"Shane Brennan 5km", Newtownforbes

The weather early on St. Stephen’s Day morning wasn’t too great but the decision of those that ventured out to compete in the "Shane Brennan 5km" in Newtownforbes, Co. Longford proved a good one as the rain stopped 10 minutes before the race, making for cool but dry perfect running conditions. Among the more than 250 competitors running off the Christmas carbohydrate overload were sixteen Mullingar athletes, with six winning prizes in their categories.

Finishing 4th overall and 2nd senior man was Malcolm McDonnell in 17:06, with Mark McCann on his heels in 17:07 to finish 3rd senior man. Next in for Mullingar was Matt Glennon (2nd in master category), followed by Ollie Donnelly (1st in master category), Aron Fahey, Ben Vaitkevichius (3rd in master category), Pat Muldoon Senior, Aine O’Reilly and John Bannon. Also competing in Newtownforbes and enjoying the festive fun to round off 2012 were Edel Glennon, Susan Glennon, Sean McMullin (1st in master category), Brendan Marshall, Mary Goldsberry, Kevin Glennon and Sinead Marshall.

"Fields of Athenry" 10km

Without fear of contradiction, it’s fair to say that while Newtownforbes escaped the rain on St. Stephen's Day, the same couldn’t be said for Athenry where Apocalyptic is the only description that comes even close to describing conditions for the "Fields of Athenry" 10km! Some pools of water on the roads had turned into mini-lakes with water several inches deep. Regardless of the weather, over 1,000 took part, all delighted to cross the line and not let the weather get the better of them. Among them was Eddie Newman finishing in 37:51, placing him 45th overall and 2nd in his master category to round off his year with another prize.

St. Oliver Plunkett’s Hurling Club 5k

On Sunday afternoon 16th December we saw a new fixture on the local road race calendar that has all the hallmarks of a race that is sure to grow – interesting course, friendly organisation and good prizes. The inaugural St. Oliver Plunkett’s Hurling Club 5km Run attracted a good attendance of nearly 100 athletes taking full advantage of the cool but dry and calm weather and enjoying the course, which was a mix of open road and canal towpath, with plenty of stewards along the way to make sure no-one went astray. Being a local race it was well supported by Mullingar Harriers.

About a mile into the race and Stephen Nea, Malcolm McDonnell and Mark McCann began to slowly open a gap on the field. As the race progressed, Stephen began to impose himself and gradually pull away and opened a gap that he held to the finish to win comfortably, with Malcolm finishing strongly in 2nd, and Mark close behind in 3rd. Next in for Mullingar was Liam McGlynn (1st in his master category), Keith Gorry, Eddie Newman (2nd in his master category), Mel Carthy, Ben Vaitkevichius (1st in his master category), Noel Moody (1st in his master category), Michael Walshe, Aisling Moody (1st woman), Lorna Moody (2nd woman), Brian Farrell (1st boy), Marc Reilly-Watters, Christy Creagh (1st in his master category), Ciara Smith (1st girl), Hugh O’Reilly and PJ Ballesty.

Linda Conroy witnesses a bit of history at Euro Cross Country

An airport closure in Budapest on Friday 7th December meant that Linda Conroy and the Ireland teams for the European Cross Country Championships in Szentendre (Budapest), Hungary had to change their travel plans. Instead of a direct flight to Budapest on Friday, the teams had to fly to London, stop overnight there, and on Saturday take a flight to Venice and then a two hour coach trip to Budapest. Not the ideal preparation for an important fixture but such is the life of the International athlete that Linda can add to her bank of experience.

The Junior women race in sub-zero temperatures and a blanket of packed snow early on Sunday morning 9th December surely tested the mettle of everyone taking part but Linda stuck to her task and was the fifth score for the Ireland team that placed a very respectable eighth overall. Having only experienced juvenile International athletics up to now, this was Linda’s first taste of the big time and a very big step up for her, especially as she is still only 16 years of age and therefore eligible for another three years and was very possibly one of the youngest in the race. Next year’s Euro Cross Country will be in Belgrade (Serbia), which is likely to be just as cold, so assuming Linda qualifies in 2013, at least she’ll know what to expect.

It must have been quite inspiring for Linda to be present to see Fionnuala Britton successfully retain her individual title in the Senior women race, proving that she really is a top class athlete, and leading Ireland to the gold team medals, a first for Ireland. This is a brilliant result for Fionnuala and the Ireland team. It’s not too long ago when we saw her competing in underage events at home, so her win should really be an inspiration to Linda that it is very realistic to set her sights to a similar height.

Results mix-up, so we don't really know how we did!
Full results finalized, so we know we did well - updated 12 Dec Read more

Waterford Half Marathon

The cold sharp weather on Saturday 1st December didn’t prevent nearly 1,400 toeing the line for the Waterford AC Half Marathon. Having an excellent run and very pleased to finish 15th overall in 1:18:00, this performance from Maurice Looby was good enough to take second prize in his master category. Despite all the months of preparation, Clare O’Donnell was unable to compete in the Dublin City marathon last October due to injury, but has since recovered and was delighted to be able to take part in and complete the half marathon last Saturday in 1:55:49. With great team spirit, unselfishly keeping pace for her and encouraging her all the way were Philip Burke, Thomas Archbold, Pauline Troy and Martin Brady, with the "Mattie’s Marathoners" quintet safely crossing the line together. Well done to all who made the long journey to Waterford to support this fixture.

NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships

Competing in the Iona College colours at the 2012 NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships held at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday 17th November, which drew a huge entry of over 245 athletes in the 10km men’s race, Jake Byrne had a good competitive run and was Iona’s second finisher with a time of 31:14.7. Unfortunately, the Iona team finished out of the medals and in fact this was the first time since 2001 that Iona finished outside of the top ten places at the NCAAs but as Jake is only in his second year at Iona, he has a few more years to amend that and put Iona back in the top finishers once again.

NCAA Northeast Regional XC Championship

Jake Byrne continued his excellent current form with another very good run on Friday 9th November to finish eighth in 30:29.4 in the 10km race at the NCAA Northeast Regional XC Championships held at Hammonasset State Park in Madison, Connecticut. Jake was the third score on the winning Iona team. The win earns Iona an automatic place in the NCAA Championships to be held on Saturday 17th November in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dublin City Marathon

The annual Dublin City Marathon held on Bank Holiday Monday saw the largest ever number of athletes from our Club taking part, and in the process almost all of them produced personal best times, with Kevin Baker running a blinder to finish in 51st place overall in a fine time of 2 hours 38 minutes to lead twelve Club members under the magic 3 hours mark. Following Kevin home was Mark Carroll (2:43), Patrick Muldoon Junior (2:48), Gerry Duffy (2:53), Eddie Newman (2:54), Ollie Donnelly (2:55), Mary Scully (2:58), Damien Monaghan (2:59), Mark McCann (2:59), Matt Glennon (2:59), Martin Lyons (2:59) and Mel Carthy (2:59). Mary Scully had a particularly fine run to finish fourth in her category, becoming the second woman from Mullingar Harriers to finish under three hours, the first being Anne Goggin a few years back. All who took part and achieved their goal are to be congratulated and they all deserve a good rest now for a few weeks.

Also competing:

Pat Muldoon Junior (3:08), Mickey Dan Murtagh (3:10), Murty Hanly (3:10), Stephen Naughton (3:16), Sinead Roche (3:18), Dermot Berry (3:28), Enda O’Carolan, Brian Maguire, Seamus Kiernan, Terri Greene, Paddy Monaghan, Naomi Duggan, Patricia Broderick, Joan Flynn, John Raleigh, Thomas Archbold, Andrew Kinane, Martin Brady, Pauline Troy, Niamh Gibney, Mary Ormsby, Ciara Dillon, Emer Foley, Ruth Lynch, Deirdre Raleigh, Siobhan McCarthy, Wendy O’Leary, Breda Walsh, Martina Kennedy, Catherine Mooney, Laura Egan, Sinead Muldoon, Grace Tyrrell, Siobhan Ruane and Paula Kilmurray.

