Q4, 2024 News & Reports – October to December

DECEMBER

North West Indoor Games

Ramona Carey got her indoor season off to winning ways when she won the Master Women Shot Putt at the North West Indoor Games in Athlone on Saturday 28th December, her best effort coming in the final round.

A niggling injury prevented Kyle Faherty competing over 200m all year but he put that to rights in the u/18 boys 200m and after a great effort where he led for most of the race, he was narrowly beaten into second place in a very close finish in his timed heat, placing third overall on time over all the timed heats, and this performance will give him a great confidence boost for the indoor season ahead.

In the u/18 boys 1,500m, Jamie Wallace went out hard and tracked the early leader to 600m but sensing the pace was too fast, he eased off a bit but kept running hard and kept the leader in his sights. Caught in the gap between the leader and the rest of the field, the race turned effectively into a time trial for Jamie but he kept his focus and finished in second place in a new PB of 4:02.01 to round off his year in style [GD].

Ardagh Challenge Road Races

Over 160 took on the challenging hilly course in the Ardagh 10 Mile Challenge around the picturesque Longford village on Saturday morning 28th December. The first two miles took the runners on a scenic route around the village before a tough climb for about half a mile up the mountain. Once off the mountain, the course was quite rolling with some fast downhills before a final uphill climb over the last half mile to the finish, so not a course for the faint hearted.

Well up for the challenge was Claire Fagan who powered to 4th overall, the 1st woman to finish in 59:19, a new course record. Following Claire in was Val Bohan (1:10:01), Maura Dervin (1:13:19) and Paul Ginnell (1:15:06), all happy with their results.

Opting for the shorter 5k distance, which took more than 140 runners on a fast course until the final climb to the finish, was Enda Seery who was very happy to finish 4th overall in 18:12, his quickest 5k of the year. Also competing was Claire Ross (22:50), just ahead of young Katie Bohan who finished well up in 22:55, 1st u/16 girl.

Finally, there was a Mile race for National School children where Mel Bohan led the field home in 1st place, and Robert Bohan finished a fine 4th place [GD].

Navan AC Robbie & Rita 5k

Conditions were very good on Friday morning 27th December as over 380 took to the line for the popular annual Navan AC Robbie & Rita 5k. Conor Sherwin was very happy with his race, finishing fifth in 15:26, second u/20 man, ahead of Andy Nevin having his second race in 24 hours, finishing eighth in 16:14 [AS].

Shane Brennan Memorial 5k

The Shane Brennan Memorial 5k took place on St Stephen’s Day in Newtownforbes, Co. Longford. As normal, the event attracted a good entry, nearly 360 runners and walkers, including many from Mullingar Harriers. The flat fast course, which included a one kilometre section from 3k to 4k through Newtownforbes Biodiversity Trail, and a lap around the Clonguish GAA grounds at the finish, along with the dry and mild weather conditions that prevailed for the race made fast times possible and the large contingent from the club who participated were all happy with their results.

The standout performances from a Mullingar Harriers perspective were undoubtedly from the Glennon family. Champion race walker, Matthew Glennon, was second overall in 16:41, while equally impressive was the performance of his sister Susan Glennon in finishing second senior woman in 18:28. The Glennon family was well represented in the race and the performances of John Glennon (17:35), Gareth Glennon (18:25) first u/12 boy, Andrew Glennon (19:00) and Daniel Glennon (19:02) second u/16 boy were all noteworthy.

Brigid McCabe was a convincing winner of her master category running a very good time of 23:35 while Padraig Beglin had an excellent run finishing in a time of 18:48, which was a PB and a big improvement on his previous best for the distance. Patrick Muldoon (20:08), Nicky McCabe (second in his master category) and Breda McDonnell were all happy with their runs and the opportunity to shake off some of the excess of the Christmas celebrations. After the race as is customary the participants gathered in the Clonguish GAA complex for a great spread of tea, coffee and refreshments [PM].

Fields of Athenry 10k

Very much a personal favourite of his, Eddie Newman ran his twelfth consecutive Fields of Athenry 10k on St. Stephen’s Day, an annual and very popular event organised by Athenry AC that is widely regarded as one of the top road races in the country. This year, there was a huge entry of over 1,900, the largest entry by far since the inaugural event in 2002. Eddie was very pleased to finish well up in 60th place in 37:17, which was good enough to win his master category. Also competing and enjoying the race in Athenry was Tommy Byrne, happy to finish in 40:52 [GD].

Cavan Christmas 5k

On St. Stephen’s Day, Kris Foster and Mark Ronan lined up with over 630 others for the Cavan Christmas 5k, helping to raise funds for Cavan Cuan Cancer Care. Kris was very happy with his race to finish sixth in 17:00, with Mark finishing strong in 19:14 [GD].

Kilbeggan 6k

A regular favourite, the annual Kilbeggan 6k on St Stephen’s Day attracted nearly 420 participants, including a large contingent of 46 from Mullingar Harriers who enjoyed a fine dry calm day. Andy Nevin finished second in 19:05 to lead the Mullingar group home, ahead of Kevin Moore fifth in 19:38 and James Keegan sixth in 19:44. After a good battle, Claire Fagan won the women’s race in 20:23, followed in by Ciara Foy in 21:28 to finish third woman.

Others competing were Enda O’Carolan (21:47), Enda Seery (22:25), Eddie Lynch (22:25) first in his master category, Eoin Clarke (22:50), Oisin Clarke (22:51) first juvenile boy, Lily Walsh (22:58) second juvenile girl, Antonio Bertolo (23:13) second juvenile boy, Dara O’Shea (23:42), Paddy Daly (23:44) third in his master category, Val Bohan (23:47), Orlaith Flanagan (24:03), Conleth Mullen (24:13), Lorcan Mullen (24:24), John Gallagher (24:41), Owen McIntyre (25:04), Breda Daly (25:26) first in her master category, Daniel Horohoe (25:47), Isabel Tynan Daly (25:54) third juvenile girl, Thomas Tynan Daly (25:58), Cillian Gavin (26:51), Gemma Kelly (26:54) second in her master category, Zane Smukste (27:01) third in her master category, Caroline Mullen (27:01) second in her master category, Conor Gavin (27:21), Claire Lennon Gavin (27:23), Martin Mullen (28:18), Liadan Gavin (28:56), Leona Behan (29:26), Kevin O’Brien (29:45), Aoibheann Lynam (30:39), Maisie Walsh (30:54), Heather Kelly (31:00), Amelie G Kelly (32:24), Aoibhinn Smyth (32:50), Hannah Boyle (35:37), Catherine Walsh (35:54), Caroline Boyle (35:58), Daniel Boyle (35:58), Claire Cullinan (36:52), Sean McMullin and Tiernan Smyth.

The race is a fundraiser for the Crumlin Children’s Medical and Research Foundation and it was great to see members of Mullingar Harriers out in good numbers to support a local race and support a great cause, as they worked off the Christmas excesses in Kilbeggan [MO’S].

