December

AAI National XC - Day 2 - Novice & Juvenile Uneven Ages (Tullamore)
(postponed due to adverse weather from December 2010 to January 2011) Read more

European Cross Country Championships
Amended 13 Dec 2010

There was some debate beforehand about whether the lightening fast course in Albufeira (Portugal) as well as the significantly warmer weather than we had at home for the previous two weeks would be to the detriment of the Irish runners at the European Cross Country Championships on Sunday 12th December. While some runners were clearly affected, there was no problem for the victorious Irish under 23 men’s team as they took gold in great style to win Ireland’s first medals at these Championships since 2006 (Fionnuala Britton, u/23 silver) and the first gold medals won since 1994 (Catherina McKiernan, senior gold). This was a brilliant performance.

Other great performances came from Fionnuala Britton in the senior women’s race where she was very unlucky to finish in fourth place, just outside the medals, having been in a medal place for most of the race. In the junior women’s race, Ciara Mageean also had a brilliant race to finish seventh. Both women might be initially disappointed not to win a medal but will reflect on their races in time and appreciate how well they did.

Only for a spike injury sustained in Derry, our own Jake Byrne would very likely have been competing in the Junior men’s race. The Irish team finished fifth and it’s a pity Jake couldn’t be there to lend his support, but that’s the cruelty of athletics sometimes.

All our attention was really on the last race of the day, the senior men’s race, and Mark Christie in particular. The Irish team finished a very creditable seventh place and Mark played an important part as the third scoring member of the team. Mark may be a little disappointed with his finishing position in the middle of the pack, but he can be satisfied that he delivered a solid performance that will stand him in good stead for the rest of the cross country season and the track season ahead.

Mark still has the distinction of being the only Club member to win a European Cross Country Championship medal, as a member of the Ireland Junior men’s team that won silver medals back in 2004, when Mark led the team home with a brilliant individual fifth place finish. Well done to all the Irish teams on their performances in Portugal.

November

AAI National XC - Day 1 - Inter-County & Juvenile Even Ages (Derry)
Mark Christie earns place at European Cross Country
Magnificent medal haul by Juvenile athletes Read more

Masters Home Countries International Cross Country

While the layout of the course in Santry on Saturday 13th November for the Masters Home Countries International Cross Country between Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland was excellent, the same could not be said for the underfoot conditions which deteriorated over the course of the day to a sticky muddy glue that made for very difficult running conditions.

Not so bad for the first race, an open masters cross country, where Michelle O’Halloran had a really excellent race and was delighted with her 3rd place finish in her category. By the time it came to the 6,000m International race for Mary Scully, the course was beginning to deteriorate but she battled on anyway as you must and despite admitting after that she could have performed better if only for better ground, she still finished a fantastic 3rd place overall in her category, the second finisher on the Ireland team that finished first team. Christy Creagh is no stranger to International master cross country competition and drew on all his experience in his 6,000m race to finish second on the Ireland team in his category, but unfortunately the team finished out of the medals in fourth place.

Ben Vaitkavichius was very proud to be representing his adopted Country and with a great run over 8,000m to finish 2nd place overall, led the Ireland team to victory. By the time it came to the 8,000m race for Tom McGrath, the track was in quite poor condition and though not deep, the mud was very sticky underfoot but Tom didn’t let it bother him too much and he was very pleased to provide the vital fourth score for the Ireland team in his category to finish third in the team competition.

Combining the team scores across all categories, men and women, Ireland finished in second place to England by only 6 points and the Mullingar master athletes can be proud of their contribution to this result for Ireland. These were great performances from the Club’s master athletes and a testament to the hard work they put in, week in and week out, in training in all weathers.

Among the other medal winning performances was that of Sean Cooney, a native of Coralstown and now living in Meath, a founding member and the first Chairman of Mullingar Harriers, who finished fourth overall in his category, second man on the Ireland team that finished first team.

Leinster Cross Country - Day 2 (Adamstown)
Mullingar continues to set the standard in cross country Read more

Mol (Belgium) Junior International Cross Country

Amended 8 Nov
Missing from the under 19 race on Day 2 of the Leinster Cross Country Championships in Adamstown on Sunday 7th November was Jake Byrne, who was part of the winning Ireland team at the Junior International Cross Country Meeting in Mol, Belgium.

Jake finished 9th overall, the 4th Irish finisher, and the race was good preparation following recent injury and sets him up well for the National Finals at the end of the month, where he’ll be joined by a strong Mullingar team. Congratulations to Jake and we look forward to welcoming him home after his good performance.

October

Dublin City Marathon

Mullingar Masters just miss National Marathon Medals Read more

Leinster Cross Country - Day 1 (Belvedere)

An abundance of medals for Mullingar Read more

Gerry Farnan Cross Country

Mullingar Masters chase International selection Read more

Chicago Marathon

Eddie Newman has good reason to remember the date 10-10-10, because on Sunday 10th October he completed the 2010 Chicago Marathon in a new personal best time of 2:55:56 and in doing so realised his goal of running in the big-5 World Marathon Majors - namely Boston, New York, London, Berlin and Chicago.

Eddie went through the half way point in 1:25, so was on target for a 2:50 finish but had to change his race plan then due to the increasing heat. Starting off it was 19degC but the temperature rose to nearly 30 degC, especially when the runners cleared the shelter of the Chicago skyscrapers and faced the full brunt of the sun. It was a wise decision in the circumstances, as he risked not being able to finish and might have ruined his chance of completing the Big-5. Of the 5, the slowest was in Boston (3:12) and he kept the best for the last in Chicago!

For the record, Eddie finished 538th overall from an incredible 45,000 runners, and was 16th in his master age-category. Congratulations to Eddie on his achievement.

Westmeath Cross Country Championships

Very successful Championships in 2010

Round 1 Results on 3 Oct, Round 2 Results on 10 Oct

Galway Bay Half Marathon

The official website for the 2010 Galway Bay Half Marathon, which was run on Saturday 2nd October tells us that the route is fast, flat, fun and very scenic and was changed this year to keep the nice bits and eliminate the nasty bits, and consisted of a double circuit that keeps the splendour of Galway Bay in view all of the time. Of course Mullingar was represented to test the veracity of the website publicity!

A very large entry as usual, among them our own Martin Lyons and Sinead Roche, started at the Claddagh and the strong wind on the Bay made for testing but manageable running conditions, according to Martin. A short one mile warm-up lap was followed by two long laps of a relatively nice course but with some difficult twists and turns in places to break up the rhythm and stride patterns. Despite picking up a slight upper leg injury that hampered him especially over the final three miles, Martin battled on and finished 2nd in 1:15:51, which is a new personal best for the distance but he was still a bit disappointed because he knew there was more in him and only for the leg problem he would have gone with the eventual race winner at the 4 mile mark and made a good race of it. This was still a very good performance. Sinead meanwhile clearly liked the new course too and was having a really excellent race and was very pleased to finish 3rd lady in 1:32 and claim a prize. Well done to Martin and Sinead.