MAAC Cross Country Championship

He might have been running at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on Saturday morning 27th October, but Jake Byrne certainly didn’t put in a Mickey Mouse performance at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship. Jake continued his recent run of excellent form to finish a brilliant fourth overall in the 8,000m race in 24:30.78, helping Iona to the team title. Jake’s next competition will be at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship at Van Cortlandt Park, New York in two weeks time.

Gerry Farnan Cross Country

Amended 26 Oct - Tom McGrath missing from official results
Conditions were ideal in the Phoenix Park on Sunday 21st October for the Gerry Farnan Cross Country & Masters Trials where Mullingar had a number of master athletes in action looking to earn selection on the Ireland teams to compete at the British and Irish Masters International Cross Country, which this year will be held in Dublin Stormont, Belfast.

In the women’s race seniors and masters ran together over 3 miles, and Breda Daly finished a very respectable eighth in her master category, which unfortunately won’t earn her selection on the Ireland team, but she was still pleased with her race. The master men ran with the senior men over 5 miles, which was run at a very fast pace from the start. Tom McGrath had a tremendous race to finish in 27:37 and win his master category with 10 seconds to spare and earn automatic selection on the Ireland team. Ben Vaitkevichius ran a great race to finish second in his master category to earn automatic for the Ireland team, but not so fortunate for Pat Muldoon Senior who finished well but outside the selection places. Sean McMullin and Christy Creagh raced over 3 miles and finished well up in their master category, finishing fifth and seventh respectively, and must await the decision of the selectors to find out if they will make the Ireland teams. Well done to all who competed.

Longwood 5k
He had to work very hard in the closing stages, but the effort was worth it as Paddy Kelly recorded another win over 5km, this time at the Longwood 5km Road Race on Sunday 21st October. Paddy's winning time was 15:48, which is very good for this time of the year. The near perfect weather conditions attracted the biggest number to participate in this annual race, and among them and finishing strongly not far behind Paddy were Club mates Malcolm McDonnell and Colm Walsh.

Clane 10k

Nearly 170 took to the line for the inaugural Clane 10km Road Race on Sunday 21st October, which was run in near perfect bright dry but cool conditions. Stephen Naughton was the Club’s sole representative and finished an excellent 12th overall in 39:22.

Donadea Forest 10k

The beautiful crisp and sunny autumn weather on Saturday morning 13th October provided a wonderful setting for the Donadea Forest 10km Race in Naas, Co. Kildare. The race began with a few kilometres on the roads and then entered the Forest for a full loop until the finish deep in the forest beside the lake. The race has grown to be a very popular event and comes in good time as a last fast run-out for athletes preparing for the Dublin City Marathon. Among the nearly 600 finishers was Stephen Naughton, who was very pleased with his 42nd place overall in 40:48, which placed him an excellent 8th place  in his master category.

Adidas Invitational XC - Univ. of Wisconsin

Jake Byrne was in action on Friday 12th October at the fourth Annual Adidas Invitational at the Thomas Zimmer Cross Country Course on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, USA. Competing against 21 of the top 30 collegiate teams, Jake’s Iona College men cross country team finished an excellent second overall. Jake was a scoring member of the team and recorded another impressive run. Following an excellent track season, it is great to see that Jake is going from strength to strength since his return stateside.

Athlone Three Quarter Marathon

Starting and finishing at the Glasson Golf Hotel on the shore of Lough Ree, the third edition of the Athlone Three Quarter Marathon took place on Sunday 7th October, providing excellent preparation for the Dublin City Marathon at the end of the month. Pat Muldoon Senior and Patrick Muldoon Junior ran together to finish in 2:17:10, good enough to earn Pat Senior first prize in his master category. Stephen Naughton also competed and was pleased with his 2:22:44 finish time. All three can now look forward to Dublin with increased confidence.

Amended 14 Oct - after full results published
Given the big number of Club athletes that are training for the Dublin City Marathon at the end of the month, it was no surprise that Mullingar was very well represented at the Galway Bay Half Marathon on Saturday 6th October, with 16 from the Club taking to the line.

First to finish for Mullingar was Kevin Baker in 8th place with a very quick 1:15:25, followed by Mark Carroll 11th in 1:16:42 and Paddy Kelly 12th in 1:17:00 to finish a close second team to a very strong Clonliffe Harriers AC team from Dublin. Next in was Mary Scully 23rd overall in 1:21:27, finishing second woman to Olympian Pauline Curley (Tullamore Harriers), and leading the Mullingar women team of Ciara Dillon and Patricia Broderick to a well deserved first prize.

Others to compete were Martin Lyons (1:21:40), Gerry Duffy (1:21:54), Matt Glennon (1:22:39), Enda O’Carolan (1:24:12), Mickey Dan Murtagh (1:27:28), Siobhan Moore, Gerardine Fagan, Catherine Mooney and JP O’Brien doing an excellent job of pacing Catherine all the way to the finish. Well done to everyone that competed.

September

Berlin Marathon

Congratulations to Aron Fahey who recorded a new marathon personal best time in the Berlin Marathon on Sunday morning 30th September. Aron had hoped to break the 2:50 mark, which is an ambitious target, but he had been showing very good form in recent road races, so it was also a very realistic target. Going through the halfway mark in 1:24:55 put him bang on target for 2:50. Aron felt strong in the latter stages and was able to pick up the pace from the three quarter point and ran the second half in a much quicker 1:23:30, to finish in 2:49:52 on the clock but 2:48:25 on the timing chip, so he’ll rightly plump for 2:48 as his PB. This was Aron’s first time under 3 hours, so it’s a significant breakthrough for him.

Streete 5km Run

Well done to Paddy Kelly on notching up yet another 5km victory in a local road race, this time in the Streete 5km Run on Sunday 30th September where he finished in 16:48 on a tough course in very windy conditions that really tested the runners. It was 1-2-3 for Mullingar, as Paddy was joined on the podium by Mel Carthy (second) and Kieran Nolan (third). Also competing in Streete for Mullingar were Liam O’Reilly, Noel Moody, Christy Creagh and Hugh O’Reilly. Congratulations to them all.

Greater Louisville Classic Cross Country

Well done to Jake Byrne who had an excellent season opening run to finish in 19th place in the men’s 8,000m gold race at the Greater Louisville Classic in the EP "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday 29th September. Among the big field of 255 runners were many of the NCAA contenders, so it was an excellent start and augers well for the cross country season ahead. Jake’s Iona College team were also convincing winners of the team competition.

AAI 20km Walk Title for Sean McMullin

Congratulations from everyone at the Club to Sean McMullin on winning his master category at the AAI 20km Race Walking Championship of Ireland in Raheny, Dublin on Saturday 29th September.

Junior Home Counties Hill Running International

Congratulations to Padraig Moran on his performance in the Junior Home Countries Hill Running International in Melmerby, Cumbria on Saturday 22nd September where he competed on the Ireland under 16 team against teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Normally what goes up must come down, but on this occasion, the races were all uphill and had no downhill sections. This was a tough challenge for Padraig but he proved his mettle, finishing an excellent tenth overall, second finisher on the team, helping Ireland to third place.

Wednesday 19th September was a wonderful day out for almost all the schools in the County at the Westmeath Schools Cross Country. The only losers were those schools who decided not to take part. The event proved that there is an amazing spread of talent across the County and we’d encourage anyone wishing to give athletics a try to join an athletic club.

This is an expensive event to hold and we wish to extend a special word of thanks to JP O’Brien and Rock N Bowl in Mullingar and to Andy MacEoin of North Westmeath AC for their generous sponsorship of the event. Thanks to the many teachers for their help on the day, and where would we be without the many volunteers, many of whom took time off work to help make the day so successful. Also, many thanks to the Management and Staff of Belvedere House and Gardens who had the grounds in perfect condition as usual, and to Westmeath Civil Defence for providing first aid cover.