Track &Field Live Meeting #3

Aimee Wallace ended her 2024 season in style with an Irish u/20 indoor 1,000m record of 2 minutes 48.40 seconds at the Track &Field Live Meeting #3 at the National Indoor Arena in Dublin on Wednesday evening 18th December. Aimee made a positive and tactically astute start to the race placing herself in the top three behind the pacemaker, Susie Nestor, and Emma Moore, both training partners of Aimee at DCU. These three athletes moved clear of the field and over the final 400m Aimee maintained the pace to finish in second place and achieve a National age group record.

This was the first National u/20 record for any girl in the Club’s history and confirms Aimee’s credentials as an athlete of great potential. She has already recorded the fastest 1,500m times for an Irish u/20 girl over 1,500m in 2023 and in 2024 and this record over 1,000m was a fitting way to end her juvenile career. Aimee will commence 2025 with a training camp with her University in preparation for the indoor season [JR].

CISM World Military XC

Ian McCormack, the Club’s men’s captain, was delighted to make his International debut and help the Irish Army men team to third place and the bronze team medals at the CISM World Military Cross Country Championships in Schaffen, Belgium on Wednesday 18th December. The event was run over a very hilly and difficult cross country course and attracted teams from over 50 countries. In very windy but dry conditions, athletes faced two laps and an extended finish straight, covering 9,600m. With the Irish team packing well towards the front of the field they were always in contention for a podium finish. Ian was happy with his own run and there was added joy to a first International vest to see the team results showing Ireland in third place.

Adding to the link with Mullingar Harriers, the manager of the Irish team, Comdt. Noel Conway, started his military career in Mullingar. He joined Mullingar Harriers and was a regular with the club for a period of time while stationed at Columb Barracks in the town.

Congratulations to Ian on making a successful debut. Representing Ireland for the first time is a huge milestone for any athlete and is well deserved for Ian. Now that Ian has made his International debut, his name will be added to the International Roll of Honour in the Clubhouse, the one hundred and twenty eighth name on the marble wall plaque [BB/GD].

National Racewalk Championships & World Athletics Racewalking Tour

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

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

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

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

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

Telford 10k

Jack O’Leary, Jamie Battle and Vinny Connolly were in Telford, near Birmingham on Sunday 15th December to compete in the Telford 10k, which is statistically proven as the fastest 10k course in Britain. The race take place on a generally flat 2 lap traffic free well sheltered tarmac course using Telford Town Park and the Silkin Way. The course is quite narrow, not unlike our own Old Rail Trail, so with over 1,400 competitors entered, they were divided into three “waves” based on previous best times, so no surprise that the Mullingar Harriers trio were assigned to the fastest wave 1. Given the high quality of the opposition and the tight narrow course, there was little room to manoeuvre but the Mullingar men battled well and were led home by Jack finishing well up in 29:48, followed closely by Jamie in 29:59 and Vinny a little further back in 30:42 [GD].

European Cross Country

Cormac Dalton competed in his fifth consecutive European Cross Country on Sunday morning 8th December when he lined up with the Irish team for the Senior Men 7,500m in Antalya, Turkey. With some tight corners, low obstacles to jump, stretches of soft sand, some sticky mucky stretches, generally flat but with some artificial hills thrown in for good measure, it was quite a technical course overall that constantly disrupted the flow of the runners. In his post-race interview, Cormac said that as it was only 7,500m, it was quicker than expected for a Euro cross country, making it very tough to stay relaxed and keep his form. Cormac ran the race with determination from the start and stuck to his task as best as he could for much of the race, and though he had to ease back a bit in the closing stages, he was rewarded with a fine 21st place finish, the first Irish man to finish and leading the team to an 8th place finish. Coming on the back of his 8th place individual finish in Brussels last year, this obviously wasn’t the result Cormac was looking for, but he hasn’t had the easiest year in terms of consistency and injury, so reflecting on the race he knows that he’s on the right road and not far off his best again, so can take a positive outlook forward to the year ahead [GD].

Jingle Bells 5k

It was an early start for the Mullingar Harriers who were running the Jingle Bells 5k on Saturday morning 7th December in the Phoenix Park. The race organisers, Donore Harriers AC , carried out an early morning inspection to ensure it was safe to proceed after the full force of Storm Darragh was felt overnight. After getting the all clear at 6.30am, a huge crowd of nearly 1,700 runners made their way to the Park to compete in what is traditionally one of the fastest 5k races in the country. However, with the remainder of the storm still being felt with very strong winds, times were never going to be that fast but that didn’t take from the quality of the race. Competing for Mullingar Harriers in the men section of the race, Vinny Connolly was always in contention for honours and he led the way home in 4th place overall in 15:15 in a very tight finish, followed by Conor Sherwin (15:40), John Ryan (15:48), Stephen Nea (18:10) and James Cribbin (19:32) racing hard to the finish. The men team placed an excellent 4th Club. Orlaith Flanagan was the sole woman from Mullingar to compete and she was more very happy with her time of 20:05. Congratulations to Donore Harriers on a well organised race under difficult weather conditions [GD].

Track &Field Live Meeting #2

UNREPORTED

Wednesday 4th December

Maura Dervin

Aoibhe Martyn

Brigid McCabe

Andy Nevin

Jamie Wallace

Conor Liston (pacer for Jamie Wallace)

National Novice & Juvenile Uneven Ages XC

The domestic cross country season concluded for the year with the National Novice & Juvenile Uneven Ages Cross Country in Tramore, Co. Waterford on Sunday 1st December where despite having a big squad of nearly 50 juvenile athletes and over 20 adults entered and with Mullingar competitors in every race on the programme, medal honours proved very difficult to win but we could still celebrate the great successes of fourth place for Lily Walsh (u/15), Grace Byrne (u/19) also fourth place and leading the u/19 women team to team silver medals, and five of our juvenile athletes winning medals with Leinster teams. Good results considering how many of our underage athletes are only barely recovered from recent illness but still ran so as not to let their team mates down. Our adult athletes too gave spirited performances and though they won no medals all were more than satisfied with their efforts in what are regarded as the most competitive races in national cross country.

On a tough but fair course with very good running in most parts despite heavy rain during the week, the Mullingar athletes weren’t found wanting for effort and application. Despite the forecast, the weather conditions on the day were actually really good for competitors and spectators, as the rain stayed away, it was unseasonably warm and everyone could enjoy the bright sunshine we had at times.

Lauryn Smith led the big Mullingar squad home in the u/11 girls 1,500m with a strong finish but despite the great efforts of Emily Rose Coyne, Helen McGrath, Maisie Walsh, Caitlin McCormack, Aoibheann Lynam, Roisin Keane, Rose Harte, Heather Kelly and Kate Horohoe, the girls finished out of the team medals but will have gained great experience from competing in a national final. In the u/11 boys 1,500m, Mel Bohan finished very fast and well up in the very large entry, followed in by Donagh Bourke, Olly Wright, Killian Hardman, Huw Keaveney and Senan Clinton but the boys finished out of the team medals too.

