Sarah and his older brother Matthew have also represented Ireland, so this will be the fifth Glennon to represent Ireland in International competition, which is a record from one family in Mullingar Harriers. Aisling made her International debut only a few weeks ago in early August and is delighted to have another opportunity to compete in an Irish vest again. Congratulations to them both from everyone at the Club.

Also competing and seeking selection was Ross Killalea (Colaiste Mhuire) who competed in the 1,500m but despite turning in an excellent performance in an extremely competitive race, his fifth place finish won’t be enough to earn selection on the Irish team but he can still be satisfied with a good result in his final track race of the season.

Ratoath Half Marathon

Starting and finishing at Fairyhouse Racecourse, the Ratoath Half Marathon on Saturday morning 11th September attracted 307 entries to the eagerly anticipated third edition of the event. Still operating under current Covid health restrictions of a maximum of 200 runners in a group or wave, the competitors were set off in 2 waves, based on predicted finish times. Among the front row in the first wave was our own Eddie Newman, looking to build on recent fine performances on the road in Kilcock, Kilbeggan and Castlepollard. Running along with some good competition helped to bring out the best in Eddie and he was happy to finish strongly in 78:04, placing him eigth overall and first in his master age category.

It’s great to see live in-person racing continue and more and more races are scheduled in the coming weeks and months, including the Mullingar Half Marathon at the end of September, where a big number of the Mullingar Harriers adult members are entered to compete. As more and more Covid health restrictions are relaxed, we look forward to seeing things slowly returning to what we regarded as normal and took for granted before the Covid pandemic hit Ireland in March 2020.

AAI National Masters T&F

Because the track in Tullamore is being resurfaced, the AAI National Masters T&F had to move from its usual Tullamore venue and was held in Santry on Sunday 5th September. Due to Covid health restrictions, all track events this year were stretched out over several days, resulting in a very crowded T&F calendar all summer, so this year’s masters T&F was held about a month later than normal, but despite this, entries were very big across all events, reflecting the strong pent up desire for competition.

The first Mullingar athletes in action were in the 5,000m race walk where Colm Walsh worked hard all the way in this very technical event. Sparing no effort and sticking to his task and clearly spurred on by the quality of the opposition, he finished third overall but placed first in his age category, delighted to add the All-Ireland title to his growing collection of awards. Also competing really well, Sean McMullin crossed the finish line in ninth place overall but won his age category very comfortably, and such is his class that he even finished ahead of some men twenty years his junior.

All the master women ran together in the 3,000m and with such a wide range of ages it was hard at times to keep track of the placings in the various age groups as the race unfolded. Managing really well to judge her pace and keep track of her competitors, Maura Dervin tracked some of the younger women and used them to keep her pace strong and even and was delighted to come home in second place in her age category. Meanwhile, Brigid McCabe was having her own battle behind her but in the final kilometre pulled clear to win her age category with ease, her first All-Ireland title on the track as a master athlete.

There was plenty of action in the field events too where Aidan O’Donoghue doubled up in the Javelin and High Jump, performing brilliantly to take bronze in both events and end an excellent season competing for the first time as a master athlete. No stranger to master competition, Tom Walsh competed with great determination in the Weight for Distance event and with a very consistent set of throws of the heavy 35 pound implement, was rewarded with a well-earned bronze medal to add to his growing collection of All-Ireland master medals and ensure that all the Mullingar masters that competed in Santry went home with a medal.

Leinster Schools Tailteann T&F Trials

Based on the results of the Schools Provincial T&F finals, the Tailteann Inter-Provincial T&F is usually the trial event to select teams for the SIAB Schools T&F International. However, because there were no schools T&F competitions this year, a new system had to be devised to select the Irish team to compete at this year’s International to be held in Derbyshire (England) at the end of September. Each province, including Leinster, invited athletes to apply to compete at a provincial trial to qualify for the Tailteann T&F to be held the week after. Based on their performances at Club events on the track this season, Ross Killalea and Diarmuid Fagan were invited to compete at the Leinster Schools Tailteann T&F Trials held in Santry on Saturday 4th September. Ross and Diarmuid contested a very competitive 3,000m where they finished in fourth and fifth place respectively, unfortunately just outside the qualifying places for the Tailteann T&F. There was better fortune for Ross in the 1,500m where he finished second to advance to the Tailteann T&F, but finishing fourth meant Diarmuid just missed out by one place.

 

AUGUST

 

Antrim Coast Half Marathon

Timmy Murphy posted an excellent 71:09 for his debut half marathon at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon on Sunday morning 29th August. Despite not having raced over the distance before, Timmy showed great pace judgement to keep his pace around 5:25 per mile for the entire race. Timmy actually recorded a 10 mile personal best of 54:19 en route. It is a most deserved personal best for a very dedicated athlete. The event attracted a record entry of nearly 3,000 and among the large entry were two other Mullingar men. Andrew Nevin was targeting 74 minutes but knew by the halfway point that he was going to miss it, undeterred though, he worked on and finished in a good 76:33. Finally, Michael Clinton recorded 94:22 and has to be very satisfied with his performance too. The half marathon is a tough race, so well done to all three Mullingar men on their performances.

Bohermeen AC 5 Mile

Overcast and cooler made conditions very favourable for running on Sunday morning 29th August for the Bohermeen AC 5 Mile. Bohermeen AC is located just outside Navan in Co. Meath and is well known for hosting very competitive and fast races. This race was no exception and as expected it attracted athletes from all over Leinster and beyond. As is customary under Covid-19 health requirements, to keep everyone safe, the just over 200 athletes were split into two waves at the start, with the quicker athletes starting in the faster first wave. Among the runners was a number from Mullingar, eager to run well and get among the many overall and age category prizes on offer, not to mention the team prizes too.