Dublin Half Marathon

For runners preparing for a marathon, this is the ideal time to run a half marathon to gauge how training is progressing. Maybe the glut of road races was the reason that numbers were down this year by just over 2,000 for the Dublin Half Marathon in the Phoenix Park on Saturday morning 15th September, the final race in the series building up to the Dublin City Marathon in October, though with over 6,300 finishers, it’s still an impressive turn-out.

Conditions weren’t bad for running, though a strong wind and a tough hilly course certainly tested the runners throughout the 13.1 mile course. Even though many from the Club chose to compete in Athlone on the same day and avoid the hustle and bustle of getting to Dublin, the Club was still well represented with a group of 18 taking part.

Finishing well up was newcomer Malcolm McDonnell in an excellent 1:23:08, followed closely by Mickey Dan Murtagh (1:24:43) placing well in his master category, Darragh Thornton (1:24:53), Enda O’Carolan (1:27:05), Pat Muldoon Senior, sixth in his master category in 1:29:01, and Patrick Muldoon Junior also finishing in 1:29:01. A three hour marathon is well within range for these men. Also competing for Mullingar was Sean Fallon, Ray Daly, Seamus Kiernan, Ciara Dillon, Stephen Naughton, Marguerite Lyons, Hannah Buchanan, Sorcha O’Keeffe, Grace Browne, Paula Kilmurray, Sinead Muldoon and Deirdre Fallon.

Athlone Half Marathon

The convenience of Athlone meant that rather than travel to the Phoenix Park for the Dublin Half Marathon on Saturday 15th September, a large group of 41 athletes from the Club competed in the inaugural "Flatline Athlone Half Marathon", so named because the course is flat and therefore likely to be fast. Going head to head with an established race in Dublin was a gamble, but with a very impressive 676 taking part in its first running, it’s a gamble that clearly paid off for the organizers.

Choosing Athlone certainly paid off for the Mullingar athletes too, with most recording fast times and a number recording PBs, so there was nothing "flat" about the performances! Best of the group was Tom McGrath finishing 2nd overall in a fantastic 1:12:48, just having the better of Kevin Baker in the closing yards who finished a very close 3rd in 1:12:52. These are impressive times. Also finishing strongly was Mark Carroll (8th overall in 1:15:52), Paddy Kelly (11th in 1:17:34), Eddie Newman (17th in 1:19:38) and Martin Lyons (20th in 1:20:33). Mary Scully was an impressive winner of the women’s race in 1:20:57 with Michelle O’Halloran running a super 1:32:55 to finish 4th woman. Also competing was Ollie Donnelly (1:21:35), Gerry Duffy (1:21:41), Mark McCann (1:21:59), Matthew Glennon (1:22:45), Damien Monaghan (1:23:11), Mel Carthy (1:24:41), Enda Finnerty (1:30:17), Dermot Berry (1:31:39), John Bannon (1:35:38), Naomi Duggan, Patricia Broderick, Joan Flynn, Martin Brady, James Heffernan, Thomas Archbold, Christy Creagh, Niamh Gibney, Pauline Troy, Melanie Barry, Mary Ormsby, Laura Egan, Breda Walsh, Siobhan McCarthy, Marie Coyle, Wendy O’Leary, Martina Kennedy, Anthony Heffernan, Olive McWade, Catherine Mooney, Catherine Lagan, Natasha Miskell, Teresa Booker and Pauline Foran.

Castletown-Geoghegan 5km Run

Well done to Castletown-Geoghegan GAA for organizing an excellent 5km road race on Friday 7th September, which was very well supported by local athletes of all ages and abilities, with about 160 finishers. The GAA Club and the entire community really got behind this race with plenty of stewards on the course, excellent traffic control, rapid production of results, and a fine spread of food afterwards for the hungry runners. Even the weather came on board and everyone enjoyed the beautiful warm and sunny September evening. The course was testing but fair, with a tough uphill first 2km but then a very runner-friendly final 3km.

It was a 1-2-3 for Mullingar in the men’s race, Paddy Kelly showing an excellent turn of pace over the final 400m to win in 16:04 from Vinny Connolly, with Tom McGrath in third place. In the women’s race, best from Mullingar was Linda Conroy showing excellent early form for the forthcoming cross country season, followed by Aisling Moody and Lorna Moody.

Among the many others from Mullingar in action were Miriam Walsh, James Cribbin, Sean McMullin, Christy Creagh, Andy Quinn, Leo Gunning, Max Gunning, Pauline Quinn, Ann McNulty and Olivia Cronin. This is certainly a race worthy of support in the future and the numbers should increase as the years go on.

AAI Half Marathon
Eddie Newman turned in a strong performance at the AAI Half Marathon in Athenry, Co. Galway on Sunday 2nd September, contending with hot and humid conditions on a tough undulating course, crossing the line in an impressive 1:20:58. Eddie finished 72nd overall from over 400 finishers and a very respectable 9th overall in his master age category.

Tailteann Irish Schools Interprovincial T&F

The Club was well represented at the Tailteann Irish Schools Interprovincial T&F in Santry on Saturday 23rd June when we had six athletes representing their Schools and Colleges, but competing on the Leinster Team, all hoping to earn selection to compete at the Schools International T&F in England in July. As it transpired, only Edel Glennon and Linda Conroy earned selection for the Ireland team, but the others gave excellent accounts and can be proud of their performances.

Edel Glennon (St. Finian’s Mullingar) used all her experience in the very competitive and technical 3,000m race walk to take silver, matching her performance in the All-Ireland Schools in June, which earns her selection on the Ireland team. Linda Conroy (Mercy Kilbeggan) couldn’t quite match the form that saw her take All-Ireland School’s 3,000m title but her third place finish was enough to win her first Tailteann medal and a place on the Ireland team. Vicky Harris (Wilson’s Hospital School) has made tremendous progress as a sprinter over the past year, and in the 200m she ran a terrific bend to put her in good position to compete for a medal but despite her best efforts she just couldn’t get into the medal places, but earned valuable points for the Leinster team. Any disappointment after the 200m was erased as she ran the long second leg of the 4x100m relay later in the afternoon, taking the baton in second place but handing over in first, playing a big part in helping Leinster to victory and winning her a gold Tailteann medal.

Jack Reid (St. Joseph’s Rochfortbridge) and Jack O’Leary (Clongowes Wood) competed well in the 1,500m but just couldn’t find the extra edge to get in the medal places, but they never stopped working and trying hard all the way to the finish. Both are underage again next year and given their talent and determination, we suspect the results will be very different in 2013! Padraig Moran (CBS Mullingar) looked extremely relaxed and smooth as he kept right with the pace in the 3,000m and looked certain to get a good result. Taking the lead with 500m to go he began to pull clear but was slowly hauled back in on the back straight and was passed with 200m and dropped into third. Despite a late rally and surge of pace in the finishing straight he had to settle for third place, a bronze medal, but very disappointed not to make the Ireland team.

These were spirited performances by the Mullingar athletes and we’ll see them in action later in the season looking for National glory in the Mullingar colours.

AAI Juvenile Team Competition

No strangers to All-Ireland Finals, Shauna Leydon and Nicola Groenewald drew on all their experience at the AAI National Juvenile Team Competition on Saturday 23rd June in Cork IT to take silver in the u/11 long jump. After an absorbing competition, competing as a "pair" where their scores are added to give a team score, the girls finished second by only 1 centimetre. You don’t much closer than that. The 60m was a different matter and even though they ran very well, such was the high standard of competition they finished out of the medal places. It was the same too for Colin Smith and Oisin Murray in the u/10 ball throw and 500m where they really enjoyed the competition but finished out of the medals on this occasion. Well done to them all for flying the Mullingar flag in Cork.