Finishing well up and leaving nothing behind, Chloe Bell led the Mullingar team home in the u/13 girls 2,500m and though Amelie G Kelly, Caoimhe Lynam, Siomha Leonard, Clodagh Keane and Liadan Gavin packed well in support, the girls were very unlucky to finished 5th Club, just outside the medal places, but 5th at this level is an excellent result and improves their position relative to the other teams from Leinster, so a very positive result. Gareth Glennon just had the better of Daniel Cummins who finished close on his heels in the u/13 boys 2,500m, supported by Harry Flanagan, Adam O’Donoghue and Aaron Robinson packing well in support but unfortunately finishing out of the medal places. Gareth and Daniel scored on the Leinster team that came close but just short of the medals, in fourth place.

Lily Walsh moved up an age to compete in the u/15 girls 3,500m and with a really polished and confident performance she was always in contention for honours and with a great sprint finish took 4th place, delighted to win an individual top-12 finishers medal. A bonus was that Lily also led the Leinster team to 1st place in the Inter-Provincial competition to win a gold team medal to go with her individual medal. We had a good team in the u/15 boys 3,500m, led home by Antonio Bertolo finishing well up but though Oisin Clarke, Greg McDonnell, Daniel Horohoe, Morgan Isdell and Cormac McGrath battled hard throughout, the boys were very unlucky to finish out of the medal places.

Eleanor Kiernan was our sole representative in the u/17 girls 4,500m where she was competing with the Leinster team, always running strongly throughout the tough hilly course to finish well up and win a bronze team medal with the Leinster team. On paper, the Mullingar team in the u/17 boys 4,500m were serious medal contenders but there can be no givens at national level and despite really strong performances and great team packing and support Matthew Molloy, Oisin Kehoe, Conor Walsh, Luke Greene and Txema Lozano had to settle for a place out of the medals on this occasion. There was further disappointment for Matthew who just missed a bronze medal with the Leinster team by one place.

Grace Byrne has had a terrific cross country season and was delighted to round it off in style with an excellent 4th place finish in the u/19 women 5,000m to win an individual top-12 finish medal. Better though was seeing Jessica Cunningham and Ailbhe O’Farrell finishing very strong and fast behind her to finish 2nd Club and put Mullingar on the team medal board at last. Grace made it three medals as she also won a gold team medal with the Leinster team. We hadn’t a team in the u/19 men 5,000m but we had three in action competing for the Leinster team. Finishing inside the top 20 after a very strong second half to the race, Jamie Wallace led the Mullingar trio home, followed closely by Conor Sherwin and Donagh Carey who packed well and all three were very happy to win bronze team medals with the Leinster team.

With the conclusion of the juvenile programme, attention turned to the novice races, which with over 120 women and nearly 220 men, are justifiably regarded as the most competitive races in national cross country. Susan Glennon finished well up, just outside the top-20 in the Novice Women 4,000m and despite the efforts of Linda Cunningham, Caroline Mullen, Gemma Kelly, Claire Lennon Gavin and Naomi Battle, the team placed out of the medals but were still more than happy with their efforts. We finished the day with the Novice Men 6,000m where Timmy Murphy was very happy with his race, and though well supported by James Keegan, Kedagh Geoghegan and Conleth Mullen there were no team honours for Mullingar, but top marks for effort on the tough hilly course that sapped the energy of the best.

Well done to everyone that competed in Tramore and special thanks to the parents and coaches that made the long journey either on the morning or the day before to attend in number to cheer all our athletes on. This concludes the domestic cross country season for the year [GD].

Cormac Dalton to compete at Euro Cross

Best wishes to Cormac Dalton who will represent Ireland at the European Cross Country Championships in Antalyia, Turkey on Sunday 8th December. Cormac gained selection following his third place finish at the National Championships. Cormac is a vastly experience international athlete and this will be his 5th consecutive appearance for Ireland at the European Cross Country Championships. This is the third consecutive year that he has been selected for the senior race, having competed in the previous two years in the u/23 category. Last year Cormac finished in 8th place, which was the highest Irish finisher in the senior men’s race in over a decade. He will once again look to feature amongst the best endurance runners in Europe in Turkey.

Valencia Marathon

After a minute’s silence as a tribute to the victims and those affected by the devastating floods in late October, the Valencia Marathon got underway early on Sunday morning 1st December. Among the huge entry was Kris Foster and Eddie Newman who reported that the course was very nice and had a beautiful finish but temperatures climbed during the race from the low teens to the low twenties, making the second half very warm and tough as a result. That didn’t precent Kris recording a terrific eight minute improvement for the distance as he posted a great 2:49:42, with Eddie very happy to finish in 2:52:53, 2nd in his master category [GD].

NOVEMBER

Leinster “B” XC & Mixed XC Relays

Fortunately, Storm Bert blew itself out overnight and didn’t affect the Leinster “B” Cross Country and Mixed Cross Country Relays held in Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois on Saturday 23rd November too much. While very strong winds overnight pulled down parts of the course, thanks to the early morning Trojan work by officials from Oughaval AC, the hosts for the event, repairs were completed in good time for the first race. The very heavy overnight rain had cleared by early morning in the Midlands but it left its impact on the course with soft underfoot conditions in some places, though it was the wind that came in for mention more by athletes rather than the soft ground, and while it was windy, the day was generally dry with only the occasional drizzle shower, so we definitely dodged a bullet and weren’t affected too much by the storm or its after effects.

The day started with the mixed relays, which were an “A” Championship event, so competition was fierce in every race. Mullingar fielded a team in the 4 x 250m u/11 Mixed Relay, where Kate Horohoe, Olly Wright, Laura Buckley and Noah Morgan gave it their all, finishing well up but out of the medal places. The Mullingar team in the 4 x 250m u/13 Mixed Relay was Liadan Gavin, Cillian Gavin, Mina Sheridan and Donnacha Doyle and with terrific determination and team effort they raced to an excellent fifth place finish in a very close race. All 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, Kate Horohoe led the Mullingar team home in the u/11 girls 1,000m and despite great support and team effort by Heather Kelly, Lyla Lennon Currill, Laura Buckley and Madeleine O’Brien, the girls finished out of the team medal places but top marks for effort. With Olly Wright in 5th place and Noah Morgan in 10th place in the u/11 boys 1,000m backed up brilliantly by Emmet Walsh and Senan Clinton finishing well up, there was little surprise when it was announced that the Mullingar boys finished 1st Club to win the team gold medals.