September

Westmeath Schools Cross Country

Nearly 1,800 pupils from Westmeath Schools take part Individual & Team Results

Star of the Sea AC Open Cross Country

"Six-in-a-row" success for Club

Thomas Lynn wins Sean Higgins Perpetual Cup for winning u/17 Read more

Rathfarnham 5km Road Race

Martin Fagan took full advantage of the dry calm sunny weather on Sunday morning 26th September and ran to victory in the Rathfarnham 5km Road Race with a very impressive 13:54, which was a new course record and proves that this is one of the fastest courses in Ireland. Martin ran the first mile in 4:03; it’s downhill, but still!! For the record, second home was Joe Sweeney (DSD) in 14:05, with John Travers (Donore Harriers) third in 14:18, a new Junior record for the course and perhaps putting down an early marker of his form for the Ireland junior men team to compete at the European Cross Country in Portugal in December? Also competing was Kieran Nolan and he was pleased with his performance and finish time of 18:51.

Liz McDonnell Memorial 5km Road race
Congratulations to Ciara Hewson on her performance at the Liz McDonnell Memorial 5km Road Race in Celbridge, Co. Kildare on Sunday 26th September where she finished 6th overall in a terrific time of 18:20, easily winning the prize for 1st junior lady. Ciara has made a phenomenal return to form after missing the summer track season due to injury and is eagerly looking forward to the cross country season where the longer race distances this year will suit her especially.

Midland Mini-Marathon 10km Road Race

Starting and finishing at the Annebrook House Hotel on Sunday afternoon 26th September, the Midland Mini-Marathon 10km Road Race in aid of the Niall Mellon Trust drew a good attendance from near and far in support of this very worthwhile charity. Flying the flag for Mullingar Harriers and 1st home was Paddy Kelly, followed by Mark Carroll in 2nd and JP O’Brien in 4th. Also competing and running well were John Bannon, Christy Creagh and Keith Gorry. Well done to them all.

BUPA Great North Run

In Newcastle, England on Sunday 19th September, Martin Fagan took his rightful place among the elite men on the start line for the massively popular BUPA Great North Run, which with an entry of 54,000 is the biggest half marathon in the World. Martin was wearing number 6 for the race, and with athletes of the calibre of Haile Gebrsellassie (Ethiopia), Kiplimo Kimutai (Kenya), Jaouad Gharib (Morocco) and Dathan Ritzenhein (USA) joining him on the front line, this is proof positive if any is needed of how well regarded Martin is on the International road race circuit.

Martin wisely ignored the early break by four athletes after one mile and remained with the chasing group, which slowly closed the gap down over the next 12 miles but in the end there was no great surprise that victory went to Gebrsellassie. For Martin to have won would have meant significantly improving on his Irish record for the distance but he was still very pleased with his 7th place finish in 63:24, the second European to finish, over a distance that is dominated by African athletes. With performances like this Martin, continues to demonstrate why he is regarded as one of a select group of truly World class athletes to emerge from Ireland.

Clonkill 5km Road Race

Updated 22 Sept (Joseph Moran first Juvenile)

Sunday 19th September saw the first running of the Clonkill 5km Road Race, organized as a fund-raiser by Clonkill GAA. The organizers laid out a testing course with plenty of sharp hills, ensuring that personal best times for 5km were extremely unlikely. Weather was reasonably kind with mist and a few light showers, but not much wind thankfully.

Martin Lyons continued his good road race form of late with a good win in the inaugural event in a time of 16:50, followed by Tom McGrath in 2nd place and taking the prize for first local man too. Another local man, Christy Creagh was very pleased with his top 10 finish. The ladies race was won by Vera McCool with an excellent run, followed by Tricia Broderick in 2nd place. The first Juvenile to finish was 11 year old Joseph Moran. Well done to Clonkill GAA on their initiative.

Ballyfin Junior Cross Country

The cross country season commenced on Saturday 18th September for Junior athletes and a small number of Juveniles at the excellent grounds of Emo Court in Co. Laois, where there was a truly superb course laid out for the Ballyfin Junior Cross Country, and we saw some really outstanding performances from all the Mullingar athletes who travelled to compete.

The heavy rain cleared just in time for the first race (u/11 girls 600m) where young Aoife Darby ran a fine race to finish in 2nd place, just a few metres behind the winner. Next up was Eoin Quinn who was the youngest runner in the 600m race for under 11 boys where he ran very well for 4th place. The u/13 girls 1,000m saw Niamh Quinn come with a late sprint, showing fine speed in the final 200m to win a very competitive race. In the u/15 boys 1,600m it was a clean sweep for Mullingar with Padraig Moran running a well controlled race to win confidently from the vastly improved Liam O’Reilly in 2nd with Oisin Quinn winning the sprint to the line to nail 3rd place. This was a great result for these young athletes.

In the 2,600m Junior Ladies race, Ciara Hewson was having her first race in Junior competition and clearly relished the opportunity to race against athletes older than her. Ciara led from the start and increased her advantage with every stride on the last lap to record a convincing victory and win a handsome first prize. Having missed much of the track season she is clearly back to her very best again.

Mullingar had a strong contingent in action in the 4,000m Junior Men race where it was great to see Jake Byrne continue his recent good form when winning easily. He also took control from the outset and significantly increased his lead on the final lap. Jake can confidently look forward to the cross country season and can add to his number of International appearances over the course of the season. Excellent support was provided by the hugely improved Robert Yorke who had his best cross country race for some time to finish in 4th place, just a few metres ahead of Thomas Fagan in 5th, looking very sharp and fit in his first race for some time. They were closely followed by Adam Daly, who ran a very solid race and was full of running at the finish to secure an excellent team win for Mullingar.

Dublin Half Marathon

There was a record entry of over 8,000 competitors, including runners, joggers and walkers, for the 2010 Dublin Half Marathon in the Phoenix Park on Saturday morning 18th September. The rain started to fall as most of the runners were passing the five mile mark, but it didn't seem to affect the pace. The final few miles in the heavier rain were not nice, as everyone was running right into it, but it could have been a lot worse. For a lot of the runners, this was a big test of how their legs would hold up for the Dublin City Marathon on 25th October.

As always, Mullingar was well represented among the very large entry, most notably by Eddie Newman who finished 63rd overall (5th in his master age-category) with a fine 79:04 performance, which is yet another half marathon personal best time for Eddie, shaving a few more seconds off the PB he set in the AAI National Half Marathon in Laois just two weeks ago. Also competing and running very well in the thronging crowd were Mark Carroll (82:17), JP O’Brien (88:32), Justin Murtagh (89:16) and Ciara Dillon (93:03). Ciara's performance earned her a very credible 21st senior lady placing. Congratulations to them all and we wish them well in their training towards the Marathon in October.

Clifden 10km Road Race

Think of Clifden, Co. Galway and you think of hills, and plenty of them. That didn’t deter Martin Lyons and about 70 others though taking part in the Clifden 10km Road Race on Sunday 12th September, which was held in dull but calm conditions and thankfully not the terrible downpours we’ve had of late. Despite the very hilly course, which Martin likened to a “mini-Everest” over the first half, he won comfortably in 35 minutes and broke the course record by 2 minutes into the bargain. Well done to Martin on his success in the West.

AAI National Half Marathon

Congratulations to Maura Dervin on her wonderful performance in winning the gold medal in her master age category at the AAI National Half Marathon Championship on Sunday 5th September at St. Abban’s AC, Co. Laois. The course was over two laps with plenty of long climbs to contend with, which seemed to suit Maura very well.

Also, Eddie Newman had a very good run and finished well up in his master category, in a new personal best time of 79:46. This is the latest in a series of personal bests for Eddie and it seems every time he runs a half marathon, he gets quicker!