"Streets on Fire" 5km Road Race

On Friday 22nd June, as part of the "Destination Sport Mullingar" week of sporting events, Westmeath Sports Partnership held a 5km road race on an excellent two lap course of the town, starting just outside the Town Park and finishing in the Park itself, opposite the Annebrook House Hotel, which served as an excellent Race HQ for the event. Dubbed the "Streets on Fire" 5k, Paddy Kelly and Kevin Baker were certainly on fire as they battled hard throughout, with only a few metres separating them in the finish. Paddy just got the better of Kevin, but had to run a PB of 15:40 to do so. The race was well supported by Mullingar Harriers athletes and many won prizes in the various categories. Over 130 runners, joggers and walkers took part and were happy with the atmosphere of the race and enjoyed the post-race refreshments in the Annebrook House Hotel. The local Gardaí did an excellent job controlling traffic to ensure those taking part could do so safely, with Westmeath Civil Defence also in attendance providing stewards on the course and first aid cover.

Dublin Graded Meeting

BMAF 5km Road Race Walking Championship

Sean McMullin has competed at every British Masters Athletic Federation 5km Road Race Championship since the event was first held at Horwich, near Bolton, and on Sunday 17th June he kept his unbroken record intact. Competing in the 5,000m road race walk over three laps of the Town Centre, Sean finished second in his master age-category. The race winner is younger than Sean and when times were adjusted on an age-related basis, Sean won the Trophy for Best Overall Master on the day. Congratulations to Sean on winning the trophy, a new award for his cabinet!

Leinster u/9, 10 & 11 Pairs and u/12 T&F

Updated 19 June
The re-scheduled Leinster u/9, 10 and 11 Pairs Competition and u/12 T&F Championships took place in Navan on Saturday 16th June on a cool day with heavy black clouds, but thankfully no rain on the day. The under 12 athletes competed as individuals and the younger ones competed in "pairs" with their times, or throws or jumps added together to give the team score for the pair.

Colin Smith and Oisin Murray impressed in the 500m u/10 where their combined times won them the silver medals, and in the ball throw later in the day, they followed up with bronze medals. They’ll now compete at the AAI National Finals in Cork IT this Saturday. Joining them will be Shauna Leydon and Nicola Groenewald who paired up in the u/11 long jump to win silver and in the 60m sprint they won bronze. Mark Shaw and Max Gunning paired in the 500m u/10 and ran well and were unlucky to finish 4th, just out of the medals. No luck for them either in the very competitive 60m sprint but they really enjoyed the competition. Jennifer Fidgeon and Ciara Smith also found the pace of the 600m u/11 too quick to get in the medal places, and it was likewise for Andrew Shaw and Leo Gunning in their 600m u/11. Medals or not, the Club’s youngsters really got into the spirit of the competition and will benefit hugely from the experience.

Aoife Darby was an impressive winner of her heat of the 600m u/12 and in the final kept herself right in contention throughout and only lost out in the final sprint and was very unlucky to finish fourth, just out of the medals and a place in the AAI National Finals in July. John Whitelaw suffered a leg injury in his heat of the 600m u/12 and this ruined his chance of advancing to the final. Andrew Daly qualified comfortably from his heat of the 600m u/12 and in the final ran a very good race but finished out of the medals. In her 600m u/12, Elysia Greene competed well but didn’t qualify for the final from her very fast heat. Elysia also competed in the Long Jump where she jumped very well and even though she finished out of the medals, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In the 60m sprint u/12, Adam Bate was drawn in a very fast heat and was unlucky not to advance to the final. Great performances all around and the Club has some real talent in the younger ages to watch for in the coming years.

Trim AC "Braveheart" 5km Trail Run

The very heavy rain in the days before the Trim AC "Braveheart" 5km Trail Run on Friday 15th June in the Porchfields turned what is normally a lovely trail along the banks of the Boyne, overlooked by Trim Castle, into a very mucky condition. The race was more like a cross country race than a summer trail run, with river levels very high on parts of the course. Trim AC really put a huge effort into organizing the event under difficult conditions and was rewarded with an excellent turn-out of nearly 440 runners and joggers. The rain held off for the race, which was some consolation for everyone taking part in this ever popular race.

The customary claxon siren started the race and the leaders took off at a good fast pace. First to finish from Mullingar was Kevin Baker 3rd overall in 16:35, with Mark Carroll 7th, Matt Glennon (2nd in master category) and Enda O’Carolan with a fine run to finish well up the field in 23rd completing the Mullingar quartet.

This was a superb event organized by Trim AC, and everyone at Trim AC should take a bow on the organization in such tricky weather conditions.

The Downs GAA 5k

The nice flat loop on quiet country roads was well appreciated by the huge crowd of nearly 360 runners, joggers and walkers that took part in The Downs GAA 5k on Wednesday 13th June and resulted in fast times and many personal bests. The local community and members of the GAA Club were out in force to help organize and steward the race. This was the first running of the race and most of the participants agreed that they will look forward to returning to The Downs in 2013.

Being so close to home, needless to say, the race was well supported by athletes from Mullingar Harriers, led home by Michael Gibson Brabazon with an excellent 2nd place finish in 16:12, just ahead of Matt Glennon 3rd (1st in master category) in 16:14 and early leader Jack O’Leary on his heels in 4th (1st boy u/16) in 16:15. These were followed in by Mark McCann 6^th, Ollie Donnelly 7th (1^st in master category), Ben Vaitkevichius 9th (1st in master category), Mel Carthy, David Fagan, Cormac Dalton, Enda Finnerty, Mickey Dan Murtagh, Alanna Bate (1st girl u/16), Michelle O’Halloran, Euan Lagan, Aisling Moody, Lorna Moody, Patricia Broderick, Matt Shaw, Siobhan Moore, Michael Moloney, Christy Creagh, Noel Moody, Leo Gunning, Ciara Smith, Wendy O’Leary, Hugh O’Reilly, Jude Lagan, Catherine Mooney, Catherine Lagan, Des Walsh, Yvonne Kane, Geraldine Walsh, Mikey Moffatt and Megan O’Leary. We hope we got everyone but there were so many there it’s easy to miss a few! RESULTS

British Milers Club Meeting, Watford, England

The British Milers Club Meeting in Watford, England on Saturday 10th June provided Shane Fitzsimons and Robert Yorke with the opportunity to race against top class opposition in a meeting that featured many of the leading middle distance athletes in both the UK and Ireland. Shane was confident of a good performance in the 1,500m following his recent excellent form and immediately moved towards the front of the field. Despite having to do most of the front running, Shane produced an excellent turn of pace over the final three hundred metres to race clear and record a convincing victory. His time of 3:50.28 was a personal best by over three seconds and is further evidence of his fine current form.

Robert Yorke competed in an 800m and was undeterred by the fact that several of his opponents have vast international experience. Following a steady opening lap Robert produced his trademark fast finish to finish in second place in a season’s best time of 1:52.23. Both Shane and Robert will benefit greatly from the experience of participating in these races and can look forward with real confidence to the remainder of the track season.

Bohermeen AC "Patrick Bell Memorial" 5km Road Race

Nearly 500 participants can’t be wrong! Bohermeen AC continues to set the bar very high when it comes to organising a road race and on Saturday 9th June the huge number of competitors at the Bohermeen AC "Patrick Bell Memorial" 5km Road Race once again proved the popularity of this fantastic event. Among the big crowd was a group from Mullingar, led home by Vinny Connolly finishing in 7th place overall and pleased with his time of 15:46. Just two places behind was Paddy Kelly (15:58), then Ollie Donnelly (3rd in master category), Eddie Newman, Mel Carthy, Kieran Nolan (3rd in master category), Mervyn Kennedy, Pat Muldoon Senior and Deirdre Fallon all enjoying the hospitality and super organisation in Meath.

Multyfarnham 5km Road Race & Fun Run

Wednesday 6th June saw the introduction of a new road race on the athletics fixture list with the Multyfarnham 5km Road Race & Fun Run. Consensus is that the route was very nice, with a good climb for the first kilometre, but downhill or level after that, save for one or two little hills. The weather was quite pleasant too, being overcast but clammy. Nearly 40 Club members supported this local race, with so many picking up prizes in the various categories including senior, junior, under 16 and master men and women that it was hard to keep track of who won what.