Liadan Gavin, Aoife Dunne, Lily McDonald and Mina Sheridan contested the u/13 girls 1,500m where they finished strong and packed really well to finish a brilliant 4th Club, very unlucky to just miss winning Leinster medals. We hadn’t a team in the u/13 boys 1,500m but Cillian Gavin and Donnacha Doyle worked hard and produced great performances, finishing strong and fast in a very competitive race. The final race with a Mullingar interest was the u/15 girls 2,500m where Amelie R Kelly had a great race, sprinting hard up the finish straight to the line, crossing in 13th place, very unlucky to just miss an individual top-12 medal by the closest of margins. Muirin Dunne was close behind running very impressively, having stepped up an age.

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. This is how athletes develop [CW/GD].

National Senior, u/20 & Juvenile Even Ages XC

Castle Irvine Estate in Irvinestown was the venue for the National Senior, u/20 & Juvenile Even Ages Cross Country Championships on Sunday 17th November. Castle Irvine, also known as Necarne Castle, is a 230+ acre estate, nestled in Irvinestown, County Fermanagh. The estate consists of the castle, courtyard and numerous trails through the stunning woodlands. Pitched spectacularly within the estate was the cross country course for the National Cross Country Championships for Senior (& u/23), u/20 and Juveniles u/12, 14, 16 and 18.

Cormac Dalton headed to Fermanagh to defend his National title from last year. He was involved throughout the Senior men 7,500m race in a great battle for the podium places. Eventually he had to settle for the bronze medal. For the club honours he was well supported by the strong finishing of Jack O’Leary in 29th place, Vinny Connolly 35th and Jamie Battle 39th. However, their combined efforts came up just short as they finished 4th Club, just short of the podium places. Kevin Moore, Andy Nevin, Timmy Murphy, Ian McCormack , Matthew Glennon and Stephen Nea gave great support finishing in the middle of a large field. In the u/23 race run in conjunction with the Seniors, Matthew Glennon performed admirably coming home in a top 20 position.

A team from Mullingar Harriers were amongst the nearly 100 starters in the Senior Women 7,500m race. This was great to see, as the club has not fielded a full Senior Women’s team in this race since 2019. Our Leinster Champion, Claire Fagan ran with the leading pack over the very fast first lap and tucked in nicely as the race progressed over the mucky and hilly terrain. The front pack began to split after approximately 3k when the eventual winner, Letterkenny AC’s Annemarie McGlynn pushed the pace on, but Claire continued to race hard finishing strong in 11th position. A great result in what was a very stacked field of high-quality female athletes.

Susan Glennon ran a great race, working with a pack of athletes through the course, to finish in 56th position. Ciara Foy progressed very well through the race, running a fast last lap to finish in 68th. The team was completed with Sinead Whitelaw in 72nd and Orlaith Flanagan in 82nd. The Mullingar Harriers team finished in 8th position overall, a good result in what was a very competitive National club championship. The team also finished 6th County, but 1st “B” County to win National team gold medals.

Mullingar Harriers had athletes competing in the Juvenile and u/20 competitions. Pride of place in these events goes to Lily Walsh who ran a superb race to take individual silver in the u/14 girls 3,000m competition and led the Leinster team to the gold medals in the Inter-Provincial competition. She was well supported by her club colleagues in this event, Chloe Bell, Siomha Leonard, Shaynah Mitchell, Clodagh Keane and Amelie G Kelly.

In the u/12 girls 2,000m there were good performances from Caoimhe Lynam, Lauryn Smith, Katie Bohan, Isabelle Morris and Helen McGrath. In the u/12 boys 2,000m the club and county were represented by Daniel Cummins, Cillian McManus (Athlone AC), Mel Bohan, Adam O’Donoghue, Donagh Bourke, Aaron Robinson, Cillian Gavin, Conor Gavin, Cian Gavin and Noah Morgan. Daniel secured a bronze medal with the Leinster team.

In the u/14 boys 3,000m the club was represented by Antonio Bertolo, Oisin Clarke, Gareth Glennon and Harry Flanagan. Mullingar come home just outside the team medals in 5th place. Eleanor Kiernan was part of the Leinster team to secure silver in the u/16 girls 4,000m, where Tianna O’Leary also performed well. Conor Walsh was the sole club representative in the u/16 boys 4,000m. With a very strong run Conor finished a satisfactory 18th of the 150 participants.

The u/18 boys 4,500m was a very competitive race. Jamie Wallace had a fine run, backed up by Conor Liston, Donagh Carey and Oisin Kehoe, they were just outside a podium place finishing a close 5th club. They had good support also from club colleagues Matthew Molloy, Luke Greene and Txema Lozano. The u/20 Women 4,500m squad ran well and finished 5th club. There were good performances from Grace Byrne, Aibhne O’Farrell, Jessica Cunningham, Aine Gilhooly (Athlone AC), Aisling Lane and Louise Callaghan. The Mullingar team in the u/20 Men 4,500m ran with great determination and an excellent run from John Ryan, followed closely by Diarmuid Fagan, Ross Killalea, Conor Sherwin and Conleth Mullen brought the club home in 5th place and 2nd Leinster team [MO’S].

British & Irish Masters International XC

The 35th staging of the British & Irish Masters International Cross Country took place in Belfast on Saturday 16th November. The Billy Neill Country Park, 115 acres of natural beauty with ten grass football pitches, 3k of walking trails and 2.5k cycle trail along with 25 acres of native species woodland was a spectacular location for the event.

Mullingar Harriers had 5 athletes who gained selection for the Ireland team in their respective categories. A total of 427 athletes representing England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland took part. Maura Dervin, Brigid McCabe, Eddie Newman, Eddie Lynch and Sean McMullin were the Mullingar athletes who took part. Maura, Brigid and Sean took part over a 6k course, with the two Eddie’s competing over 8k.

Brigid McCabe led home the Irish team to secure silver in their category and she herself was 3rd to take the bronze medal. Maura Dervin was the second placed Irish finisher in her category, helping her colleagues secure 3rd place and bronze for Ireland, Sean McMullin was the second Irish athlete to finish, and a part of the 3rd placed Irish team in his category. Eddie Newman, 3rd Irish finisher and Eddie Lynch 4th Irish finisher helped their colleagues to pick up the silver medal in their category. When all the scores of the different masters’ men and women’s competitions were tabulated, for only the second time in the history of the event Ireland won the overall team Gold. A very proud day then for our 5 masters athletes representing their country and club in Belfast, but for Eddie Lynch it was a very special day as it marked his International Debut too, so his name will be added to the International Roll of Honour in the clubhouse [MO’S].

Clontarf Half Marathon

Almost 3,500 athletes took part in the annual Clontarf Half Marathon. Run along the Clontarf Promenade, on an out and back course that takes in a section of beach, the conditions on Saturday 16th November for this year’s event were mild with a light breeze and overcast skies. Mullingar Harriers was represented by Criona Reid (1:35:05) earning her a category win, Joan Hickson (1:44:12), Sharon O’Dowd (1:50:41) and Michelle O’Halloran (2:01:42) [MO’S].