Taking advantage of the excellent race route and first Mullingar athlete to finish was Enda Seery in 31:03, delighted with his race, which will set him up nicely for the Mullingar Half Marathon in September. Coming close behind was Michelle Bohan (31:47) and Jenny Algar (32:03), winning prizes for 4th and 5th woman respectively, just ahead of Amy Mahony (32:25), and with Gemma McMullin (41:05) providing the vital fourth team score, this put the Mullingar women team on top of the podium to receive the Nicky Phillips Memorial Cup for first woman team.

Well done to Bohermeen AC for getting this race off the ground and up and running. Hopefully there will be many more to come.

“Run with the Wind” Meeting

Following a personal best mid-week in Manchester, Colin (D) Smith travelled to Belfast on Saturday 28th August for the “Run with the Wind” Meeting at the Mary Peters Track. An aggressive racing strategy rewarded Colin with another PB of 1 minute 51.93 seconds. This concludes an excellent season for Colin during which he revised his 800m personal best no fewer than four times.

Celbridge AC 5k

The Celbridge AC 5k took place on a very warm and sunny evening on Thursday 26th August. Starting at the Celbridge AC grounds, the race took place on a fast course on the roads around Celbridge. In line with current public health guidelines, numbers were strictly limited and the 331 runners were let off in two waves, based on predicted finish times, with the faster runners in the first wave. Given their quality, it was no surprise that the four Mullingar athletes were assigned to the first wave and after an excellent race, the Mullingar quartet was led home by Stephen Campbell in twentieth place in a time of 16:25, a few places ahead of Alan Crowley (16:41), followed by Ken Whitelaw (18:33) and Sinead Whitelaw (18:33).

British Milers Club Gold Standard Meeting

In the first of two race opportunities in a week where he recorded two personal best times over 800m in the final week of his track season, Colin (D) Smith travelled to Manchester on Tuesday 24th August for the British Milers Club Gold Standard Meeting at Trafford. He raced well in a competitive field and was rewarded with a PB of 1 minute 52.14 seconds.

AAI National Masters Combined Events

Having won two silver medals at the Leinster Masters T&F in early July, Aidan O’Donoghue stepped up to the next level of competition when he competed at the AAI National Masters Combined Events in Tullamore on Sunday 22nd August. Aidan competed in the Quadrathlon, which is 100m, shot putt, long jump and 1,500m. Points are awarded for time run, distance jumped and distance thrown. The better the performance, the more points earned and Aidan was delighted to end a long day with a trip to the podium to receive a National silver medal.

The competition opened with the 100m. Coming from a field event background, principally high jump, a 100m sprint was always going to be a challenge for Aidan, especially as some of his opponents are very accomplished sprinters, but Aidan ran well to put points on the board and place second place in his master category heading to the 6kg shot putt. This is when Aidan began to make his mark in the competition. After the first round he was third in the shot, his second round attempt moved him to second place, but he kept the best to last and won the shot with his best effort of 8.44m in the third and final round. The points gained by winning the shot putt closed the gap on the leader in his age category heading into the long jump. Continuing to gain points in the long jump, but still adrift of the leader, Aidan faced into the final event, the 1,500m run, a tough ask after a long day of competition, and though he gave a good account the gap was too large to close and he finished the competition in second place, but was still delighted to have competed. Earning points in each event, especially winning the shot putt, gave Aidan great satisfaction and he is hoping to improve for future competitions.

Slane Castle 5k Trail Run

Better known as a venue for large open air concerts for the last 40 years, new trails and paths were recently added in the grounds of Slane Castle to provide an excellent venue for trail running. The Slane Castle 5k Trail Run took place on Sunday 15th August and the limited number of just over 150 runners could take in the scenic views of the Castle and its grounds beside the River Boyne. Among the entrants was our own Sinead Whitelaw who had a terrific run to finish in 20 minutes 40 seconds, placing her 8th overall and the 1st woman to finish, a great way to mark her first time competing on the new course.

All-Ireland Juvenile T&F – Day 3

The final day of the All-Ireland Juvenile T&F finals took place in Tullamore on Saturday 14th August, where the focus for Mullingar was on the 1,500m events.

Jamie Wallace made his intentions clear from the start of the u/15 boys 1,500m where he took the early lead and never letting up the pressure, stayed in front as the leading group slowly reduced to just three at the bell. He came under pressure with 200m to go and was passed around the final bend to put him in second place. He never gave up chasing though and kept digging deep to hang on to second place as best as he could but coming into the home straight he was relegated to third place, crossing the finish line to take a well-earned All-Ireland bronze medal.

The very fast early pace of the u/16 girls 1,500m did not suit Adele Geoghegan, but she kept in touch with the chasing group and settled into her rhythm. Unfortunately she fell off the back of the group at the mid-way point and was left in limbo running alone between the two main chasing groups, which is a very difficult place to be. Continuing to work as hard as she could in the closing stages though, she finished very strongly in a very creditable seventh place.

In contrast, the early pace of the u/16 boys 1,500m was shockingly pedestrian, setting the stage for a two lap burn-up in the finish, which suited the 800m specialists in the group but did not suit Conor Sherwin who is more an endurance athlete and better suited to a 1,500m raced at a more honest pace or the longer 3,000m distance. When the inevitable rapid acceleration came at the bell, he battled on bravely and never letting up he finished in an excellent sixth place and the experience will definitely stand to him.