Mullingar Harriers really made their presence felt, as Kevin Baker stormed to victory in a quick 15:57, with Vinny Connolly 2nd, Padraig Moran 3rd, Mark Carroll 4th, Martin Lyons 5th and Matt Glennon 6th filling the top six places.

Next to finish from the Club was Ollie Donnelly, then Ben Vaitkevichius, Justin Murtagh, Mel Carthy, Kieran Nolan, Cormac Finnerty, Jack Moran (1st u/16 boy), Oisin Quinn, John Shaw, Alanna Bate (1st u/16 girl), Michael O’Sullivan, Aidan Daly, Aisling Moody, Yvonne Malone, Rian Kelleher, Lorna Moody, Patricia Broderick, Miriam Walsh, Matt Shaw, Christy Creagh, Noel Moody, Leo Gunning, Hugh O’Reilly, Marguerita Lyons, Wendy O’Leary, Elysia Greene, Niamh Quinn, Mark Finnerty, Catherine Lagan, Max Gunning, Des Walsh, Emma Thompson, Geraldine Walsh and Geraldine Carthy.

Congratulations to Enda Finnerty for organising such a memorable event, which was capped off with a great spread of food and refreshments in Weir’s Pub after the race, where the prizes were presented. With over 260 finishers, this is definitely a race with a future and we look forward to its return in 2013. RESULTS

Fore 5km Road Race & Fun Run

It’s 50 years since a road race was held in Fore, but that changed on Saturday 2nd June when Ballycomoyle GAA Club introduced the Fore 5km Road Race & Fun Run. Coming so close after the Mullingar Road League and just two days before the Women’s Mini Marathon in Dublin, might have impacted on the number taking part, but with 175 finishers, there’s no doubt on the success of the new fixture. On a really nice summer morning, the runners were treated to some spectacular scenery around Fore, and a fabulous course but it was tough and included some serious hills to negotiate along the way.

Competition was serious at the front and after a thrilling race, Mark Carroll was very pleased to finish in 3rd place in 16:58, followed by Martin Lyons (4th), Matt Glennon (5th), Justin Murtagh (6th), Eddie Newman 7th (1st in his master category), JP O’Brien, Kieran Nolan, Pat Muldoon Senior, Lorna Moody (2nd woman), Aisling Moody, Matt Shaw, Christy Creagh, Noel Moody, Des Walsh and Geraldine Walsh (1st in master category) all enjoying the race.

This was a very well organised event, with a very generous prize fund and an excellent spread of food and refreshments after the race, which is always appreciated by the participants. Well done to Ray Farrelly and his hard working team on organising such a terrific fixture.

Leinster Senior & Master T&F

Amended Tues 5 June - Gold for Sean McMullin in 5,000m run
What a difference a day makes! Returning to Tullamore on Sunday 3rd June for the Leinster Senior & Master T&F, the weather was cold, wet and very windy – far from ideal for competition.

First into action was Sean McMullin who took no notice of the poor conditions for the 3,000m race-walk and was pleased to win gold in his master category, adding another title to his growing collection. Sean added another gold later in the day when he won the 5,000m run in his master category. Greg Duggan made a winning return to competition after a very long lay-off with two convincing wins in the 100m and 200m in his master category. Newcomer Tom Walsh took silver in the 100m and 200m in his master category in his first outing for the Club and we’ll look forward to seeing Tom in future master competition in the Mullingar colours.

Vicky Harris made her first foray into the senior ranks and was the runaway winner of the senior 200m, winning by a significant margin. She followed this up with silver in the senior 100m, giving yet another terrific performance. These are fantastic results for a juvenile athlete. Paddy Kelly was the final Mullingar athlete to take to the line and finished fifth in a very fast senior 1,500m in less than ideal conditions. Well done to all for representing the Club so well.

Longford 10 Mile Road Race

The Longford AC 10 Mile Road Race, which is race three of the Longford Summer Running Series, took place on Sunday 27th May. Going through 5 miles in 29:40, Aron Fahey looked to be on target to break the 60 minute barrier, but the heat of the day took its toll, particularly in the last two miles and forced him to ease back a little but he still had the resolve to finish third in 60:29, which is fine running. There's always the next time to break 60 minutes!

Irish Miler's Club "Noel Carroll Memorial" 800m

At the Irish Milers Club meeting in Greystones on Saturday 26th May, Shane Fitzsimons had another brilliant race to finish 2nd in the Noel Carroll Memorial 800m. His time of 1:50.29 was a PB and was the second time in a week that Shane achieved a World Junior qualifying standard for 800m. Shane will now focus on his favourite 1,500m distance in the coming weeks where he looks set to make significant progress based on his performances over the shorter distance.

In the same race, Robert Yorke ran a season’s best of 1:52.47. Robert led the race for the opening 500m and is showing signs of a return to his very best form. He will be looking to improve on his personal best at the Irish Milers Club 800m that is part of the programme at the All-Ireland Schools T&F in Tullamore on Saturday 2nd June.

Na Fianna AC "Bob Heffernan Memorial" 5km Road Race

Mullingar was very well represented at the Na Fianna AC "Bob Heffernan Memorial" 5km Road Race on Tuesday 22nd May with 21 taking part and collecting a men’s team prize and a great number of category prizes too. Even though the race takes place in Johnstownbridge, just outside Enfield and really in Co. Kildare, this race has become one of the permanent fixtures in the Meath Road Race League and is gaining a reputation as one of the best 5km Club road races going, reflected in the big attendance of over 360 competitors. With a flat course, fast times are always guaranteed at this event.

Kevin Baker stormed home in 15:26 to finish 2nd place overall, followed by Tom McGrath with 16:02 (2nd in his master category) and with Mark Carroll (16:08) finishing strongly, the Mullingar men took 2nd prize in the team category. Next to finish was Aron Fahey with a huge PB of 16:11, followed home by Martin Lyon (16:22), Michael Gibson-Brabazon (16:39), Ollie Donnelly (16:41), Matt Glennon (16:46), Ben Vaitkevichius in 17:07 (1st in category), Mary Scully in 17:17 (1st in category), JP O’Brien (17:18), Justin Murtagh (17:32), Pat Muldoon Senior (2nd in category), Joe Kenny, Sean McMullin (1st in category), Nicky McCabe (3rd in category), Bridget McCabe (3rd in category), David Booker, Jill Booker, Teresa Booker and Pauline Foran. Well done to all our athletes.

In the same race Robert Yorke put his recent injuries behind him to record an excellent 1:52.8. This was a season’s best performance for Robert who showed his return to form with a fast finish to move into fourth place in the final 100m. Both Robert and Shane will now race again at the Irish Miler's Club meeting in Greystones on Saturday 26th May where both will be looking to improve on the excellent early season form.

Paddy Kelly judged his race very well to move from fourth to second position on the last lap of the 1,500m. His time of 4:08 was a PB and is a very encouraging performance. Paddy enjoyed his first track race of the year and can look forward to upcoming races where he will run closer to the four minute barrier.

Lucan Harriers AC "Tom Byrne Memorial" 5km Race

Updated 21 May - time corrected
Enjoying the sudden burst of decent weather on Sunday 20th May, Eddie Newman took part in the Lucan Harriers AC "Tom Byrne Memorial" 5km Road Race where he was delighted to record a new PB of 17:04 for the distance. It was a flat course with a lot of sharp bends and a little over half the race is run in a park. To put the icing on the cake, Eddie had the added bonus of finishing 1st in his master category.

Kildare Half Marathon & Curragh 10km

Conditions weren’t ideal in Kildare on Sunday 13th May but the strong winds didn’t deter nearly 1,300 competitors taking part in the Kildare Half Marathon, including a good group from Mullingar, but the sun was shining and at least the rain that threatened all day held off for the race. Starting and finishing at the Curragh Racecourse the runners were taken on one large looping course through the Curragh plains, passing the famous stud farms and running through Kildare Town along the way.