August

Longford Marathon and Road Race Festival

Good individual performances and Relay Team success by Mullingar athletes Read more

Community Games National Athletics Finals

Medals hard to come by, but great efforts by Mullingar athletes Read more

Frank Duffy 10 mile Road Race

Wherever there’s a road race, Mullingar athletes are sure to be found, and Saturday morning 21st August at the Frank Duffy 10 mile road race in the Phoenix Park was no exception. The 10 mile course through the Phoenix Park is not an easy one, with a few difficult hills to negotiate, but Eddie Newman was very pleased to break the hour mark, finishing in 59:40 and leading the Mullingar contingent home in 56th place overall out of over 6,000 competitors, and was 6th in his master age-category. Following closely behind was Patrick Muldoon (Junior) in 61:16, then Mark Carroll in 61:58, with Pat Muldoon (Senior) next in 64:35. JP O’Brien was pleased with his time of 67:28 and also competing and enjoying the atmosphere generated by such a large number of athletes running on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning in the Phoenix Park was Marie-Louise Johnston. This 10 mile race was the second in a series building up to the Dublin City Marathon in October and no doubt we’ll see Mullingar athletes in action in the third race in the series, a half marathon on 18th September.

AAI National Masters T&F Championships

In spite of the very warm conditions on Sunday 15th August, which were very testing for the longer distance races, we had medal winning performances from two of our most experienced master athletes at the AAI National Masters T&F Championships in Tullamore, where Sean McMullin took silver in the 5,000m race walk and Christy Creagh took silver in the 5,000m run. Congratulations to them both.

Boston Scientific Half Marathon

Spare a thought for Eddie Newman who along with about 300 runners had to endure sweltering conditions in the inaugural Boston Scientific Half Marathon organized by Clonmel AC on Sunday 15th August, where he finished an excellent 12th overall and was 2nd in his master age category.

The lead car took a wrong turn at one point, making it a 14.30 mile half marathon and just to add to the torture, it was advertised as a flat course but there was a tough 2 mile drag in the first half of the race. It’s just as well that Eddie is made of stern stuff! Congratulations to Eddie for surviving and finishing so well up the field in a time of 89:14.

Kinnegad 5km Road Race

New road race proves a great success Read more

Boyne AC Open T&F Sports

The 200m sprints at the Boyne AC Open T&F Sports in the Meadow View Sportsfield, Drogheda on Sunday 8th August were rough affairs by all accounts. Our hardy middle-distance runners are used to a bit of barging and pushing, but it’s extremely rare in the sprints where sprinters are usually safely confined to their own lanes. Therefore it was bit of a shock for young Rachel Darby after finishing 3rd in the under 7 girls 60m to find herself bowled over with about 20m to go in the u/8 girls 200m while she was in third position. She took a bad fall and couldn’t finish the race, though all credit to the Boyne AC officials who were very nice and helped poor Rachel at the end.

Her sister Aoife Darby also got pushed around in the u/10 girls 200m but managed to keep on her feet and finished 3rd. Hilary Harris was delighted to take 3rd in the 100m u/13 and followed up with another 3rd place, in the 600m. Mervyn Harris also had a double success, but it was two 2nd places for him, in the 100m and 800m u/14. Fresh from victory at the National "B" Championships last Sunday, Victoria Harris comfortably won the 100m u/15. Also competing and enjoying the sports was Rebecca Kiernan, who ran well in the 60m u/7 but finished out of the prizes.

All in all an action packed afternoon for the small Mullingar contingent and well done to them all on their successes and we hope Rachel recovers okay.

Celtic Games International T&F

Leading from the start in the under 16 boys 1,500m at the Celtic Games International T&F in a windy Athlone IT on Saturday 7th August, Shane Fitzsimons won with a big 10 second margin, setting a new Championship record time of 4 minutes 1 second, bettering the previous record by 5 seconds. Shane's maximum points contributed to Ireland's to victory in the team competition against Scotland, Wales and Ulster. This was a great finish to a terrific track season for Shane.

Castlepollard Road Race

Comfortable victory for Jake Byrne

Plenty of individual prizes for Mullingar athletes Read more

AAI National "B" T&F Championships

Victoria Harris made it look very easy with a convincing win in the 100m u/15 at the AAI National "B" Juvenile T&F Championships in Tullamore on Sunday 1st August, which was the last Championship track and field event for 2010. Leading from the gun after a great start, she increased her lead with every stride to cross the line well clear of the opposition to round off her track season with a well deserved win.

In the 600m u/13, Declan Brady paced himself perfectly and was in a great position with 250m to go but just couldn’t find the extra edge to take the lead and despite a terrific battle all the way to the finish he had to settle for silver but was delighted with his medal. He went straight from the 600m medal presentation to the long jump where he added to his medal haul with another silver medal.

Also competing in Tullamore was Hilary Harris where despite running very well in the 600m u/13 she finished out of the medal places.

July

Daingean 5km Road race

Martin Lyons battled hard in the Daingean 5km Road Race on Friday evening 30th July and was very pleased with his second place finish, which was the best of the large Mullingar group that took part.

Thomas Lynn finished 8th overall and first junior man, just one place ahead of Robert Yorke, with Adam Daly, Stephen Nea and Ryan Blundell also finishing well up in the junior men’s race. Kieran Nolan and John Shaw were next in for Mullingar, with Lorraine Daly close behind and just beaten on the line to finish second junior lady. Also competing and running well in Daingean were Paula Murray (1st in master category), Aidan Daly, Tommy Carr, Elizabeth Carr, Michael O’Sullivan, Christy Creagh (1st in master category), Yvonne Kane, Rachel Yorke and Tom Shaw.

AAI National Juvenile T&F Championships - day 3

Plenty of medals and PBs at conclusion of T&F Championships Read more

European Masters T&F Championships

While we’re all excited about the prospect of seeing Mark Christie compete at the European Championships in Barcelona, we mustn’t forget that last week there was another European Championships taking place, the European Masters T&F in the unpronounceable Nyíregyháza, which is in north east Hungary close to the border with the Ukraine, where Sean McMullin was pleased with his performance in the 5,000m track walk last Friday lunchtime 16th July to finish 15th in his age category against the very best in Europe and was in action again on Sunday afternoon in the demanding 20km road walk in difficult warm and humid conditions where he again turned in an excellent performance to finish 13th.

Schools International T&F

The wind gauge at the Schools International T&F in Scotstoun near Glasgow on Saturday 17th July recorded wind speeds of over 6 metres per second, and that makes for seriously windy conditions and difficult running for everyone, including the middle-distance runners. Despite this, Shane Fitzsimons turned in a solid performance in the 1,500m where he placed 4th, first Irishman to finish and earned valuable points to help Ireland to second team overall in the competition.

Particularly satisfying for Shane is that he turned the tables on his Ireland team mate in the race who had beaten Shane in the Tailteann Inter-Provincials a few weeks ago. Of note is that Shane is underage again next year, so should be a serious contender to win individual honours next year.