The u/19 girls 1,500m was a cagey tactical race but Meabh Killalea kept well in contention in the opening laps. A surge in pace with two laps to go began to split the field and unfortunately Meabh found herself drifting slowly to the back of the chasing pack but she battled on to finish strongly in seventh place.

Lorcan Mullen contested the under 19 boys 1,500m race, which was run at a good pace from the start. Lorcan kept close to the action in the opening stages but when the final push for home came it split the field and despite a good effort Lorcan had to settle for a place out of the medals, but top marks for effort.

Five Mullingar athletes but only one medal to show was a clear indication of the quality of the competition in Tullamore but all the Mullingar athletes can hold their heads high and be satisfied with their performances against the very best of their peers.

Castlepollard 5k

Cancelled last year due to Covid-19, the Castlepollard 5k made a very welcome return on Wednesday evening 11th August. Historically always an excellent event hosted by North Westmeath AC, this year was no exception. There was a limit of 200 allowed, which quickly filled up when entries opened, and on the night there was the usual great racing and hotly contested battles in all age categories all through the field of runners. Competitors came from far and wide, and naturally Mullingar Harriers was very well represented and turned out in good number to support our near neighbours in North Westmeath AC. Starting near the square in Castlepollard, the course was out and back to Tullynally Castle, taking in a loop of the beautiful grounds and with the wind on their backs on the final 1k back to the finish, it was fast and furious to the line with most running their fastest kilometre in that last section. It’s a fast course, highlighted by the sub-15 minute finishing time in the men’s race and 17 minute time in the women’s race.

Coming quickly on the back of the Kilbeggan 10 mile, where several members of Mullingar Harriers ran personal best times, they continued this good form in Castlepollard with more personal best times, but a special mention must go to James Keegan though who ran a personal best in Kilbeggan and followed it up with a personal best of 15 minutes 28 seconds in Castlepollard, finishing 4th overall and leading the Mullingar group home. Next in was Diarmuid Fagan in 7th place (15:45), 1st junior man, followed by Timmy Murphy (15:48), Ian McCormack (15:53), Brian Martin (16:20), John Whitelaw (16:43), Alan Crowley (17:05), Eddie Newman (17:19) 2nd in his master category, Kedagh Geoghegan (17:27), Ken Whitelaw (18:10), Sinead Whitelaw (18:11) 2nd senior woman, Aine O’Reilly (18:23) 3rd in her master category, Enda Seery (18:39), Stephen Naughton (18:56), Jenny Algar (19:06), Michelle Bohan (19:08), Amy Mahony (19:44), Grace Byrne (19:45) 2nd junior woman, Mary Stuart (20:32) 2nd in her master category, Pat Muldoon Senior (22:09) 2nd in his master category, Criona Reid (22:29), Eva McMorrow (22:56), Terri Greene (22:59), Caroline Mullen (22:59), Patricia Broderick (23:03), Brigid McCabe (23:29) 1st in her master category, Martin Mullen (23:29), Gemma Kelly (23:59), Eamonn O’Reilly (24:06), Emer Savage (24:55), Nuala Daly (25:30) and completing the Mullingar group was Christy Creagh who placed 3rd in his master category.

Well done to the local organising committee in North Westmeath AC on hosting such a great race.

All-Ireland Juvenile T&F – Days 1 & 2

At the opening days of the All-Ireland Juvenile T&F finals in Tullamore, there was some medal success for Mullingar, but also some disappointments and low moments, but everyone gave their best and no more can be asked when competing on the National stage. Due to Covid health restrictions, this year’s finals have to be held over an elongated programme of eight sessions over four days. The first session was on Friday evening 6th August and was held in absolutely dreadful wet and windy conditions. Benefitting from all the hard work put in at training over many months under the expert coaching eye of Michael Lane, all the Mullingar race walkers turned in excellent performances. Competing in his first All-Ireland, John Glennon finished well over a minute quicker than when winning the Leinster title but unfortunately it wasn’t quick enough to win an All-Ireland medal and he finished in 4th place in the u/15 boys 2,000m race walk but will have gained valuable experience. Aisling Lane was simply in a different class in the u/17 girls 3,000m race walk and raced well clear to win by a big margin. It was a closer affair for Andrew Glennon in the u/17 boys 3,000m race walk, only pulling clear with 200m to go and fighting hard to keep in front all the way to the finish line to win.

Saturday 7th August started just as wet, windy and miserable, far from ideal conditions for sprinting. Kyle Faherty easily won his heat of the u/15 boys 200m and in the final was well positioned coming off the bend but in a close finish he was very unlucky to finish in 4th place, just missing a medal. In the u/19 boys 200m, Charles Okafor looked very comfortable in his heat, visibly slowing at the finish to still qualify easily for the final. A great start and a terrific bend in the final had Charles right in contention coming into the straight, but a touch of cramp saw him pull up suddenly, putting paid to any medal success in his favoured event, a real low point after such an excellent season that saw him compete at the European under 20 T&F in the 4x100m relay only a few weeks ago.

Thankfully the rain stopped for the u/15 boys 800m, where Jamie Wallace did everything right, was tactically very aware and kept with the leading group through the bell. Perfectly positioned to cover the break at 600m, going into second place around the final bend, Jamie entered the home straight looking good for a medal. Unfortunately he was run out in the closing stages and finished in 5th place, but it was a terrific effort in a very competitive race. Phoebe Bate contested the u/18 girls 800m, which was run at a very fast pace from the gun, but despite a brave effort Phoebe finished out of the medal places.