Polish Independence Run

Fresh from her first ever marathon in Dublin two weeks before, Linda Cunningham returned to Dublin on Sunday morning 10th November to take part in the annual Polish Independence Run, organised by Polish Runners Club Ireland. A 10k course around St Anne’s Park, Raheny was the venue for the event and over 240 runners took part. In ideal conditions, with light wind, a cloudy but dry morning, on a course that was mainly flat, no stranger to the twisting and quite slippery 10k route in the park, Linda was delighted with a strong performance and did enough to place 3rd woman overall in a time of 46:21 [LC/MO’S].

Leinster Senior, u/23 & Juvenile Uneven Ages XC

Early morning mist and drizzle gave way to a cool but dry and perfectly calm day in Tinahely, Co. Wicklow on Saturday 2nd November where the Leinster Senior, u/23 & Juvenile Uneven Ages Cross Country was held. This was a new venue and Athletics Wicklow laid out an excellent course with great visibility that meant spectators didn’t have to constantly criss-cross the field to keep up with the action. The course itself had long steady inclines rather than any sharp hills but a few sharp corners, creating a nice balance that challenged the stronger runners but didn’t severely disadvantage the weaker ones. Given the weather, underfoot conditions were absolutely perfect for cross country running, which was reflected in the great racing enjoyed by everyone that attended.

Mullingar was out in force, fielding teams in every Championship race from u/11 up to senior. Despite 27 no-shows, some due to illness, Mullingar still had 86 athletes in action, in fact 92 if you include the youngsters that ran in the non-Championship races, so the maroon and white was to be seen everywhere you looked. With such numbers, success is bound to come, and top of the list of achievements is Claire Fagan and Vinny Connolly successfully defending their senior titles, leading their respective teams to club and county gold for the women, and club gold and county silver for the men. Not to be outdone, our juveniles racked up 17 top-12 individual medals, including a terrific Leinster title for Lily Wals in the u/15 race, to add to the u/14 title she won in Dunboyne two weeks before. Our juvenile teams won 6 juvenile club team medals, one team came close in fourth place, they won a juvenile county team medal and another county team came fourth. This means that Mullingar and Westmeath will have a very big squad competing at the National finals in Tramore in December.

Before the Championship races, there were non-Championship races for girls and boys u/9. Racing over 800m, Tara Coyne, Adele Bertolo were delighted to win top-12 place medals, and in the boys race, Shay Gavigan won a medal, and Robert Bohan, Austin Keaveney and Senan Whelehan ran really well and were delighted to be part of the action on the day and run in front of a big crowd of spectators.

The Leinster Championships proper got underway with the u/11 girls 1,500m where Lauryn Smith raced hard from the gun and was always in contention throughout. After a very strong race, Lauryn came home in a fantastic 3rd place, followed in by Helen McGrath (10th), Emily Rose Coyne (13th), very unlucky to miss an individual top-12 medal by a very narrow margin and with great team support and packing by Roisin Keane, Maisie Walsh, Caitlin McCormack, Aoibheann Lynam, Rose Harte, Kate Horohoe, Lyla Lennon Currill, Heather Kelly and Laura Buckley, the girls finished 1st Club and 4th County. We had a very big team too in the u/11 boys 1,500m where Mel Bohan had the honour of leading them home in a hard fought 10th place, followed closely by Donagh Bourke (13th), narrowly missing an individual medal, and despite great support from Olly Wright, Huw Keaveney, Noah Morgan, Ethan Byrne, Killian Hardman, Senan Clinton, Emmet Walsh, Andrew Bradley, Rory McDonnell, Fionn O’Donoghue, Tiernan Smith and Luke Wallace, the boys finished 4th Club, unlucky to miss out on the medal places, but fourth place means a club team of six can still compete in the National finals in Tramore.

Chloe Bell gave it her all in the u/13 girls 2,500m and was rewarded for her efforts with a great 2nd place finish. Thanks to Amelie G Kelly, Siomha Leonard, Caoimhe Lynam, Clodagh Keane, Liadan Gavin, Kate O’Donoghue, Grace Farry, Isabelle Morris, Mina Sheridan, Alice Hyland and Anna Mae Lynam racing in hard behind, the girls finished 3rd Club, and a very creditable 5th County in a tough race. On to the u/13 boys 2,500m where Daniel Cummins kept right in the leading pack from the start and was delighted to cross the finish in 3rd place, with Gareth Glennon close behind in 8th. Despite missing three key athletes, thanks to great efforts by Harry Flanagan, Adam O’Donoghue, Aaron Robinson, Cian Gavin and Fintan Harte, the boys finished 1st Club and qualified for the National finals. The team also finished a very creditable 5th County.

The Mullingar team in the u/15 girls 3,500m was also badly hit by no-shows and reduced to the bare four needed to score but that didn’t affect Lily Walsh who bided her time and with a perfectly judged effort, went to the front and pulled clear to win by a big margin, adding the u/15 Leinster title to the u/14 title she won two weeks before. Amelie R Kelly, Lucy Kilmurray and Emily Tully put in great efforts but unfortunately the team finished out of the medal places. Medal winning for Mullingar resumed in the u/15 boys 3,500m thanks to Antonio Bertolo finishing strong in 9th place, and with Oisin Clarke close behind in 11th and great support from Greg McDonnell, Daniel Horohoe, Morgan Isdell, Cormac McGrath and Louis Kiernan battling hard all the way to the end, the team richly deserved their medals for 2nd Club.

The Mullingar team in the u/17 girls 4,500m was another one blighted by illness and absence but Eleanor Kiernan dug deep and kept with the leading group and was rewarded with a terrific 5th place finish. Despite the spirited efforts of Isabel Tynan Daly, Blathnaid Peters and Emma Lagan, the team was very unlucky to finish 5th Club, not far off fourth place and a place in the National finals. Lydia McDonnell also ran but due to a recurrence of a recent injury, she wisely stopped mid-way through the race to prevent making it worse. We wish Lydia a speedy recovery. After a great battle, hopes were high or team medals when we saw Oisin Kehoe finish 5th, just ahead of Conor Walsh (6th) in the u/17 boys 4,500m, and with Luke Greene well inside the top twenty, all eyes were on Cian Hyland to provide the vital fourth score, which he did successfully to see the team finish 2nd Club and qualify for the National finals.

Grace Byrne was locked in a great battle for second and third place in the closing stages of the u/19 women 5,000m, eventually having to concede in the finish straight but still very happy with her 3rd place finish. Also having a great race behind her was Jessica Cunningham who threw herself at the line to take the final individual medal in 12th place. With Ailbhe O’Farrell inside the top twenty, followed in closely by Louise Callaghan, we knew it would be close in the team scores, but with a very tight two point advantage, Mullingar finished 1st Club. The team also finished a great 3rd County, our first and what would be out only underage county medals of the day. In the u/19 men 5,000m, Conor Sherwin gave a very spirited performance, never letting up his efforts and came home in 2nd place. Also running really well behind and finishing fast was Jamie Wallace in 5th and Donagh Carey in 12th. This was a classic case of “you’re only as good as your fourth score”, as despite entering a full team, we didn’t have a fourth man on the day, so we left the team gold medals behind.