Adidas/Irish Runner 5 mile Road Race

Enjoying the unique atmosphere generated by the record number 6,000 competitors in the Phoenix Park on Saturday 17th July for the Adidas/Irish Runner 5 mile Road Race, Tom McGrath ran a very even paced race in windy but otherwise ideal running conditions to finish in a time of 26:25 to place an excellent 25th overall and 3rd in his master category. Tom was followed closely by Martin Lyons only three places behind in 26:30 to finish 7th senior man, with Eddie Newman next in for Mullingar in 28:13 (7th in master category) and Pat Muldoon Senior (5th in master category) also running extremely well and very pleased with his time of 29:46.

The Mullingar men were lucky they ran so fast, as they all made it to the finish just before the heavens opened and nearly drowned everyone, but by then they were safely under cover! Congratulations to our senior athletes for continuing their fine string of great performances on the road race circuit.

AAI National Senior T&F Championships

With two weeks to the European Championships in Barcelona, Mark Christie was keen to win his last track race on home soil and put himself in a good frame of mind before the Europeans. Though Mark has qualified for the 5,000m he elected to compete over 1,500m at the AAI National T&F Championships in Santry on Sunday 11th July to test his pace and gauge how his training and preparations are coming along. Leading from the start, Mark was overtaken by Dan Mulhare (North Laois AC) with 200m remaining but Mark had the strength and pace to regain the lead in the home straight to finish strongly and record a convincing win in 3:48.22 with half a second to spare. We’ll look forward to following Mark’s progress in Barcelona as he lines up for the 5,000m heats on Thursday 29th July.

A feature of these Championships in recent years is an Open Junior 3,000m that takes place during the second day to showcase up and coming Junior middle-distance talent and among the competitors last Sunday was Jake Byrne. Lying third with a lap to go, Jake finished strongly on the last lap to finish second. It was a tactical race, so the time wasn't important, but the manner of Jake’s strong finish will give him great confidence ahead of the National Juveniles in two weeks time.

South O'Hanlon AC 5km Road Race

Competing mid-week in the South O’Hanlon AC 5km Road Race on 7th July at Seneschalstown, near Navan, Vinny Connolly was very pleased with his 4th place overall finish, which was good enough to earn him first prize for top Junior.

With great support from Pat Muldoon Junior in 12th, Matt Glennon in 15th (and 3rd in his master category), Mark Carroll, Kieran Nolan and Aidan Daly, the Mullingar men proved too strong for the opposition and were worthy winners of the Senior Men’s team prize. Also competing was Mary Scully (1st in her master category), Michelle O’Halloran (2nd in her master category) and Breda Daly who were unlucky to finish out of the Women’s Team prizes. Well done to the Mullingar crew who continue to be excellent ambassadors for the Club on the road race circuit.

AAI National Juvenile T&F Championships - days 1 & 2

Four gold and four silver medals on first week-end Read more

Cork City Sports

At the Cork City Sports on Saturday 3rd July in a windy but warm Cork IT, Mark Christie took up the lead with 600m to go in the 3,000m but was caught by the chasing pack in the home straight and passed by Ben St. Laurence (Australia) who won in 8:02.42 from Craig Miller (USA) 8:02.89, Mark Draper (GBR) 8:04.22 and Mark fourth in 8:05.34. This was a good run for Mark against class opposition and adds to his preparations for the European Championships in Barcelona.

Achill Half Marathon

Coping with wet and windy conditions and hill after hill after hill, Martin Lyons was best of a strong Mullingar contingent that competed alongside more than 2,000 others in the gruelling Achill Half Marathon on Saturday 3rd July and was the overall winner in a new personal best of 1:15:59. Martin was absolutely delighted with his victory, and the new PB was an added bonus and just reward for all the hard work he has put in at training in recent weeks.

Also having a terrific race to finish in 10th place was Paddy Kelly (1:19:39), followed by Eddie Newman in 12th with a PB of 1:22:09 and Matt Glennon close behind in 15th place. Unfortunately, there was disappointment for Maurice Looby as he was forced to drop out with a painful Achilles injury. This was a great set of results for the Mullingar contingent and reinforces the Club's reputation on the Road Race circuit - where ever Mullingar athletes compete, they'll invariably feature in the prizes! Well done to them all.

June

AAI National Junior T&F Championships

6 July 2010 - Jake Byrne's 5km time corrected

On Sunday 27th June, a number of our underage athletes recorded personal best performances at the AAI National Junior T&F Championships in Tullamore, led by Jake Byrne as he won the 5,000m in 15:35.10, followed by Vinny Connolly in 2nd also running extremely well.

Robert Yorke won his heat of the 800m in a new PB of 1:58, but couldn’t quite reproduce the same form in the final, though with the first four over the line inside the World Junior qualifying standard, it was certainly a race to be in and Robert will have learned so much from being a part of it.

Ciara Fogarty made up for the disappointment of not winning a medal at the Tailteanns the day before by taking bronze in the shot putt with a new PB of 10.67m. This distance would have earned her silver the day before.

Of note is that Jake and Vinny are underage again next year, Robert is underage for two more years, and Ciara is underage for an amazing three more years, so plenty more to come.

Tailteann Inter-Provincial T&F Championships

Shane Fitzsimons plays major part in the "race of the day" Read more

AAI National "Pairs" T&F Championships

Competing on Saturday 26th June were some of the Club’s youngest athletes, at the AAI National “Pairs” T&F Championships in Templemore, Co. Tipperary.

Young Nicola Groenewald and Shauna Leydon were thrilled to win bronze medals in the u/9 girls 60m and later in the day went one better and won silver medals in the long jump, missing gold by just 3 centimetres. Conor McHugh and Jack Moran competed in the 600m u/11 and despite turning in sterling performances, were unlucky to finish 5th, out of the medals but full marks for effort. With youngsters like these, a successful future for the Club is assured.

Dunshaughlin AC "Michael Manning" 10km Road Race

With over 520 finishers, the Dunshaughlin AC "Michael Manning" 10km Road Race on Saturday 26th June exceeded all expectations of the race organizers and reflected the big increase in popularity of road races evident this year. Among the big entry was Tom McGrath who had an excellent race to finish 10th overall but took 1st prize in his master age-category. Also competing was Maurice Looby, Eddie Newman, Kieran Nolan and Justin Murtagh who all ran well and enjoyed the experience despite finishing out of the team prizes.

British Masters' 5km Road Walk Championships

The 2009 Horwich Carnival Races, near Bolton, welcomed back the British Masters 5km Road Walking Championships on Sunday 21st June for the third year in a row and among the competitors was Sean McMullin, who has competed every year since this event started. Fabulous weather for spectators but high temperatures made conditions difficult for the competitors, though Sean still turned in an excellent performance to finish 4th overall, and 2nd in his age-category. Well done to Sean for representing Mullingar so well in England.

Leinster u/13 - 19 T&F Championships

Record number of Club athletes qualify for National Finals Read more

European Athletics Team Championship

Mark Christie really boosted the Ireland team’s chances near the end day 1 at the European Athletics Team Championship in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday 19th June when he finished 2nd in the 5,000m in a time of 13.49.77 to gain valuable points for the team and helped Ireland to finish 8th overall from 12 teams and remain in League One for next year. Well done to Mark and the entire Ireland team.

Trim AC "Braveheart" 5km Trail Run

Trim AC initiated a new type of race in Meath on Friday 18th June with a trail run that took the athletes around a testing 5km cross country-type course in Porchfields near Trim Castle, dubbed the "Braveheart" Trim AC 5km trail Run.