Criostoir Ormsby jumped a personal best of 10.50m in the first round of the u/15 boys Triple Jump to get his competition off to the best possible start. He followed up with a good series of attempts but his first was the best and was enough to earn him the All-Ireland silver medal, to win Mullingar’s first and only medal of the day.

Overnight rain gave way to better conditions on Sunday morning 8th August but it still cool and windy. First in action was Kyle Faherty in the u/15 boys 100m, which was a straight final. Exploding from the blocks and quickly into his running, Kyle powered down the track and in an extremely close finish crossed the line in 4th place, very unlucky to just miss winning a medal by only a few hundredths of a second.

Despite an early slow pace in the u/16 girls 3,000m, Grace Byrne was unable to respond to a mid-race injection of pace and reproduce the form that won her Leinster silver and though she rallied in the closing stages she finished out of the medal places. Meabh Killalea fared better in the u/19 girls 3,000m but despite a good effort she finished out of the medal places in her final juvenile track event as she moves to the junior u/20 ranks next year.

Bouncing back after the disappointment of having to pull up in the 200m final the day before, Charles Okafor was untroubled in his heat of the u/19 boys 100m, easing down to win comfortably in 10.98 seconds to advance to the final as one of the favourites, where he led from gun to tape to win, dipping under 11 seconds again, into a head wind.

The sun made a welcome appearance for the 3,000m races, lifting the mood and temperature in Tullamore. The early pace of the u/16 boys 3,000m was very fast, ultimately leading to the winner setting a new Championship record, but keeping right in the mix throughout was Conor Sherwin racing hard all the way to finish a very creditable 6th place. Any disappointment he might have felt about not winning a medal was more than offset by knowing that his time 9:29.32 was a new personal best. Diarmuid Fagan never really settled into the early fast pace of the u/17 boys 3,000m and though he battled on bravely, he had to settle for a place out of the medals.

A tough week-end of top quality competition ended with Mullingar athletes winning 3 Gold medals, 1 Silver medal, 5 more finishing just outside the medal places and one recording a PB, which are fine results at an All-Ireland T&F.

Kilbeggan 10 Mile

It was fantastic to see live road racing return to Westmeath on Sunday morning 8th August when the Kilbeggan 10 Mile took place in cool, dry but windy conditions. Given the scarcity of such events, it’s no surprise that competitors came from far and wide across the Country to take part, and naturally there was strong local support with a good number from Mullingar Harriers also taking part. Starting in Kilbeggan, the runners headed west as far as Horseleap before turning left towards Clara and a further number of left turns on quiet country roads brought the runners back to Kilbeggan again. With a limit on numbers allowed at any one time, the race was held in two waves of just under 200 runners in each, the quicker runners in the first wave, ensuring no overlap between the finishers of wave one and the starters in wave two.

First for Mullingar in wave one was James Keegan, 23rd overall in 55:51, ahead of Eddie Newman (58:24) 3rd in his master category overall, Alan Crowley (60:31), Eoin Clarke (62:29), Kedagh Geoghegan 63:21), Kieran Nolan (66:39), Jenny Algar (67:46), Michelle Bohan (69:11), Michael Clinton (70:30), Amy Mahony (70:55) and Paul Ginnell (73:18). Running in the second wave and finishing well up was Maura Dervin (75:34) 2nd in her master category overall, followed closely by Brian Boyle (75:42), then Nollaig McEntegart (76:55), Emer O’Hanlon (77:06), Lee Ann Maye (79:13) and Caroline Boyle (84:08).

The local organising committee is the commended for staging such an excellent event despite the strict requirements of the current Covid health restrictions.

Franconville Invitational International u/18 T&F Meeting

There were some great performances from the Irish team that competed at the Franconville Invitational International u/18 T&F Meeting at Stade Jean Rolland in Paris. A strong team of 23 athletes, including Mullingar’s Aisling Lane, competed against teams from France, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Flanders, gaining very valuable experience competing on the International stage. It proved a huge success for the Irish team, with a number of personal bests and medals, including a bronze medal for Aisling in the 3,000m race walk on Sunday morning 1st August. Spain and France are the leading Countries in underage race walking in Europe, so the standard of competition was of the highest calibre, but clearly inspired by the strong performance of her team mates, and even though Aisling was the youngest member of the Irish team being still only 15 years of age, she gave a great account to finish third in this very technical event and win a bronze medal on her International debut.

Congratulations to Aisling and now that she has made her competitive debut for Ireland, her name will be added to the International Roll of Honour in the Clubhouse, the 113th name on the Roll, so far.

 

JULY

 

Northern Ireland Senior T&F

Using the 3,000m race walk at the Northern Ireland Senior T&F at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast on Saturday 31st July to measure his progress in training towards the AAI National Masters T&F in September, Sean McMullin was delighted to finish second against senior competition. Also competing in Belfast were Andrew Nevin and Lorcan Mullen, where Andrew was very happy to win the bronze medal in the 3,000m steeplechase and Lorcan finished well up in his 1,500m race to place well on time over the results of the three races, with the final places decided on times.