With the conclusion of the juvenile programme, attention turned to the senior races, where Mullingar definitely kept the best for last. Claire Fagan looked very comfortable and full of running in the early stages of the Senior Women 6,000m race, happy to run with a small leading group. When she decided to strike for home from a distance out, she quickly showed her class, pulling clear effortlessly and with a  truly dominant display won by a distance to retain her Leinster senior title in style. Despite completing the Dublin Marathon only a week before, Ciara Foy and Susan Glennon were full of running and finished well up, and with Sinead Whitelaw and Claire Ross providing great support and vital team scores, the team finished 1st Club and 1st County. Mullingar had a big team in the final race of the day, the Senior Men 9,000m, looking to retain the club title they won for the first time last year. Leading the charge was Vinny Connolly, who patiently waited and ran just behind the leaders in the early laps, with the rest of the Mullingar men running well and contesting every place behind him. As the race progressed, it came down to two in front with Vinny tracking the leader but in the closing lap Vinny made his move to the front and slowly pulled clear to win and retain his Leinster senior title, and with Kevin Moore, James Keegan, John Ryan, Ian McCormack, Kris Foster, Kedagh Geoghagan, Steven Underwood and Stephen Nea putting in great efforts and packing well in support, the men finished 1st Club, retaining the club title they won last year, and they also finished 2nd County to round off a memorable day for our senior athletes.

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 qualified from Tinahely – six on a club team and 10 on a county team – will go forward to the National finals in Tramore, Co. Waterford in December [GD].

OCTOBER

Dublin Marathon

The Irish Life Dublin Marathon had its 43rd staging around the streets of the capital on Sunday morning 27th October. Nearly 20% of the 22,500 that registered and paid their entry fee didn’t actually take to the start line, but for the nearly 18,000 that did, they were welcomed by a bright overcast morning. With a light breeze and temperature at 10degC, it was decent running conditions for all, including the 49 athletes from Mullingar Harriers, though stiffening winds and rain came for those who were still on the course at 12.30pm and later. 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.

The marathon started at Leeson Street Lower and, over five “waves”, athletes got to start between 8:40am and 9:45am. Overall, the event went off without any hitches and all our athletes were very complimentary of the race organisation, highlighting plenty of feeding stations and very good stewarding at all the junctions. A good number of Mullingar Harriers that weren’t competing gave excellent support throughout the course for their Club mates taking part, which was greatly appreciated by all our runners, so well done to all those that travelled to lend vocal support, it really does help.

Eight Mullingar athletes finished in under 3 hours, another eighteen under 3 hours 30 minutes, another two under 3 hours 40 minutes, five under 3 hours 50 minutes, and five just under 4 hours. Hidden among all the performances are several personal best times, some with significant improvements. Times aside however, congratulations to everyone that finished and it’s testament to the hard work put in over many months.

Leading the big Mullingar squad home was Alan Crowley in an impressive 2 hours 48 minutes 6 seconds, followed by Eoin Clarke in 2:48:46 and Eddie Newman in 2:50:35. Our first woman to finish was Ciara Foy in a terrific 2 hours 57 minutes 49 seconds, followed by Susan Glennon in a great 3:06:34 on her debut for the distance, and Mary Stuart in 3:11:03, which is very impressive considering she ran 3:14 in Amsterdam only a week before.

Also competing was Paul Forrestal (2:52:42), Griffin Kearney (2:52:58), Ollie Geoghegan (2:56:33), Robert Downes (2:58:57), Evan McCormack (3:05:20), James Cribbin (3:08:24), Murty Hanly (3:08:30), Tommy Byrne (3:08:50), Darren Carroll (3:10:46), Jacintha Reilly (3:11:15), Enda Seery (3:12:14), Tony Doran (3:14:23), Joan Flynn (3:14:38), Brian Collentine (3:14:57), Mick Fagan (3:15:26), Dara O’Shea (3:18:33), Criona Reid (3:19:05), Aeilish McGovern (3:20:53), Kieran Dodrill (3:21:06), Mark Geoghegan (3:29:42), Orla Gillespie (3:30:14), Paul Byrne (3:36:46), Mark Dunne (3:46:53), Colm Brennan (3:47:01), Gemma Kelly (3:47:03), Marie Louise Johnston (3:47:20), Conor Corcoran (3:47:37), Lorna Moody (3:51:05), Linda Cunnigham (3:51:30), Eithne Spellman (3:52:31), Jane Creevy (3:52:42), Leona Behan (3:55:09), Shaun Mills (3:56:41), Joe Fagan (4:03:34), Aisling Farrell (4:07:50), Aisling Corcoran (4:07:50), Stephen Olwell (4:08:31), Declan Costello (4:18:32), Ray Smyth (4:27:56), Gerard Heraty (4:35:22), Lorraine Claffey (4:38:53), Anna Redmond (4:44:18) and Martin Mullen (4:48:21) [MO’S].

UPDATE 30th october

The individual and team results were published 30th October and Mary Stuart was 2nd in her master category in the National Marathon and 1st in Leinster, and Eddie Newman was 1st in his master category in both National & Leinster Marathons. In the team results, it was National & Leinster master women team gold for Mary Stuart, Criona Reid and Marie Louise Johnston, and Leinster senior women team bronze for Susan Glennon, Jacintha Reilly and Joan Flynn. Congratulations to them all on their medal successes.

Tralee Half Marathon

UNREPORTED

Sunday 27th October

Kris Foster (3rd of 335 finishers) 1:18:45

Leinster Novice, u/20 & Juvenile Even Ages XC

We were extremely fortunate on Sunday 20th October to get the final race of the Leinster Novice, u/20 and Juvenile Even Ages Cross Country finished before the wind really began to pick up ahead of Storm Ashley that was sweeping slowly across the Country from early morning. The wind was strong from early on and as the day progressed it became increasingly gusty but we were spared the worst. In fact the only real storm we experienced was team after team from Mullingar Harriers scooping up team medals from the first race to the last. In fact the only real storm we experienced was team after team from Mullingar Harriers scooping up team medals from the first race to the last. In all, Mullingar won 9 sets of Club team medals and 6 sets of County team medals, including terrific team medals by our Novice women and men. This was in addition to 13 juvenile top-12 individual medals, including the Leinster Title by Lily Walsh, 2 u/20 women individual medals, including the Leinster Title by Grace Byrne, and 2 Novice women individual medals, leaving no one in attendance in any doubt that Mullingar was out in force with a very strong and dominated squad.

Thanks to terrific work by Meath Athletics and Dunboyne AC, the course in Dunboyne was in perfect condition, dry and firm underfoot, in contrast to previous experiences over the years at the same venue when mud and muck was the order of the day, but we certainly had no cause for complaint at all this time. The only problem the runners experienced was strong winds from early on, but cross country runners are a tough bunch and the Mullingar athletes proved well able for the test.