The Meath County Board often hold their County Cross Country Championships in Porchfields, but as it was summer, more of the area was accessible and one of the more unusual features of the course was the low-level underpass that had to have padding on the roof edge to protect the heads of the taller runners! With over 250 finishers enjoying the unusual race, it’s likely to feature on next year's Road Race calendar.

Representing Mullingar was Patrick Muldoon Junior who was very pleased with his run and finished 7th overall, ahead of Eddie Newman who took home a prize for finishing 2nd in his master age-category, and finally Pat Muldoon Senior who finished 4th in his master category. Well done to the Mullingar contingent.

OCI Youth Training Camp in Romania

Well done to Shane Fitzsimons on being among a group of 24 track and field athletes invited by the Olympic Council of Ireland to attend a Youth Training Camp in Romania for 6 days (17th to 22nd June). The group will be boosted by 26 athletes from other sports.

This is a great recognition for Shane, who has already run the qualifying standard in the 1,500m for the European Youth Olympic Festival in Turkey in 2011 and will be looking to add the 800m and 3,000m between now and next summer with a view to making the EYOF team in at least one event. The Camp in Romania will be a first for Shane and many others in the group in that it will be a trip abroad to train only and will not have the pressure of competition. While there, he’ll attend some educational workshops, which will assist him in maintaining his progress and help him achieve further qualifying standards with a focus on Turkey 2011.

Among the other track and field athletes will be Paul Collins (North Westmeath AC) and in the group from other sports will be Gavin Doran (Midland Tri) who trains regularly with the Harriers. Well done to all three on being honoured with this prestigious invitation.

Longford AC Summer Series - Round 2 - 10 miles

Competing in tough weather conditions of wind and squally showers on Sunday 13th June in the Round 2 of the Longford AC Summer Series, this time over 10 miles of a hilly course, Martin Lyons was pleased with his 2nd place finish in an excellent 57:05 to add to his win in the first round over 10km a few weeks ago. Round 2 saw about 50 athletes taking part, which is a good number for a new fixture and shows every indication that this series will grow in popularity with time. The third and final round, a half marathon, will take place on 18^th July.

ASICS Gouden Spike, Leiden (Holland)

With the qualifying time for the 5,000m at the European Championships in Barcelona secured some weeks ago, Mark Christie is in the enviable position of being able to focus simply on training and racing and not having to worry about times. On Saturday 12th June he dropped down to the 3,000m at the ASICS Gouden Spike in Leiden, Holland (where he set a personal best (7:50.23) last year) and won in the relatively easy time of 7:55.05 in a tactical race, just one second ahead of second place.

Women's Mini Marathon

Mary Scully best of large Mullingar contingent Read more

Leinster Senior & Master T&F

Amended - John O'Reilly did even better than we thought!

At the Leinster Senior & Master T&F Championships at an overcast but warm Tullamore on Sunday 6th June the Club had a number of senior and master athletes in action. For most it was their first time competing in these Championships but judging by their success, it won’t be their last.

Paddy Kelly was a clear winner of the Senior B 800m
Michelle O’Halloran won her master 800m
Matt Glennon was 3rd in his master 800m
John O’Reilly is new to master sprinting and putting recent injury behind him, competed well in the 200m where he finished 4th but was better over the 100m later in the afternoon and finished 2nd to win his first master track medal
No stranger to master Championships, Sean McMullin took silver in the master 3,000m race walk.

Congratulations to them all for representing the Club so well.

All-Ireland Schools T&F

Well done to the members of the Club who competed at the All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore on Saturday 5th June. There were a few close calls but no medal winning performances, which is understandable given the standard of this competition and the fact that many of those taking part will be under age again next year.

In action were Ciara Fogarty (Loreto Mullingar) in the intermediate shot putt (4th), Lorraine Daly (Mercy Kilbeggan) 1,500m intermediate, Linda Conroy (Mercy Kilbeggan) 800m junior (5th), Edel Glennon (St. Finian’s, Mullingar) 1,200m junior race walk (4th), Jake Byrne (St. Joseph’s, Rochfortbridge) 5,000m senior (5th), Vinny Connolly (Killucan) 5,000m senior, Robert Yorke (St. Mel’s, Longford) 800m senior, Thomas Fagan (Moate CC) 1,500m senior, Shane Fitzsimons (St. Joseph’s) 1,500m intermediate (4th) and Padraig Moran (St. Mary’s CBS, Mullingar) 1,500m junior.

Rathowen 5km Road Race

Summer sun draws a crowd Read more

May

Leinster Junior T&F Championships

On Sunday 30th May shot putter Ciara Fogarty moved up in age and competed at the Leinster Junior T&F Championships in Tullamore. Ciara sets herself high standards and though was reported to be disappointed with her series of putts, was still good enough to take silver. However, the good athlete learns from every competition and Ciara now knows what to work on in training with a week to go to the All-Ireland Schools on Saturday 5th June.

Mullingar Road League 2010

Reports on all four rounds Read more

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

Some great performances from Club's youngest athletes Read more

Leinster & Connaught Schools T&F Finals

Record number of Club athletes qualify for All-Ireland Schools Read more

Inter-County Juvenile T&F Meeting

Club's young athletes compete with distinction Read more

Westmeath T&F Championships

Athlone IT hosts very successful return of the T&F Championships Read more

Munster Senior T&F Championships

On Bank Holiday Monday, 3rd May, master athlete Sean McMullin took to the line for the 10,000m track race walk against much younger opposition at the Munster Senior Track and Field Championships and was very pleased to finish in 3rd place, though we’re sure the younger opposition wasn’t too happy with that!  Congratulations to Sean.

Leinster Road Race Championships

Medals galore for Mullingar novice & master teams Read more

Great Edinburgh Run

Martin Fagan mixes it with the best World class distance runners Read more

Payton Jordan Cardinal T&F Meeting

New 5,000m PB for Mark Christie is inside European qualifying standard Read more

April

Irish Universities T&F

At the Irish Universities Track and Field Championships on Fri/Sat 23rd/24th April in Santry, Brendan Marshall was in action for DCU in the long jump and was very pleased to take 3rd place and add to his University Championships medal collection. Also competing in Santry, Paul Ryan (NUI Maynooth) ran well in the 200m but didn’t advance to the final, while Aoife Hogan (Carlow IT) just missed out on qualification to the 200m final in a very close heat.

Loreto Schools T&F

Competing for Loreto Mullingar at the Loreto Schools Track and Field on Thursday 22nd April in Santry, Caoimhe Shaw was delighted to get her outdoor season off to a great start with a win over 500m for minor girls, where she put her great turn of pace to good use and was simply too strong for the opposition. In the senior girls shot putt Ciara Fogarty placed third. Ciara sets herself a very high standard and was disappointed with this result but will have learned from the experience and use it to improve for the Leinster Schools track and field this week. We wish Caoimhe, Ciara and all our underage athletes the very best of luck as they compete for their Schools and Colleges in the various Schools fixtures this week.

Great Ireland Run

Convincing victory for Martin Fagan Read more

Athlone IT AC 5km Road Race

Martin Lyons turned in a sparkling performance to win the Athlone IT AC 5km Road Race on Sunday 18th April, which was run in ideal conditions but over a tough hilly course but proved no problem for Martin. Close on his heels was Thomas Fagan in 4th, clearly using the race to sharpen up for the Schools fixtures ahead. In the ladies race, Maura Dervin just had the edge on Michelle O’Halloran to finish in 3rd place, ahead of Michelle in 4th and both will be looking forward with relish to the Leinster Road Championships in May where the Mullingar women’s team should feature in the medals.