AAI Summer Games

It was another hot and sunny day in IT Carlow on Sunday 25th July for the AAI Summer Games. Disappointed not to have qualified for the All-Ireland Juvenile T&F finals in August, Lorcan Mullen and Ross Killalea competed in the 1,500m aiming to end the track season on a good note. Running in the second race, they both competed with intent from the gun, keeping in close contact with the leasers and finished strongly, Lorcan in fourth in a new PB of 4:07.69, with Ross close behind in sixth in 4:09.84, also a new PB, to round off their seasons in style.

By the time the 5,000m started, temperatures were very high and not at all conducive to distance running, but Ian McCormack and Andrew Nevin are made of stern stuff and battled on against the heat and humidity, finishing strongly in fourth and fifth respectively, only a few seconds separating them at the finish.

Leinster Juvenile u/14-19 T&F Championships – Day 3

The Leinster T&F Championships concluded on Saturday 24th July in warm sunny conditions at IT Carlow with the final day of the under 14 to under 19 T&F. In the u/15 boys 800m, a recurrence of a hip injury shortly into the race put paid to Conor Liston’s chances and he didn’t advance to the final to join Jamie Wallace who qualified comfortably from his heat to take his place in the final as a medal favourite. The final was run at a fast pace from the gun, the leader going through the bell in 61 seconds, with Jamie on his shoulder, clear of the chasing pack. Jamie made his move with 150m to go, quickly passing the leader and looking good for gold, but into the home straight the athlete that had been in third place throughout put in a terrific sprint to pass Jamie and with no time to counterattack, Jamie crossed the line in second place, but in a terrific new PB of 2:08.81.

Caoimhe Donohue attacked from the start of the u/16 girls 800m and was rewarded with a new PB of 2:31.50 to finish well up but not enough to finish in the medal places. Jessica Cunningham finished very strongly behind her, followed home by Síofra O’Halloran, both competing strongly. In the corresponding u/16 boys 800m, Pablo Lozano was determined to qualify for his first Leinster track final and led the field for most of the race, dropping back to third with 200m to go but a late rally saw him finish second in 2:18.88, a new PB, to qualify for the final. The heat of the day and the effort in qualifying took its toll though and despite a spirited performance in the final he finished out of the medal places but was still delighted to have achieved his goal of making a Leinster final.

Competing in the u/15 boys triple jump, his first time in the event, Criostoir Ormsby took  a few jumps to settle in, including an unnerving three no jumps in a row, but finally got it right and in his final jump clinched the silver medal. Criostoir made it a double later in the day when he finished second in the u/15 boys 250m hurdles, again, a new event for him, but he made short work of the distance and the barriers and was delighted to win his second Leinster medal of the day.

Over all the days of the Championships, Mullingar athletes amassed a total of 20 medals – 10 gold7 silver and 3 bronze, which will see the maroon and white of Mullingar out in force at the All-Ireland finals in August.

International Selection for Aisling Lane (21st July)

The European u/18 T&F was scheduled to take place in Italy in August but was cancelled due to Covid. Anxious to fill the gap in International competition for this age group, Athletics Ireland has secured an invitation to send a team to an International u/18 T&F Match in Franconville (Paris), France on Saturday 31st July & Sunday 1st August. Because the event takes place before the National Juvenile T&F, which would usually be the trial for such an event, athletes were asked to submit expressions of interest with records of their personal best or season’s best times to Athletics Ireland, who would then select a team closely based on the standards used for the European u/18 T&F. Given her dominance in the u/17 age group, surpassing the times of the u/18 girls, and her performances this year over3k race walk, Aisling Lane was named on Wednesday 21st July among a team of 23 athletes to compete in France. This is a huge honour for Aisling, her family and Mullingar Harriers and it will mark her International debut. Congratulations to Aisling from everyone at Mullingar Harriers and we wish her every success in France.

European u/20 T&F Championships

To say that Ireland had a memorable European u/20 T&F Championships in Tallinn, Estonia would be an understatement. Four gold medals placed Ireland third on the medal table, a brilliant result, and among the large team of thirty three athletes that cheered and supported Team Ireland throughout, was four from Mullingar Harriers. This Championship was the stuff of dreams and will only inspire our Mullingar athletes to continue to work hard to qualify for future events.

Eoin Quinn participated in heat 1 of the 800m on Friday 16th July. As it was the first heat, it was a tactical race and Eoin finished strongly in fifth place in a time of 1:54.24. There were just three automatic qualification places from each heat, so unfortunately Eoin did not advance to the semi-final. This was Eoin’s first time to compete at European level and he gained invaluable experience. Eoin is one of the most improved young athletes in the country and hopefully, this will be the start of a long international career.

To have two from the one Club in the same event at a European T&F Championships is rare, but that was Oisin Lane and Matthew Glennon, as they took on the very best in Europe on the track over 10,000m race walk on Saturday morning 17th July during the heat wave that struck Estonia. A big entry of 31 started, and both Mullingar men reached the half way mark in 22:16. Oisin then responded tactically to all the attacks at the front of the field to complete the second half in a fantastic 21:17 for a sixth place finish and a new PB of 43:33 and the best ever performance by an u/20 Irish man in this specialist event. For Matthew, tight hamstrings hampered his progress but he battled bravely in the conditions, holding off much older and experienced athletes to finish twenty second in his first Major Championship, which was a great learning experience for him, especially as he is still eligible for this level of competition again next year.

Charles Okafor had to wait until the final day, Sunday morning 18th July, to compete in the 4x100m relay, running the third leg. With only the first two in each heat and the next two fastest times to qualify for the final, it was always going to be a difficult task. With an excellent smooth run and a time quicker than the team ran in Carlow to qualify for the Europeans to place sixth in their heat, unfortunately their time of 41.06 seconds wasn’t enough to advance to the final, but it was still a great effort and Charles was delighted to be one of the four selected to run. Like Matthew Glennon, Charles is underage again next year.