Best of the Mullingar group was Eddie Newman who was very pleased with his 7th place finish in an excellent 1:20:35, followed by Mark McCann 18th place in 1:24:41, Enda O’Carolan 20th in 1:24:58 and Mickey Dan Murtagh 35th in 1:27:24 continuing to show great improvement with every race. Except for Eddie, all these times are PBs for the Mullingar men! Also competing over the long 13.1 mile course was Hannah Buchanan (1:51:17), Grace Browne (1:52:36), John Raleigh (1:57:33), Deirdre Raleigh (1:59:34) and Paula Kilmurray (2:05:57) enjoying the experience.

Opting for the shorter Curragh 10km Race, which also started and finished at the Curragh Racecourse but included some sections on road and some on grass, Kieran Nolan finished a very good 12th place out of over 1,200 competitors in 39:43.

River Moy Half Marathon

The sun shone brightly on Ballina for the River Moy Half Marathon held on Saturday 12th May. On a perfect day for running, many personal bests were set on a flat and scenic course which is never too far away from the salmon rich river which lends its name to the race.

Maurice Looby finished 6th overall (2nd in his category) in 1:23:14, just ahead of Gerry Duffy 7th overall (1st in his category) in 1:23.54. Despite the high finish places, Maurice and Gerry will be disappointed with the times, but Maurice was ill during the race and so Gerry stayed with him to encourage and help him along; no better man to have with you when you’re not feeling great! Also in action was Garry Moore who was delighted with his time of 1:35:40, which placed him 4th in his category, and Liam Dalton (1:41:52) also pleased to complete the tough half marathon course.

Inishbofin Half Marathon

Set on the idyllic island of Inishbofin, the small but stunningly beautiful and tranquil island off the Connemara coast, the Inishbofin Half Marathon took place on Saturday 12th May. A unique feature of this event is that due to the narrow roads, the athletes start in pairs at 15 second intervals, which adds to the excitement of the event, as the winner is announced based on time analysis, rather than first home! When all the chip times were analyzed, Siobhan Moore was delighted to be announced as 3rd woman to finish in an excellent 1:45.

Great Limerick Run

All the hard work and dedication to training put in during the past number of months paid off handsomely for JP O’Brien on Sunday 6th May at the Great Limerick Run where he was delighted to finish the marathon in 2:58:54, comfortably under the 3 hour pre-race target he had set himself. Running the distance at a very even well measured pace, JP finished in the top 15 and becomes the latest member of the Harriers to break three hours for the marathon, which is the time in men’s marathon racing that every serious runner aims to better. Congratulations to JP from everyone at the Club.

At the same event, Matt Glennon competed in the 6 mile race and was pleased with his top-20 finish in 35:46, just ahead of Mary Scully who finished 3rd woman in 35:50.

MAAC T&F Championships

At the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) T&F Championships in Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ, Jake Byrne had a very unusual week-end racing schedule to contend with, being asked to run a 10,000m on Saturday 5th May, followed by a 1,500m on Sunday 6th May. However, such is the amazing progress he has made since taking up an athletic scholarship with Iona College last year that Jake was up to the challenge of such an unusual double-up. He finished a comfortable second in the 10,000m in 30:40.06 on Saturday and followed this up with an emphatic win in the 1,500m in 3:51.67 on Sunday. We’ve no doubt that Jake was relieved to see Sunday evening and the chance to relax and unwind.

Le Chéile AC 5km Road Race & Fun Run

There was a great atmosphere generated by the big turnout of runners at the Le Chéile AC 5km Road Race and Fun Run held in Leixlip, Co. Kildare on Saturday 5th May. Justin Murtagh felt very comfortable throughout and was very pleased to finish strongly in 17:30, with Eddie Newman also pleased with his finish time of 17:42 and both could join the other 350 finishers and enjoy the now legendary post-race refreshments provided by Le Chéile AC.

Payton Jordan Cardinal T&F Meeting
On Sunday 29th April at the Payton Jordan Cardinal T&F Meeting in Stanford, California, Mark Christie finished the 5,000m in a time of 13:37.32, which is inside the qualification standard for the European T&F Championships in Helsinki this summer. Mark will remain in the USA for a while yet, looking to qualify for the London Olympics.

Irish Universities T&F Championships

Taking a break from study, Vinny Connolly (AIT) and Thomas Fagan (NUI Galway) competed at the Irish Universities T&F Championships at a bright and breezy Athlone IT track on 20th/21st April. Thomas was unlucky not to qualify from Friday night’s heats of the 1,500m but Vinny impressed in the 5,000m final on Saturday, keeping himself in medal contention throughout and even though he finished 5th and out of the medals, he still had plenty to be pleased about with his performance.

Great Welsh Marathon

Keith Gorry was pleased overall with his performance at the Great Welsh Marathon held in the beautifully scenic Millennium Coastal Park in Llanelli, near Swansea, South Wales on Sunday 15th April, recording a new personal best time of 3:06. Lying in fourth place at 18 miles, he knew he was going to run a fast time but he began to suffer in the closing few miles and had to ease back on his pace but still found the strength to push on to the finish with a new PB for the distance.

Leevale AC T&F Meeting

The domestic outdoor track season got underway in Cork on Saturday 14th April when Robert Yorke and Vinny Connolly were in action at the Leevale AC T&F Meeting in the 800m and 3,000m respectively. Robert recorded an excellent 2nd place finish in a time of 1:54.56 which was a very encouraging run for his first race of the season. Vinny placed 3rd in the 3,000m race and recorded a personal best time of 8:59.15. Both can now look forward to the track season secure in the knowledge that they are ready to run fast times.

World Masters Indoor Championships
At the World Masters Indoor Championships in Jyväskylä, Finland, Sean McMullin recorded an excellent 2nd place finish in the 3,000m Track Walk on Thursday 5th April. Sean set out at a very fast pace and settled into second place behind an Australian competitor that was racing at World record pace. He quickly opened up a considerable gap on the French and Hong Kong competitors who were battling for the bronze medal. Despite their best efforts, Sean maintained a sizeable margin and comfortably claimed the silver medal in a time of 16:20.73. Sean then followed this up just two days later on Saturday 7th April with another memorable performance, this time in the 10km Road Walk, taking 2nd place in 56:41 to win two World silver medals in two days. This was a great reward for Sean for his months of training in preparation for this event.

Tiger Track Classic, Alabama, USA
Mark Christie continued his Olympic qualification preparations with a great win on Saturday 7th April in a 3,000m race at the Tiger Track Classic, in Auburn University, Alabama, USA in a time of 8:00.41. Mark’s margin of victory was fifteen seconds, suggesting there will be plenty of improvement over the coming weeks.

Ballybunion Half Marathon
(Updated 10 Apr - Andrew Kinane recorded)
Finishing strongly in 2nd place with an excellent time of 1:14:56, Andrew Kinane was very pleased with his performance at the Ballybunion Half Marathon on Saturday 7th April, to continue his preparations for his next challenge on the full marathon distance. Sarah Lowry also had a great run to finish 39th overall, 4th senior woman, in a fine time of 1:32:13. This was a good return to racing for Sarah after a prolonged layoff due to injury. Marguerita Lyons (1:49:37) and Hannah Buchanan (1:53:35) were also in action and were very satisfied with their performances.

Sam Howell Invitational T&F Meeting, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
At the Sam Howell Invitational T&F Meeting in Princeton University, New Jersey, USA on Friday 6th April, Jake Byrne had his first race over 1,500m and placed 5th in a time of 3:53.39. This was a new PB and is the fourth consecutive race that he has run a new PB.