The day started with non-Championship races for girls and boys u/10 and the Mullingar boys and girls 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 Adele Bertolo, Heather Kelly, Sophie Whitelaw, Zoe O’Donoghue, Sarah Cummins, Rachel Robinson, Ellen Cummins, Shay Gavigan, Austin Keaveney, Robert Bohan, Senan Whelehan and Luke Cosgrove on their performances; the future is bright for Mullingar and we can expect to see many of these 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 and among the very big entry of nearly 130 was 10 girls from Mullingar, led home by Caoimhe Lynam, followed in by Penny Bohan, Katie Bohan, Lauryn Smith, Helen McGrath, Isabelle Morris, Roisin Keane, Rose Harte, Aoibheann Lynam and Caitlin McCormack. Even though there were no individual medals won, the team packed brilliantly and were rewarded for their efforts by finishing 2nd Club to win silver medals and get Mullingar off to a flying start on the medal table. The girls also finished a very creditable 5th County. Many 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. We had a huge team of 16 in the u/12 boys 2,000m, so we had plenty to cheer for. Always in contention from the start, Daniel Cummins was rewarded for his efforts with a fine 4th place finish, followed in by Mel Bohan in 11th place, earning the two boys individual medals and a place on the Leinster team in the National finals in four weeks. Racing hard all the boys and piling in behind came Cillian McManus (Athlone AC), Donagh Bourke, Adam O’Donoghue, Conor Gavin, Cillian Gavin, Cian Gavin, Aaron Robinson, Noah Morgan, Olly Wright, Huw Keaveney, Killian Hardman, Rory McDonnell and Andrew Bradley. Unfortunately, Ethan Byrne had to stop after one lap, nothing serious though, and he’ll be fine for the u/11 race in Tinahely in two weeks. With 2 in the top 12 and the rest of the boys packing so well behind, it was little surprise that the boys finished 1st Club by a good margin and 3rd County in an extremely close contest where only 3 points separated the top three Counties.

Last year’s Leinster Champion at u/13, Lily Walsh ran a perfect race in the u/14 girls 3,000m where she waited patiently before kicking for home with half a lap to go to win the Leinster title. Also having a superb race was Chloe Bell who gave every ounce of effort to finish in 6th place. With great support from team mates Shaynah Mitchell, Clodagh Keane, Amelie Kelly, Siomha Leonard, Kate O’Donoghue, Lucy Kilmurray, Isla Brennan, Ruby Brennan, Liadan Gavin, Lily McDonald, Emily Tully, Muirin Dunne, the girls were delighted to finish 3rd Club and keep the medals coming Mullingar’s way. The girls also finished 6th County. In the u/14 boys 3,000m, Oisin Clarke had a real breakthrough race, always in contention for a podium finish from the very start and eventually crossing the line in a brilliant 4th. Antonio Bertolo was on crutches for the earlier part of the week but put all discomforts and worries aside and ran through the pain to finish in 9th, and with Gareth Glennon, Harry Flanagan and Louis Kiernan showing great form and determination, helped the team finish 2nd Club, only 4 points off the top spot.

In a repeat of last year, Tianna O’Leary had the honour of leading the Mullingar team home in the u/16 girls 4,000m with a fine 9th place finish, and with Eleanor Kiernan racing home close behind in 11th place, and great support from Isabel Tynan Daly, Blathnaid Peters, Chloe Duggan, Yves McCague, Emma Lagan and Sorcha McNamee, the girls were terribly unlucky to miss out on team medals, finishing 5th Club, and missing 4th place and an automatic place in the National finals by a mere two points. The team also finished a very creditable 6th County. On to the u/16 boys 4,000m where Conor Walsh really dug deep and raced home in a terrific 9th place. Despite great support from Cormac McGrath, Daniel Horohoe, Morgan Isdell and Daniel Glennon, like the u/16 girls, the boys finished 5th Club, missing 4th and an automatic place in the National finals by just 5 points.

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. Mullingar didn’t have an u/18 team, but fielded a very strong u/20 team. Having a brilliant race and fighting for every place all the way, Grace Byrne raced home in 3rd place overall (1st u/20), and with Jessica Cunningham (3rd u/20), Ailbhe O’Farrell (12th u/18), and great support from Louise Callaghan (u/20) and Alanna Greene (u/20), it was no real surprise the team finished 2nd u/20 Club and 3rd u/20 County. 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 the strong wind, Conor Sherwin (u/20) led the Mullingar team home in 8th place overall, followed closely by Diarmuid Fagan (u/20), Matthew Molloy 12th overall (5th u/18), just ahead of Jamie Wallace (8th u/18), Oisin Kehoe (12th u/18), Donagh Carey (u/18), Conor Liston (u/18), Luke Greene (u/18), Txema Lozano (u/18), John Glennon (u/18), Conor Mulvany (u/18) and Conleth Mullen (u/20). With three in the top twelve u/18, it was no surprise that the u/18 team finished 1st u/18 Club by a huge margin and 1st u/18 County. Including all the u/18 and u/20 together, Mullingar also finished 1st u/20 Club and 1st u/20 County.

By the time the adult races were taking to the start, the wind had really picked up very strong, though the day was still warm and underfoot conditions remained perfect. Among the big field for the Novice Women 4,000m was a strong Mullingar team. Susan Glennon and Sinead Whitelaw were always in contention throughout and it was only in the closing stages that the eventual winner broke clear, but Susan chased her hard and finished strong in 2nd place, followed home by Sinead with a very determined effort in the finish straight to clinch 3rd place, giving Mullingar a brilliant individual silver and bronze. Also having a great race, Orlaith Flanagan was next home, followed by Therese Glynn competing in her first cross country race and Meabh Killalea. With such strong performances all around, the women finished 3rd Club and 2nd County, worthy team medal winners. The day ended 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. Four laps of the course fighting the increasing strong wind, Mullingar had three men in the leading group going into the final lap. Though he took the lead for a short time, Matthew Glennon had to surrender the front in the closing stages but continued to battle through to finish a great 5th place, followed home by Ian McCormack in 8th, James Keegan in 9th, and with Kris Foster, Kedagh Geoghegan, Andy Boyhan, Stephen Campbell, David Cahill and Paddy Daly packing well in support, Mullingar finished 1st Club to retain the team title they won last year and finished 2nd County to round off a medal-filled day for Mullingar.

That rounded off a great day for Mullingar with plenty of individual and team successes and excellent running by everyone. The second round, for Senior and juvenile uneven ages will take place in Tinahely, Co. Wicklow in two weeks. The juvenile even age teams that qualified from Dunboyne will go forward to the National finals in Enniskillen in four weeks [GD].