Leinster Juvenile u/14-19 T&F Championships – Days 1&2

The Leinster Juvenile T&F Championships continued on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th July in glorious sunshine at the magnificent new athletics grounds at IT Carlow. Competition was for u/14 to u/19 and Mullingar athletes featured strongly in every event they competed in, many winning medals. We knew we were in for a scorcher of a day on Saturday morning when temperatures were already in the twenties by 9am. The mercury continued to climb during the day and reached 28degC in the shade by the afternoon, and a very sticky 32degC out on the track, making it very difficult for our 1,500m athletes in particular.

Kyle Faherty was fortunate to have a straight final in his u/15 boys 100m, so could run and then cool down and head home to rest for his 200m race the next day. Given how well he has been training recently, it was no surprise that he made short work of it, blasting from the blocks and leading from gun to tape to win the race with ease by nearly three metres and take the Leinster title, booking his place in the All-Ireland finals in August.

Jamie Wallace had to work hard in the u/15 boys 1,500m but his class showed in the end with a great turn of pace on the finish straight to win. Mullingar had five girls in the u/16 girls 1,500m where Adele Geoghegan led the chasing group on the long time leader, fighting hard in the closing stages to secure the silver medal by a narrow margin, followed in by Grace Byrne, Caoimhe Donohue, Jessica Cunningham and Leah Geoghegan who can be very satisfied with their performances in a top class race. Showing his strength over 3,000m the week before, Conor Sherwin dropped down to the u/16 boys 1,500m and showing great pace with a very swift 63 second last lap as he pulled clear of the group to win his second Leinster title. Pablo Lozano also competed well and finished strongly, but out of the medals on this occasion. Ross Killalea put in a great effort in the u/17 boys 1,500m where he kept in contention throughout but when the final sprint for the finish began down the back straight on the final lap, he battled very hard but just couldn’t close the gap on the medal places and was very unlucky to finish fourth in a close finish, followed home by Diarmuid Fagan. In the u/18 girls 1,500m, Amy Geoghegan competed extremely well but had to settle for a place out of the medals this time. Meabh Killalea showed great determination in the u/19 girls 1,500m racing hard all the way and never giving up the battle for a medal in the home straight, she raced hard to the line, crossing in third place by a very narrow margin from silver but delighted to earn a Leinster bronze medal for her efforts all the same. Colin Smith ended the day for Mullingar with a well deserved gold medal in the u/19 boys 1,500m after a very polished performance where his class showed in a great finish, pulling away in the closing stages to win. Lorcan Mullen battled hard behind him but hampered by a recent calf niggle, just couldn’t get the extra edge to get in the medals, crossing the line in fourth place.

Sunday was just as warm as Saturday, but the 800m races were on first, so avoided the worst of the heat. Ross Killalea lined out in the u/17 boys 800m but found the going very tough, and no doubt was still feeling the effects of his exertions over 1,500m in boiling hot temperatures the afternoon before, and though he finished well he was disappointed to finish out of the medal places. Phoebe Bate used her trademark fast finish to hold off a late challenge in the u/18 girls 800m to finish fourth overall, but with the winner running as a guest, Phoebe secured the bronze medal and a coveted place in the All-Ireland finals. The only way to beat Colin Smith is take the race hard from the gun and hope to take the edge off his terrific sprint finish, and that’s exactly what happened in the u/19 boys 800m. The eventual winner set a blistering early pace, with Colin keeping close behind, but as the race unfolded, Colin’s exertions over 1,500m the day before took their toll and he just couldn’t find the extra edge to catch the winner, but had enough in the tank to take silver in a very close finish. The re-match at the All-Ireland finals in August will be very interesting!

Eve Medforth advanced from her heat of the u/14 girls 75m hurdles but disaster struck in the final when she clipped one of the hurdles midway through the race and she fell. She got back on her feet and finished but the race is so short there is no time to recover. This is a constant threat hanging over all hurdlers – the risk of hitting a hurdle and falling. It was a very tough introduction to the event for Eve, but great credit is due to her for reaching a Leinster final in her first time of asking and that’s something she can build on for the future.

Mullingar’s reputation in race walking was enhanced further with success by John Glennon (u/15 boys 2,000m walk), Aisling Lane (u/17 girls 3,000m walk) and Andrew Glennon (u/17 boys 3,000m walk), all racing to victory and well deserved Leinster titles in sweltering conditions.

Having won the 100m with ease the day before, all eyes were on Kyle Faherty in the u/15 boys 200m. Winning his heat with ease, he lined up in the final as the favourite and he didn’t disappoint. Running hard from the blocks around the bend, he came into the straight in the lead and maintaining his form he kept in front to the finish to win his second Leinster title of the weekend and round off a very successful Championship for Mullingar Harriers.

In total, Mullingar athletes won 8 gold medals2 silvers and 2 bronze, adding to the 5 medals won in the 3,000m the week before, which will see Mullingar well represented at the All-Ireland final in August and we still have the final day to come when we expect a few more to win medals and places in the All-Ireland finals too.

Fundraiser Raffle Draw (17th July)

Sincere thanks to everyone who bought a ticket for our Fundraiser Raffle. As you know, the proceeds go directly towards the new state of the art all weather track, which is the biggest undertaking by Mullingar Harriers Athletic Club since it was founded in 1975. There was a limit of 2,000 tickets and while we didn’t quite reach that limit, tickets sales were still very strong and we’re delighted with the support we received and the final ticket sales total.