Clongowes Wood College 5km Road Race
Just over 400 took part in the inaugural Clongowes Wood College 5km Road Race on Sunday 1st April in the magnificent surrounds of Clongowes Wood College in Co. Kildare. The 5km route was all on tarmac road and the route started and finished in the grounds of the College. Delighted with his 3rd place finish in 17:10 was Aron Fahey, a new personal best time by 30 seconds and marks a real breakthrough performance for him.

Updated 3 April
Sunday 1st April was a beautiful day in Connemara, but that might have gone largely unnoticed by the capacity crowd that took part in the "Connemarathon", which includes races over half marathon and an ultra marathon. Coping well with the tough course with plenty of hills, first from Mullingar to finish the Half Marathon was Martin Lyons, 3rd overall in 1:19 and more than happy with his performance and getting on the medal podium. Eddie Newman was next to finish (11th) in 1:23, also having a fine run, followed by Mickey Dan Murtagh (1:29:11), Enda O’Carolan (1:30:51), Brian Maguire, Terri Greene and Dorothy Duffy, all satisfied to have survived this gruelling test of endurance in the West.

Gerry Duffy competed in the 39.3 mile Ultra Marathon, where he finished an excellent 15th overall in 5:12:05. Well done to all from Mullingar Harriers that competed in Connemara.

March

Schools International Cross Country

It was an unusual week-end with the indoor season and cross country season ending on the same day. While the Club had athletes competing indoors in Nenagh on Saturday 31st March, the final cross country fixture of the season, the Schools International Cross Country was taking place at Strathallan School, in Perth, Scotland. Representing Clongowes Wood College on his International debut, Jack O’Leary gave an excellent account of himself when finishing 12th overall in the Junior boys 4,000m, the second Ireland athlete to finish and helping Ireland secure the team silver medals. This was a great performance by Jack on his debut and his family and School can be very proud of him, as is everyone at the Club. Jack’s name will now be added to the Club’s International Roll of Honour.

Linda Conroy (Mercy Kilbeggan) marked her third appearance in a row at this event with a typically tenacious performance in the Intermediate girls 4,000m where she finished 13th overall, the first Ireland girl home but unfortunately no team medals this time.

Well done to Jack and Linda on their excellent performances and well done too to CBS teacher Damien Lawlor who was one of the Ireland team managers for the event and played his part in the team successes.

Wicklow Gaol Half Marathon
Using the Wicklow Gaol Half Marathon on Sunday 25th March as part of his preparations for the Limerick Marathon in May, JP O’Brien got a real test of endurance as he had to contend with the warm weather and the tough hilly course but was very pleased with his 8th place finish in 1:27, which augers well for a good performance in Limerick.

Dunboyne 4 Mile Road Race
The weather had really got warm by the time the very large entry for the Dunboyne 4 Mile Road Race in Meath took to the start line on Sunday 25th March. First to finish for Mullingar was Paddy Kelly in an excellent time of 21:05, a new PB. Also recording a new PB was Mel Carthy finishing in 24:21, just ahead of Ciaran Nolan in 24:26.

Longford AC 5km Road Race
On Sunday 25th March, the Longford AC 5km Road Race was run in beautiful warm sunny weather. Martin Lyons settled in for the first 2km and deciding that he was feeling good, struck for home to win in 16:48, which is a useful early season run. First woman to finish was Sinead Roche, also happy with her early season run, followed by PJ Ballesty who thoroughly enjoyed the run and the fine weather on offer.

Kildangan GAA 10Km Road Race & Fun Run

Well done to Matt Glennon and Mary Scully who competed among approximately 165 others at the Kildangan GAA 10Km Road Race & Fun Run in Kildangan, Co. Kildare on 19th March. The well laid out course clearly suited them both as Matt finished strongly, just ahead of Mary who was the clear winner of the women’s race with a very good time of 36:50.

Fr. Murphy's AC 5 Mile Road Race
Maurice Looby decided that a good way to keep warm on a very cold St. Patrick’s Day was to compete in the Fr. Murphy's AC 5 Mile Trail Race in Kildalkey, Co. Meath. Maurice finished an excellent 19th overall in 28:46, which is a very good result and evidence that he continues to make a good return to racing fitness and is sure to feature strongly in future road races this summer.

Bundoran 10 Mile Road Race

Kieran Nolan travelled to Donegal on Saturday 10th March to take part in the Bundoran 10 Mile Road Race where he finished 48th out of the total of 560 finishers in the very good time of 63:44. Kieran ran negative splits over the 10 miles having gone through the 5 mile mark in 32:11. This is a very good result.

IC4A Indoors (Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America)

Jake Byrne finished in 5th place in the 5,000m at the ICAAAA Indoor Championships held at Boston University in Massachusetts, USA on Sunday 4th March. In doing so he recorded another fine personal best of 14:11.41, breaking his previous best time by a huge margin of 16 seconds. This is the third consecutive race in which Jake has recorded a personal best performance as he continues to show outstanding early season form. He is now the fastest "freshman" (first year student) in the history of Iona University over 5000m, which is evidence of his rapid progression over the past few months.

Jake’s performance should be a great source of motivation for our Juvenile and Junior members, as it is a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication to the sport. We hope to hear of further progress from Jake over the remainder of the collegiate season.

Hungarian National Indoors

As part of his preparations for the World Masters Indoors in Finland in April, Sean McMullin travelled to Budapest for the Hungarian National Indoors on Saturday 3rd March and was rewarded with a confidence-boosting gold medal in the 5,000m race walk in his master category, which made the long journey very worthwhile. Congratulations to Sean.

Ballycotton 10 Mile Road Race
A group of 9 athletes from Mullingar made the long journey for the annual Ballycotton 10 Mile Road Race in Cork on Sunday 4th March. The first 5 miles or so was very windy and understandably gave the many thousands of runners problems but turning at the half way mark and heading back meant the wind was on their backs and so most ran the normally harder second half in a faster time. First from Mullingar to finish was Eddie Newman and despite running negative splits, finished in 1:00:15, which was just 15 seconds outside his pre-race target of breaking the hour mark but coming 97th meant he received one of the coveted "Top 100" T-shirts, which was some compensation. Keith Gorry also had an excellent run to finish in 1:02:29. Also competing and enjoying the terrific atmosphere generated by running with so many other athletes was Tony Keegan, Sinead Muldoon, Paula Kilmurray, Frank Dillon, Mary Dillon, Des Walsh and Geraldine Walsh.

Carrick-on-Shannon 10km Road Race

The weather turned unseasonably cold on Sunday 4th March, but didn’t affect the numbers competing in the Carrick-on-Shannon 10km Road Race in Co. Leitrim. Despite facing a tough hilly course, Mark Carroll had a real ding dong battle with Tom McGrath and was pushed to a big personal best to finish 2nd, just ahead of Tom in third. Aron Fahey also had a super run to finish 9th. Next to finish was Mary Scully, who proved too good for the women opposition and expertly paced by Matt Glennon, was the runaway winner of the women’s race after a very steady run that showed she is really coming back to full racing fitness. Finishing with Mary was Matt Glennon, winning his master category, followed by Colm Walsh finishing strongly. This was not an easy race but the Mullingar group were up to the task.

Bohermeen AC Half Marathon & 5km Run
Amended 7 Mar - Mark McCann, John Bannon, Terri Greene added; finishing order revised
Bohermeen AC held a 5km race and the inaugural "Meath Spring Half Marathon" on Sunday 4th March. Paddy Kelly was the easy winner of the 5km, stretching clear in the final kilometre to win handsomely. Geraldine Carthy and family also competed in the 5km and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The half marathon course was a nice two lap course, which was dry but running conditions were difficult for the large entry of 943 runners due to the cold and wind. That didn’t seem to bother Michael Gibson-Brabazon too much as he finished an excellent 9th place (1:16:51), closely followed by Martin Lyons in 10th (1:17:38). Ollie Donnelly was the next Mullingar man to finish, 6th in his master catefory and delighted with his new personal best (1:22:52), then came Damien Monaghan completing his first half marathon (1:23:07), Gerry Duffy with a very good run (1:24:52), Mark McCann (1:25:54), Mel Carthy (1:26:41) 6th in his master category, Mickey Dan Murtagh (1:28:44), and John Bannon (1:36:38) completing the Mullingar team that finished 2nd team. Also competing was Terri Greene (1:43:57), finishing 7th in her master category.

