Westmeath Schools XC 2023 (18th Oct)
The re-scheduled Westmeath Schools Cross Country took place in Belvedere on Wednesday 19th October. We had to postpone it due to a weather alert three weeks before. This time the forecast was for weather fronts coming from the south but Westmeath wasn’t forecast to have much rain until later in the day. Still, some schools feared the worst and decided not to attend, but as it turned out, the day was mostly dry with only occasional drizzle, so the fears were unfounded and the very large crowd that did attend thoroughly enjoyed the event.
Whatever the weather, the grounds in Belvedere always look great and underfoot conditions were not too bad for running despite the rain in the few days before. The hard work put in by volunteers from the Club in setting up the course meant that everything was ready on the day. We are indebted to the many volunteers, members and friends of Mullingar Harriers, who turned up in big numbers on the morning to help officiate and make the day a success. It was great to see the enthusiasm in the competitors from the young first class pupils to the older secondary school students, cheered on by a large number of teachers and parents. The event remains very popular and the feedback from teachers and parents was very positive, so we look forward to continued support in future years.
Sincere thanks to Westmeath Civil Defence who attended to look after any first aid needs with their customary calm and professionalism. The Management & Staff at Belvedere House and Gardens were also of great help in organising the day at a venue that is absolutely ideal for hosting such an event. 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.