There can only be one winner of the top prize of €20,000 and David Fagan was the name on the lucky ticket drawn first from the drum on Saturday 17th July, the second prize of €2,000 was won by Lucia Brady and the third prize of €1,000 was won by Dave O’Shea. There were also nine other valuable prizes and we’re extremely grateful to the local businesses that donated prizes. Congratulations to all our prize winners and many thanks again to everyone for their support.

Mullingar Harriers Track Meeting

Despite the rain, feedback from parents and participants on the track competition we organised for our younger athletes on Sunday 11th July on the outdoor all-weather track in Athlone IT suggests it was a great success. Despite the weather, the vast majority of juveniles who entered turned up to race, in all nearly 70 youngsters aged 8 to 13 years took part in a sprint and middle-distance race, tailored to their ages. We gave medals to all finishers aged 8 and 9 years, but the older ones competed for gold, silver and bronze, adding to the buzz of competition for them.

We held the event because there is no track and field competition this year for our youngest members, those aged 8, 9 and 10 years in particular. For very many of them, it was their first time to compete on a full size all-weather track, so they were very excited about that and it gave them and their parents a taste of what’s in store when we’ve finished our own track in the coming months.

Many thanks to everybody who helped out on the day and in planning the event, in particular Colm Walsh who was instrumental in its organisation and was a great Track Manager on the day, keeping everything moving along nicely! The event proved so popular and successful that we plan to hold a similar one on our own new track when it’s finished, so watch this space!

Leinster u/12 & u/13 T&F (and 3,000m u/16-19)

The Leinster T&F Championships continued on Saturday 10th July in IT Carlow and this time it was the turn of the u/12 and u/13 athletes to compete and show their talents, along with the 3,000m for the older u/16 to u/19 athletes. For many of the Mullingar u/12 and u/13 athletes, this was their first time to compete in a Leinster track Championship but they all gave great accounts and can be very satisfied with their performances against the very best in Leinster. As expected though, given their experience at this level, the day belonged to our older juveniles, winning 5 medals.

There were so many entered for the 600m for girls u/12 that that it took five heats to sort them, so qualification to the final was very difficult. Lisa O’Brien ran very well and finished strongly in her heat, well up, but not enough to advance to the final. There were fewer heats in the 600m for girls u/13, but competition was still intense and despite great efforts by Blathnaid Peters, Eleanor Kiernan and Tianna O’Leary, they didn’t advance to the final, Tianna coming closest with an excellent fourth place finish in her heat but missing a place in the final by just three tenths of a second. Mullingar had three boys in the 600m for boys u/13 where Conor Walsh, Conor Geoghegan and Cian Hyland tried very hard but didn’t advance from the tough heats.

Providing a break to allow recovery time between the heats and finals of the 600m events was the 3,000m races for under 16 and 17. The 3,000m for girls u/16 was a thrilling race where Grace Byrne was always in contention and went into the final lap in a battle for the medals. Coming into the home straight it looked like bronze, but Grace was not about to give up, and with a fantastic sprint finish moved into second place with 50m to go, crossing the line in second place to win the Leinster silver medal. The 3,000m for boys u/16 was a very tactical race with the group staying close together up to 2km, but at that point Conor Sherwin decided to take control and pulling away from the pack finished very strongly to win the Leinster title in great style. The 3,000m for boys u/17 went out at a fast pace right from the gun, with Diarmuid Fagan and Ross Killalea right in the thick of it. As the laps counted down, the number in the leading group began to slowly reduce but Diarmuid and Ross stuck to their task. It became apparent with 800m to go that the Championship Record set by our own Jack O’Leary in 2013 was going to fall and in a furious final lap, Diarmuid drove hard to keep himself in a medal position and finishing very fast was narrowly edged into 2nd place in a close finish, with Ross finishing very fast in 7th place behind him. The winner eclipsed the old Record by over 20 seconds, but the top seven all went under the old mark too, such was the quality of the race, rightly regarded as the best race of the day.

There were eight heats of the 60m for girls u/12 where Chloe Duggan and Lisa O’Brien competed very well and can be proud of their efforts but didn’t advance from the fiercely competitive heats. Tianna O’Leary and Eleanor Kiernan returned to the track in the 80m for girls u/13 but though they ran extremely well didn’t advance from their heats. Similarly, Cian Hyland ran well in the 80m for boys u/13 but didn’t advance from the heats.

After the sprints the 3,000m for under 18 and 19 were held to provide time to recover before the sprint semi-finals. Meabh Killalea continues to improve with every race and with a polished performance in the 3,000m for girls u/19, kept in contention throughout and was rewarded for her efforts with third place and the Leinster bronze medal. Colin P Smith has been making his mark over 800m and 1,500m this season but moved up to the 3,000m for boys u/19 and was just too good for the opposition. After a somewhat tactical race, his fierce kick came to the fore and he won well, his first ever Leinster title. Unfortunately, Lorcan Mullen was clipped from behind early in the race, hurting his calf and though he ran on for a few laps he was forced to withdraw. Hopefully he recovers in time for the 1,500m only a week away.