"War Eagle" Invitational Meeting, Alabama

In the USA and unconcerned about volcanic ash, Mark Christie opened his track season on Saturday 17th April with a win over 5,000m at the "War Eagle" Invitational Meeting at Auburn University, Alabama in 13:41.79, just inside his previous personal best of 13:42.28. Mark out-sprinted Ben Cheryiout and left several other very useful African athletes in his wake to get his outdoor track season off to a great start.

Paris Marathon

Competing alongside nearly 37,000 other runners, joggers and walkers and taking full advantage of the cool Paris weather on Sunday 11th April, Eddie Newman had little eye for the myriad monuments and famous landmarks dotted along the course of the Paris Marathon through the heart of the city.

Apart from having to contend with cobbled surfaces here and there, Eddie considered the conditions ideal for running. Starting rather appropriately at the Arc de Triomphe, it was indeed a triumph for Eddie as he finished in 2:56:38, well inside his pre-race target.

We’re not sure if the secret of Eddie’s success was the free red wine and cheese handed at the 35km mark, which is a quirky feature of the Paris Marathon apparently!

St. Laurence O'Toole AC Open Sports

Updated 7 April

Braving the elements on Easter Monday (5th April), a group of the Club's juvenile athletes made the short trip to Carlow for the St. Laurence O'Toole AC Open Sports and despite the very strong and blustery conditions, all were delighted with the day's competition, which proved very successful with plenty of prizes won.

Young Rachel Darby was 3rd in the 60m u/8, her sister Aoife Darby was also 3rd, in the 300m u/10, Hilary Harris also finished 3rd, in the 80m u/13, as did Maeve O'Reilly in the 80m u/14, while Eoin Sheridan went one better by winning silver in the 80m sprint u/14 and silver in the u/15 Shot Putt. Victoria Harris was a clear winner of the 100m u/15, as was Aine O'Reilly in the Junior Ladies 1,000m. Ciara Fogarty moved up to the Junior ranks too and took silver in the Junior Ladies Shot Putt. To round off the day, Lorna Moody, Hilary Harris, Maeve O'Reilly and Victoria Harris combined for the 4x100m u/16 where the girls finished a very credible 4th, only a split second off a medal.

Well done to all and congratulations on their successes. Open Sports like this are ideal preparation for the upcoming Schools track and field fixtures and competitors can try out different events in a low-key friendly atmosphere.

Mountpleasant AC 5km Road Race

Vinny Connolly had to battle ferocious winds that made conditions very difficult for competitors at the Mountpleasant AC 5km road race in Dundalk, Co. Louth on Easter Monday (5th April). Despite the wind, which seriously affected race pace and therefore finish times, Vinny stuck to his task and was delighted to finish 3rd overall, and an added bonus was his prize for finishing first junior man.

AAI National Juvenile Indoors - days 3 & 4

Mixed fortunes at conclusion of National Juvenile Indoors Read more

March

AAI National Juvenile Indoors - days 1 & 2

National Indoor honours prove elusive for most Read more

British Masters Indoors

Congratulations to Master athlete Sean McMullin on winning the 3,000m track race walk in his age-category at the British Masters Indoor T&F Championships on Sunday 28th March, going one better than the silver medal he won at the same event last year. Sean continues to accumulate master race walk titles at home and abroad, all adding to his well deserved reputation as a master race walker of distinction.

Dunboyne AC 4 Mile Road Race

Updated 4 April

Because he didn’t have to travel to Nenagh for a 1,500m final on Sunday 28th March, Vinny Connolly was able to compete in the open fresh air at the Dunboyne AC 4 mile road race in Co. Meath.

With perfect conditions for running on the new flat and fast course, which stayed close to the supporters along the route in and around the town, Vinny was the runaway winner of the Junior men category in 21:37, to round off a very successful week-end for him.

Vinny also had the distinction of leading the Mullingar team home, with Ben Vaitkavichius close on his heels in 21:40 (2nd in master age-category) and with Martin Lyons (21:57), Liam McGlynn (22:30), Eddie Newman (23:14) and Mark Carroll (23:45) packing well, the team finished in 4th place.

Schools International Cross Country

Representing their Schools and Ireland with pride on Saturday 27th March at the Schools International Cross Country in Truro, Cornwall four of the Club’s finest young athletes performed brilliantly and each played an important part in securing team medals for Ireland against the best teams from England, Scotland and Wales.

Clearly benefiting from her experience in the same event last year, and putting recent illness firmly behind her, Linda Conroy (Mercy Kilbeggan) was first home for Ireland in 9th place overall in the Junior girls race and led the Ireland team to 3rd place.

In the Intermediate girls, Ciara Hewson (Maynooth PPS) had to run through a painful stitch but still finished well up the field and was 3rd home for Ireland, closely followed by Lorraine Daly (Mercy Kilbeggan) finishing strongly as always and providing the vital 6th score to secure the silver medals for the Ireland team. Ciara and Lorraine are underage again for Intermediate next year.

Also giving away a year in age, Shane Fitzsimons (St. Joseph’s Rochfortbridge) had a terrific race in the Intermediate boys race where he also finished well up the field and played his part in helping Ireland to silver team medals also.

Well done to each and every one of them and we hope to see them in action over 800m at day 3 of the National Juvenile Indoors in Nenagh in two weeks time.

AAI Juvenile Star Awards for 2009

There was little surprise given the magnificent achievement of our underage cross country teams in winning 5 Club gold, 2 Club silver and 2 Club bronze medals in National Finals in Kilbeggan, Coleraine and Boyle that Mullingar Harriers retained the Kennedy Perpetual Shield for best cross country Club in Ireland in 2009, which was presented at a Gala Function in Arklow on Saturday 20th March. Congratulations to all our outstanding juvenile athletes. This Award is a great testament to all the hard work they put in at training and each and every one of them can be justifiably very proud of themselves and their achievements.

Having won 4 individual National titles in 2009, there was no surprise either when Shane Fitzsimons was presented with his Tipperary Crystal AAI Juvenile Star Award for his outstanding performances during 2009. This is the first time that Shane has won this National Award, and given his talent, surely it won't be his last.

Ballycotton 10 Mile Road Race

Perhaps with his eye on one of the special "Top 100" T-shirts for the first 100 finishers at the Ballycotton 10 mile Road Race on Sunday 21st March, Eddie Newman really pulled out all the stops and set a new personal best of 61:50 but cut it very fine for the T-shirt by finishing in exactly 100th place to nab the last T-shirt. This is a great performance by Eddie and will give him a great boost in confidence ahead of the Boston Marathon in April.

Eddie was one of a large group of Mullingar athletes among the nearly 3,000 competitors in Ballycotton, which has a well-deserved reputation as probably the best organized and best value for money road race anywhere. Following behind Eddie was Patrick Muldoon Junior (64:47), Keith Gorry (69:12) and Enda Mimnagh (69:32). Of note is that this was the first time Keith and Enda have broken the 70 minute barrier.