Amsterdam Marathon

The 48th edition of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon took on Sunday morning 20th October. Highlights of the course include the start and finish in the Olympic Stadium, the passage through the Rijksmuseum and along the Heineken Experience, stretches along the Amstel and the passage through the beautiful Vondelpark. A flat course that winds around the city, it attracts runners from all over the globe. Weather conditions were reasonable with a largely dry morning except for some light rain from time to time, and a 32kph wind, which proved tricky on the open stretches, especially along the section by the Amstel River.

Three Mullingar Harriers athletes made the weekend journey, and each was very pleased with their fine controlled running, matching their training programme and pre-race target times. First home of the trio was Mary Stuart. Mary posted a great time of 3 hours 14 minutes 21 seconds. Joan Hickson had targeted a sub-3 hour 50 minutes and her steady pace paid dividends, as she had that extra bit in the tank for the last 5k to come home in a time of 3 hours 48 minutes 33 seconds. Brendan Rice did not have the opportunity to take part in some of the group training sessions but was pleased to come home in 4 hours 7 minutes 34 seconds.

A highlight for all 3 was the start and finish in the Olympic Stadium. Not lost either on all of them is that this was the venue that saw Ireland win its first Olympic Gold medal with the success of Dr Pat O’Callaghan in the 1928 Games. All three stated that the event was excellently organised and that the only difficulty was the design of the water cups that required athletes to almost have to stop to properly take on fluid [MO’S].

Autumn Open International XC Festival

It was cold but dry in Dublin on Sunday 13th October for the first big cross country fixture of the season, the Autumn Open International Cross Country Festival, which was held at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown where the dry firm underfoot conditions were absolutely perfect for running.

The day started with the National Juvenile Cross Country Relays where Mullingar fielded a very strong team in the u/13 girls 4 x 500m. Amelie Kelly took the lead leg and racing hard from the gun she quickly moved into second place and tracked the leader before handing over to Chloe Bell only a few metres down on first place. Chloe lost no time catching the leader and moved quickly to the front, continuing to race hard and opened a good gap to second place. Kate O’Donoghue took the baton in the lead and with a spirited run kept Mullingar in front before handing over to Clodagh Keane. Clodagh ran a brilliant leg and really gave the opposition a tough challenge to catch her, but she was slowly caught and passed with about 200m to go and dropped back to second place. Continuing to race hard she was terribly unlucky to be pipped right on the line to finish a very close 3rd, but third place in a National final in a near photo finish is a brilliant result for these four very talented girls.

The adult races commenced directly after the juvenile relays and the athletes enjoyed competitive races over the fast cross-country course in Abbotstown. All the master women and the older master men o/65 years ran 6,000m and the younger master men ran 8,000m. Mullingar Harriers was well represented in the master races. The Autumn Open was a trial race for selection for the Irish team to compete in the British and Irish Masters International Cross Country, which will be held in Belfast in November.

In the 6,000m race, Sinead Whitelaw ran a strong race to finish a very creditable 5th in her master category but with only the top four guaranteed selection on the Irish team, unfortunately she is unlikely to be selected. Maura Dervin had a fast finish to see her take 2nd place in her master category, guaranteeing her spot on the Irish team. She was closely followed home by Brigid McCabe who put in a great performance to also finish 2nd place in her master category, guaranteeing her selection on the Irish team. Sean McMullin backed up his previous strong masters performances earlier this year and he finished 3rd in his master category to guarantee his selection on the Irish team. In the 8,000m race, Eddie Newman ran a very good race to finish 4th in his master category and that should be enough to seal his place on his Irish team, but Eddie Lynch just one place behind in 5th just misses out on automatic selection.

Overall, this was a very successful day for Mullingar, with bronze for our u/13 girls relay team and a number of our master athletes can look forward to wearing green Ireland singlets in November in Belfast [SW/GD].

Ray Flynn Mile (Invitation) & 5k Night run

UNREPORTED

Friday 11th October

INVITATION Mile – 11 finishers

Colin D Smith (5th) 4:17; Jamie Wallace (8th) 4:27

5k Night Run – 170 finishers

Kevin Moore (1st) 15:57; Kris Foster (3rd) 16:52

An Cosantóir 10k

The An Cosantóir 10k was held in the Phoenix Park on Wednesday afternoon 9th October. An Cosantóir is the official magazine of the Defence Forces. Open to all ranks of the Permanent and Reserve Defence Forces, staff from the Department of Defence, and retired and invited personnel, the race attracted a huge entry of over 450. Finishing well up in 17th place overall, and 1st woman with over a minute and a half to spare, was Elizabeth Carr in 38:08, a very good time on the very tough course in the Park. Well done to Elizabeth on a very good performance and showing that it’s possible to mix a busy military career with competitive racing [GD].

Athletics Westmeath XC – Day 2

Results of Day 2 – u/9, 11, 13, 15, 17.

Early morning mist gave way to bright warm sunshine in Belvedere on Sunday 6th October for Day 2 of the Athletics Westmeath Cross Country Championships. Weather and underfoot conditions were absolutely perfect for running, much to the delight of officials, spectators and the girls and boys under 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 years that competed, the older ones vying for places on Club and County teams in the upcoming Leinster Championships. As always, Belvedere proved itself as an excellent cross country venue, testing everyone that ran.

There were plenty 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.

Many of the juveniles who took part on day one 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. As on day one, the competitors on day two came from all across the County and included a number of welcome newcomers, with everyone keen to perform well.

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 and 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].

Results of Day 2 – u/9, 11, 13, 15, 17.

Run Galway Bay

On a windy morning in Galway on Saturday 5th October, the annual Run Galway Bay took place in Salthill. Mullingar Harriers had a small but very strong representation in both the 10km and Half Marathon. Claire Fagan ran a superb race in challenging conditions to finish fourth overall of over 1,500 finishers in the 10k in a time of 35:17 to place 1st woman, comfortably clear of the second place woman by over a minute to win the women 10k. Just over 1,400 toed the line for the Half Marathon race where Ciara Foy, a new member of the club by barely a month hit the ground running in the Mullingar colours, recording a new PB of 1:25:05 to finish an excellent fifteenth overall, the 1st woman and nearly two minutes clear of the second place woman, to easily win the woman Half Marathon [SW].

Fastlane 3/4 & Half Marathon

The Fastlane Three Quarter Marathon along the scenic settings of the Grand Canal and around the newly surfaced perimeter of Grange Castle Business Park in Dublin, took place in overcast but dry conditions on Saturday morning 5th October. The course had that country feel on the edge of the city. A flat course with long straights, the route had an elevation gain of 27m over its 10km loops, so flat and fast was the order of the day. Two Mullingar Harriers preparing for the Dublin City Marathon at the end of the month took part. Griffin Kearney ran an excellent time of 2:14:42 and was very happy with his training and progress towards the big day in Dublin. Paul Byrne was also very pleased with his efforts and came home in 2:53:43 in a field of over 500 runners.

There was also a Half Marathon organised and run in conjunction with the three quarter race where Murty Hanly was very happy with his performance, coming home in 1:34:56 in a big field of 620 runners [MO’S.