Four Mullingar athletes selected for European under 20 T&F (4th July)

On Sunday evening 4th July, Athletics Ireland announced the team selected for the European under 20 T&F Championships to take place in Tallinn, Estonia in two weeks time, and among the big team of thirty three are four from Mullingar Harriers, Oisin Lane and Matthew Glennon (10,000m race walk), Eoin Quinn (800m) and Charles Okafor (4x100m relay). Oisin and Matthew had achieved the standard last year and having demonstrated good form this year, guaranteed their selection, but it was thanks to terrific performances by Eoin and Charles just that Sunday afternoon at the Leinster Junior, Senior and Masters Outdoor T&F held at IT Carlow that they secured their places on the team. Four from Mullingar is a huge achievement, one of the biggest from a single Club on the team, and a record number from Mullingar to compete at a European T&F Championships.

Leinster Junior, Senior and Masters Outdoor T&F

It’s been two years since the last Leinster outdoor T&F competition, but that was put right on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th July when the Leinster Junior, Senior and Masters Outdoor T&F was held at the magnificent new track at IT Carlow. There were many successes recorded by Mullingar athletes across the two days, including 10 medals, but pride of place has to go to Eoin Quinn who achieved his second qualification standard in the 800m and to Charles Okafor who was a member of the Ireland team that achieved the 4x100m relay standard for the European under 20 T&F to take place in Tallinn, Estonia in mid-July.

Racing on Sunday afternoon in the Senior Men 800m, Colin P Smith set a blistering early pace through 500m, paving the way for Eoin Quinn to drive on and win in convincing fashion in 1:50.40, a new PB, a new Championship Best Performance but most importantly, achieving the European qualification standard. The other Colin, Colin D Smith, pushed Eoin on and he finished second in 1:53.75, making it gold and silver for Mullingar. Also finishing strongly was Brian Martin, dipping nicely under 2 minutes for the distance. Later in the afternoon, Charles Okafor ran the third leg of the Under 20 men 4x100m relay on the Ireland team seeking the European qualification standard of 41.40 seconds. They fell slightly short on their first attempt, but an hour later, raced again and they blasted to victory in 41.18 seconds to book their places in Tallinn.

All this excitement on Sunday came at the end of a fantastic week-end of competition for Mullingar. First into action on Saturday morning were Phoebe Bate and Bea Drummond in the Junior Women 1,500m and after a tactical race, Phoebe put her trademark fast finish to good effect to finish in second place and put Mullingar on the medal board. Bea finished strongly not far behind in sixth. In the Senior Women 1,500m Catriona Kennedy was having her first track race in some time and used the race to dust off the racing cobwebs and can be satisfied with her performance. Pauric Brady contested the Master Men 1,500m and despite every effort he couldn’t find the pace to keep in contention for the medals, but this will come with more races. No problem for Andrew Nevin in the Senior Men 3,000m steeplechase where he negotiated the tough barriers to finish very strongly in second place, delighted to add to his collection of Leinster track medals.

Charles Okafor has been having a great spell of good form recently and was just too good for the opposition in the Junior Men 100m, winning his heat with ease and in the final powered to victory in 10.82 seconds, which would have been a new PB except the tail wind was 2.2 metres per second, slightly over the allowable limit, but another terrific performance and reinforcing his reputation as one the best sprinters in Ireland.

Though a master athlete, Colm Walsh opted to compete in the Senior Men 5,000m race walk and showing great discipline and technique under the ever watchful eyes of the judges, earning no warnings or faults, was very happy to finish second and win the silver medal, his first individual senior Leinster T&F medal. The current Irish record holder in his age category, Sean McMullin was just too good for the opposition in the Master Men 3,000m race walk and simply cruised to victory.

Over in the field events, putting together a brilliantly consistent set of throws in the Master Men Weight for Distance event, Tom Walsh was a worthy winner of the silver medal in his age category. Competing for the first time in the Mullingar colours as a master athlete, newcomer Aidan O’Donoghue was delighted to put together a good series of throws in the Master Men Javelin to earn the silver medal in his age category, his first Leinster master medal.

Having placed second in the 400m hurdles at the recent National under 20 T&F, Shauna Leydon lined up on Sunday morning as the favourite in the Junior Women 400m hurdles but disaster struck as she was judged to have false started, so her race was over even before it began. Shauna was obviously very disappointed but is too experienced an athlete to dwell on it and will set her mind on future competition.

Pauric Brady returned to action on Sunday in the Master Men 800m where he ran a strong race to finish well up but out of the medals in an extremely competitive race. Amy Geoghegan and Meabh Killalea used the Junior Women 3,000m to get in some valuable racing experience, both finishing well, and will be looking to build on their performance in the upcoming Leinster juvenile T&F. Andrew Nevin, Ian McCormack and John Whitelaw contested the Senior Men 5,000m in warm sultry conditions, which were difficult for distance runners, but they gave good accounts and will take a lot from the racing experience. Intermittent showers made conditions difficult for the high jumpers, but Aidan O’Donoghue was delighted to perform better than he expected in the Master Men High Jump, winning the silver medal in his age category in an extremely close contest, his second Leinster medal of the week-end, but there’s no doubt he’ll win plenty more in future competition.

That rounded off the week-end when Mullingar athletes won the great total of ten Leinster medals and two athletes booked their places to the European under 20 T&F in Tallinn.

International 100k selection for Maurice Looby (1st July)

Congratulations to Maurice Looby on being selected on 1st July on the five man Irish team to compete at the 100k Home International against teams from England, Scotland and Wales to take place at Mondello Park in Naas, Co. Kildare on 21st August. The last time Maurice ran in an Irish singlet was in 2015 at the World 100k Championships in the Netherlands and he is justifiably both delighted and honoured to be selected to represent Ireland in competition again.