Also in action and competing well and soaking up the terrific atmosphere on the dry warm afternoon in Cork were Aidan Daly, Vera McCool, Paul McCool, Breda McDonnell (2nd in her master age-category), Des Walsh, Mary Dillon, Sinead Marshall, Geraldine Walsh and Martha Marshall. Well done to everyone on their performances.

Fr. Murphy's AC 5 Mile Road Race

Taking full advantage of the crisp spring day that was St. Patrick’s Day 2010, Liam McGlynn was very pleased with his 11th place overall finish from 155 finishers in 29:31 at the Fr. Murphy’s AC 5 mile road race in Ballivor. The course was nice and conditions were perfect with warm sunshine and a breeze. Also running well and enjoying this ever popular and very well organized race was Eddie Newman (30:16) and Christy Creagh (36:20), who were happy to make the short trip to Ballivor to enjoy the hospitality of our near neighbour Club and to support the event.

St. Patrick's Festival 5km Road Race

Congratulations to Mark Christie on his victory in the St. Patrick’s Festival 5km Road Race on Sunday 14th March. Mark completed the course in a new record time of 14:12, knocking 2 seconds off the previous course record and was over 150m ahead of the second place finisher Sean Connolly (Tallaght AC) in 14:39, Richie Corcoran (Raheny Shamrocks AC) third in 14:42, and Mark Kirwan (Raheny Shamrocks AC) fourth in 14:45. His dominance comes on the back of his recent excellent run in the Armagh Road Race and demonstrates that Mark is really coming into serious form of late.

Also in action were Gerry Duffy and Ken Whitelaw using the race as part of their preparations for the "32 Marathons in 32 Days" challenge they've set themselves this summer. Also competing was Kieran Nolan getting in some early road race practice for the Mullingar Road League in May perhaps?

All-Ireland Schools Cross Country Finals

"Super Saturday" for Mullingar athletes Read more

Barcelona Marathon

The Barcelona Marathon boasts many fine landmarks along the course, including the Camp Nou (home of Barcelona FC) and the Cathedral of Sagrada Familia but it is safe to assume that Maurice Looby and Colm Walsh were taking little notice of the scenery on Sunday 7th March as they made their way along the course that is advertised to be flat, but judging by their self-confessed shattered state at the finish, both will testify that it is most certainly not flat.

Despite the gruelling test, and what marathon does not push an athlete to the limit, both were absolutely delighted with their finish times – Maurice in 2:39:42 and Colm in 2:57:11. Maurice collapsed over the line but refused the stretcher and Colm was just as exhausted but the satisfaction of breaking his pre-race goal kept him on his feet. To put Maurice’s time in perspective, it will now qualify him for an elite runner number in most of the big city marathons, which is terrific.

These are tremendous performances and the post-race message from Maurice bests sums up the marathon experience – “I went through an entire life during the race: excited like a baby at the start; felt strong like a man in his prime in the middle; felt dead at the end.” Sentiments familiar to most marathon runners!

February

Hugely successful Leinster Juvenile Indoors - Days 2 & 3

27 Club athletes qualify in 30 events for National Finals Read more

Rás na hÉireann

Some of the Club’s athletes that were too young to compete at the Leinster Indoors in Nenagh headed to Oldbridge Estate in Drogheda on Sunday 28th February to compete in the Rás na hÉireann, where they enjoyed the competition and many won prizes.

Aoife Darby finished 6th in the girls under 11 and won an individual prize, followed by Maolíosa Ní Léannacháin in 10th. In the u/11 boys race, Conor McHugh finished 4th to win an individual prize, as did Jack Moran (6th), and with John Whitelaw and Ronan McHugh running so well, the boys finished 2nd team and were delighted with their team prizes. Claire Fagan finished 5th in the girls u/13, just ahead of Laura Whitelaw in 6th and Emma Glynn in 7th and if only they had one more runner, they would surely have won a team prize too (Race winner by the way was Eva O'Donovan (Navan AC) who we know well from training in Belvedere on Sunday mornings; well done Eva).

Mardi Gras Half Marathon

Martin Fagan was in New Orleans on Sunday 28th February though not as a late-comer for the annual Mardi Gras festival but to compete in the inaugural half marathon. Martin was among an elite group of 5 athletes that ran in close formation up to the 9 mile mark, including Kenya’s Martin Lel, Sammy Wanjiru, Shadrock Biwott and McDonald Ondara. It was Lel who made the break from the group and went on to eventual victory in 61:07, with Wanjiru in second, Biwott in third and Martin fourth in 62:02. This is terrific running from Martin and reinforces his credentials as a truly World-class athlete.

Armagh International 5km Road Race

A Club man in sparkling form lately is Mark Christie who posted a fantastic 14:00.05 at the Armagh International 5km Road Race on Thursday 25th February. Mark was in top class company, with race winner Nick McCormick from England in first, David McCarthy in second, Ben Bruce of the USA in third and Mark in fourth, leaving many well regarded British, Polish and USA runners in his wake. In this form, Mark should have an excellent season ahead of him this year.

AAI Juvenile Cross Country 2009 - boys u/13 re-run

Glen Gaffney ran the perfect race to win the AAI National under 13 cross country title on Sunday 21st February (2010) in Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, Co. Roscommon and led Mullingar to Club team gold. Run in conjunction with the National "B" Finals, this was the re-run of the race that was declared null and void in Coleraine in December 2009 but this time around there were no organisational blunders and everything went off very smoothly.

Providing great support running was Cormac Dalton (14th), Oisin Quinn (who bravely fought illness to compete) and Patrick Shaw to secure the gold medals for Mullingar. With Mervyn Harris, Kevin Giles, James O’Léannacháin, Declan Brady and Philip Doherty also running terrific races, it was little surprise that Westmeath finished second County. For good measure, Glen, Cormac and Oisin also won silver medals with the Leinster team. These team medals are just reward for this dedicated young team.

AAI National Masters & Intermediate Cross Country Finals

Updated 24th Feb

At the AAI National Masters and Intermediate Cross Country Finals in Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, Co. Roscommon on Sunday 21st February, in the Master Women’s race, Michelle O’Halloran was top finisher for Mullingar, followed by Maura Dervin, Vera McCool, Breda Daly, Nuala Moran and Terri Greene who all ran well but finished out of the medals.

Similarly in the Master Men, team medals proved elusive such is the standard at National level, but Tom McGrath, Liam McGlynn, Ben Vaitkevichius, Matt Glennon, Padraig Daly, Pat Muldoon, Enda Mimnagh, Ronan Bracken, Aidan Daly, Christy Creagh (2nd in age-category) and Sean McMullin competed well and finished 5th Club but weren’t too concerned about the lack of team medals.

Last race of the day, the Intermediate Men saw Aidan Gorry, Martin Lyons, JP O’Brien and Keith Gorry put in a great team effort but they too finished out of the medals. It was a great day’s running enjoyed by all even if team medals were very thin on the ground.

Well done to everyone for competing so well and flying the flag so enthusiastically for Mullingar, and of course not forgetting the good group of dedicated supporters that travelled in number and braved the elements to cheer the Mullingar athletes on.

Celtic Schools International Indoors

Competing alongside the Ireland Junior and Senior teams at the Celtic Indoor Cup in Cardiff last on Sunday 21st February was the Ireland Schools under 16 team, which included Shane Fitzsimons, and he was clearly inspired by the occasion and won the 1,500m with a phenomenal 15 seconds to spare, in a new meeting record of 4:09.65, bettering the previous record by an impressive 5 seconds.