Manx Harriers Open Race Walk Meeting

Well done and congratulations to Edel Glennon who was among a group of race-walkers from Ireland to compete at the Manx Harriers Open Race Walk Meeting on the Isle of Man on Saturday 3rd March where she finished 4th in a very competitive 5km race-walk for girls u/17, the 2nd Irish girl to finish. This is just the confidence-boosting result Edel needs as she continues her training for the National Indoor Finals at the end of March.

The Armory T&F Centre in New York is proving a favourite venue for Jake Byrne and on Friday 17th February he returned there in the Iona College colours, this time for the MAAC Indoors and continued his recent good form in the United States with another great win in the 5,000m. Jake's time of 14:27.36 was a personal best by twenty three seconds and it was also a Championship record. Jake tracked the leader in the early stages before delivering a very fast final kilometre to race to a convincing victory by a margin of five seconds. This performance ranks Jake as the third fastest "freshman" (first year student) in Iona University history, which is steeped in distance running tradition, and we hope that he can improve on this time as the season progresses. He has now qualified for the ICAA Championships that will be held in early March and we look forward to hearing of another good performance there.

AAI Senior Indoors

PHOTOS

Fully justifying the tag as pre-race favourite, Mark Christie set the pace from the gun in the men’s 3,000m at the AAI Senior Indoors in the Odyssey Arena on Saturday 11th February. Not the least bit concerned to be passed with 3 laps to go, Mark sat in behind and kicked on the back-straight of the final lap to retake the lead and go on to win in a time of 8:01.29 to show that he is very much the form athlete at the moment. Mark travels to Arizona in a couple of weeks for a spell of warm weather training and will meet up with his coach Mark Carroll in Auburn for a period.

In the 1,500m heats, Shane Fitzsimons looked very comfortable throughout to finish second in 4:01 and qualify for Sunday's final. The final was a slow tactical race and Shane finished fifth in 3:57, but still has good reason to be pleased with his performance in the Senior ranks and will take that valuable experience with him into the season ahead.

Robert Yorke hit the front halfway through his heat of the 800m on Saturday to cruise to an easy victory in 1:57 to qualify for Sunday's final. The pace of the final was conservative for the opening 400m but then notched up a gear and though Robert worked hard to keep himself in contention throughout, was forced to settle for a finish out of the medals, but two races in two days at this level is great experience for him too.

Raheny 5 Mile Road Race

Despite the less than ideal weather, there were still a record number of finishers of the Raheny 5 Mile Road Race on Sunday 29th January. That said, while the rain made it very unpleasant for spectators and officials, the conditions were near perfect for the runners as it was surprisingly mild and there was little or no breeze. Mark Christie proved unbeatable on the day and recorded a very convincing win in 23:29, beating regular rival Sean Connolly (Tallaght AC) who finished in 23:56 and Tomas Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC) third in 24.01.

Ben Vaitkevichius was next from Mullingar to finish, winning his master age category with an impressive 29:01, and not far behind was Ollie Donnelly in 29:32, a big improvement on his personal best time for the distance. Next in was Sean McMullin in 35:39 to place 4th in his master category. Also competing among the record 2,053 finishers was Marguerita Lyons, Pat Nugent, Caroline Walsh and PJ Ballesty.

Four Mile House 10km Road Race

The trip to Four Mile House in Roscommon on Sunday 29th January for a 10km proved rewarding for the group from Mullingar. Given the rain on the day, it was no surprise that the course was flooded in places but that only added to the challenge. It was a race of two halves, the first 5km being quite flat and fast but then the hills came on the second 5km, especially in the closing 2km, to really test the athletes. Running his first road race since September, Martin Lyons led the Mullingar contingent home in 2nd place overall in just over 35 minutes, followed by Aidan Gorry in 3rd overall. Keith Gorry was the next Mullingar athlete to finish, recording a personal best of 39:03 – even though the course was slightly long, as it had to be extended by about 100m, in the interest of traffic safety. Sarah Lowry was next in, completing her first race over the 10km distance and finishing 2nd woman, followed by Maura Dervin (3rd woman). Also competing for Mullingar was Enda O’Carolan who was happy with his performance in the tough conditions. Well done to all for braving the elements in Roscommon.

Excellent win in new PB for Jake Byrne in New York

At the Metropolitan Indoor T&F Championships on Friday 27th January at the Armory T&F Centre in New York, which is a competition for the urban Colleges in the North East, running for Iona College, Jake Byrne ran to victory in the 5,000m by just over one second with a new PB of 14:51.72. The last kilometer was a particularly fast 2:42. This time smashes his former best for the distance by 15 seconds, proving that College life in the USA is really suiting him very well and he continues to make his mark on the Collegiate circuit.

AAI Junior Indoors
Silver in 800m for Shane Fitzsimons
Personal best performances in Nenagh Read more

BHAA Eircom Cross Country

Mary Scully made a welcome return to competition after a prolonged absence due to injury with a very good run in the women’s 2 mile race at the BHAA Eircom Cross Country in Cherryfield Park, Firhouse, Dublin on Saturday 21st January to finish 2nd in 12:13 and continue her preparations for the AAI Masters Cross Country in February. In the men’s 5 mile race, best of the Mullingar group was Mark Carroll in 15th place in 28:18, followed by Kevin Baker in 19th (28:43), Matt Glennon, Justin Murtagh and Pat Muldoon Senior. We’ll see Mark, Kevin and Justin in action in February in the AAI Intermediate Cross Country and Matt and Pat in the AAI Masters.

Leinster Junior & Senior XC and Juvenile XC Relays
Medal winning start to 2012 Read more

AAI National Masters Indoors

Sean McMullin was the Club’s sole representative at the AAI National Masters Indoors in Nenagh on Sunday 15th January where he added to his impressive collection of National medals by taking gold in the 5,000m race walk and gold in the 3,000m run in his master category. Congratulations to Sean on his continuing success.

BHAA South Dublin Co. Co. 4 mile Cross Country

Congratulations to Ben Vaitkevichius and Sean McMullin who won their respective master categories at the BHAA South Dublin County Council AC 4 mile Cross Country in Tymon Park, Dublin on Sunday 8th January. Ben finished in 25:40, well up among the nearly 250 finishers, and Sean was very pleased to finish in 30:31. Both are showing good form as they continue their training towards the AAI National Masters Cross Country in early February.

Celtic International Cross Country

Part of the programme for the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country on Saturday 7th January was the Celtic International Cross Country where Linda Conroy was competing for Ireland in the 4,000m under 17 race against the very best young athletes from Scotland, Wales and Ulster. Linda has really bounced back into top form again and ran a terrific race to finish 5th overall, second Ireland girl to finish being just edged out by Aisling Quinn (Ferrybank AC) near the finish. Her performance helped Ireland to gold in the team event, to get 2012 off to a brilliant start. Very well done Linda on her success in the Ireland vest and we know she is looking forward to wearing the green vest again a few more times this year.

Leinster Star Awards for 2011 presented

Liffey Valley "Tom Brennen Memorial" 5km Road Race
For some a new year is just another chance to start afresh on the race fixture list and so on New Year’s Day a few Club members hit the ground running so to speak by competing at the Liffey Valley AC "Tom Brennan Memorial" 5km Road Race in the Phoenix Park. Finishing well up and happy with his start to the New Year, the first of the Mullingar contingent to finish was Paddy Kelly, followed by Mark McCann, Ben Vaitkevichius (2nd in his master category), then Aron Fahey, Sinead Roche, Ken Whitelaw and Sean McMullin, all thoroughly enjoying their first race of the New Year.