Shane’s performance helped Ireland win the Celtic Schools Cup. This is a great early-season indicator of Shane’s form and there’s little doubt but more records are under threat if he keeps this up.

Scottish Underage Indoors

Ciara Fogarty proved on Sunday 14th February what a class act she is in shot putt when she took gold in the under 17 event at the Scottish Underage Indoors in Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. Despite giving away a year under UK age rules, and competing with a heavier shot than she is used to, Ciara took the challenge in her stride and was clearly buoyed up with confidence from the new strength and conditioning coaching she is receiving from Wayne Healy and it looks certain that she will have a great season ahead of her. Congratulations to Ciara on her first taste of International success.

Leinster Junior XC & Juvenile XC Relays

Mullingar reinforces reputation as premier cross country Club Read more

"Westmeath Examiner" Sports Stars Awards for 2009

In a packed main ballroom at the Mullingar Park Hotel on Friday 5th February, Shane Fitzsimons and Jake Byrne were presented with their "Westmeath Examiner" Sports Stars Awards for June 2009, which they were the joint-recipients of in recognition of their superb performances on the track in Summer 2009. After the magnificent 5-course banquet, the duo was interviewed on stage by RTÉ’s Colm Murray and thanks to his professionalism he was able to help them relax and enjoy the experience and the interviews were hugely enjoyed by their families and friends in particular.

These Awards were obviously known in advance, but there was a very pleasant surprise for Jake at the end of the evening when he was presented with the Junior Star of the Year Award, which is very well deserved and comes on the back of his participation at the World Youth T&F Championships last July.

Congratulations to Shane on his award and to Jake on his double-honour.

January

Leinster Indoors - Day 1

Big haul of Leinster Indoor medals Read more

Annual General Meeting

Report on proceedings at 2010 AGM Read more

AAI National Masters Indoors T&F Championships

Congratulations to master athlete Sean McMullin for flying the flag so well for Mullingar at the AAI National Masters Indoors in Nenagh on Sunday 24th January where he won silver in the 3,000m race walk and then followed it up with a bronze in the 3,000m run later in the afternoon. An excellent example to all Club members.

Antrim International Cross Country

Thick fog that took some time to clear greeted the Mullingar athletes that travelled to Antrim on Saturday 23rd January for the International Cross Country, which was held on a fine course though with soft underfoot conditions in some places and once again we had some outstanding performances from all Club members, with close finishes and individual and team prizes, in spite of running the considerably longer UK cross country race distances. The opposition included athletes from England, Scotland and Wales plus all the top Irish clubs.

In the minor race for girls, Edel Glennon had a terrific run to finish 8th and with great support running from Aisling Moody, Niamh Quinn and Adeola Ojomo-Amaka, led the team to 3rd place. Of interest is that Paddy Daly’s daughter, Annie Tynan-Daly was 2nd in the same race, leading her Ballinasloe & District AC team to a convincing win.

The minor boys race was extremely close where we saw Jack Reid run the race of his life in 3rd place, behind two Scottish athletes, and just a few seconds off silver. Here surely is a future International athlete. Close behind him came Glen Gaffney (9th) and Cormac Dalton (11th) finishing strongly, and with great support from Oisin Quinn, Michael Moran and Philip Doherty the boys easily won the team prize.

Linda Conroy continued the run of good performances with an impressive 3rd place finish in the junior girls race where she ran her best race of the cross country season so far, having to concede to the very good Scottish Champion. Elizabeth Carr also showed a good return to form with a solid race.

The junior boys race was the closest of the day and a real thriller, with just seconds separating the first 4 over the line. For Padraig Moran it was his finest ever race and he was pleased with his 4th place finish. He is fast developing into a top class athlete and improving with every race. The same can be said of Ryan Blundell, one of the most improved athletes in the Club, and behind him finishing very strong was Eoin Lynam and they were unlucky to finish just out of the team prizes.

The girls u/17 race, which incorporated the Celtic International Cross Country, was run in conjunction with the under 20 race and covered a much longer distance and gave us a chance to cheer for Mullingar and Ireland as Ciara Hewson and Lorraine Daly were in action on the Ireland team. Ciara had a fine run coming through the field on the second lap and finished full of running and played her part in helping Ireland to team bronze. Unfortunately, Lorraine took ill during the race when in a good position and had to drop out, which is the first time this has ever happened to her.

The boys u/17 international race saw Shane Fitzsimons get a severe cramp early in the race and he wisely chose to drop out, but Thomas Lynn had a great race and fully deserved his International selection. Thomas Fagan also had his best race for some time with a very fluid piece of running. Also competing were Adam Daly and Jonathan Daly who ran well in a very tough race and helped Mullingar to 4th team place.

Vincent Connolly found the going tough in the Junior men race but battled on to finish well up. In the master men race, Ben Vaitkevichius easily won his category when finishing 10th overall and with excellent support running from Matt Glennon, Paddy Daly, Liam McGlynn and Kieran Nolan, led Mullingar to 3rd team prize.

However, probably the performance of the day belonged to Mary Scully in the women’s race, which was a combination open, masters and elite International race. The race was won by Mary Cullen and had athletes of the calibre of European Champion Hayley Yelling and Fionnuala Britton running, but Mary was not overawed and finished 5th Irish woman, a superb performance and won her master category with ease. Alwyn Kinane more than justified her selection on the Leinster team with Mary and also had a good run.

All in all, it was great day for Mullingar Harriers and as always our athletes were brilliantly supported throughout the day by a good group of parents and others that travelled in support and enjoyed the venue, facilities and races. Many thanks to them.

Leinster Star Awards for 2009

Individual & Club honours Read more

International selection for four of Mullingar's finest

This year, the Antrim IAAF International Cross Country on 23rd January incorporates the Celtic International Cross Country Championships and four Club members have already booked their places for Antrim, on teams selected by AAI to represent Ireland.

Based on the results of the under 16 races in the All-Ireland Finals in Kilbeggan in November 2009, the AAI has selected Shane Fitzsimons and Thomas Lynn to run in the boys under 17 race and Ciara Hewson and Lorraine Daly in the girls under 17 race.

For Thomas, Ciara and Lorraine this is their first International vests outside of Schools competition, while for Shane it is his latest. The Club will be sending teams to Antrim in most age-groups, so we’ll have a big crowd from Mullingar on the day to support them and cheer them on. Congratulations to the four of them on their selection, which is just reward for their hard work and dedication in training.

New Club facilities are a welcome addition

Our new gym/weights room is proving most popular with Club members and the new layout is of great benefit to our sprinters, throwers, jumpers and middle distance runners. Their core work is now done in an ideal environment and does not interfere with other activities in the main hall. But probably the biggest asset of all is the arrival of Wayne Healy as a Club member. Wayne is one of the best known weightlifters in Ireland, having competed in International competition for many years, and his experience as a weights and conditioning coach is top class. Now living in Mullingar, his experience will be of enormous benefit to all Club members, so all you budding shot putters and discus throwers have no excuse from now on.

Another new addition in our Clubhouse is the magnificent new marble plaque with the names of all Club members who up to now have had the honour of representing Ireland in International competition. Our first International to be selected to represent Ireland was in 1979 and since then we have produced 69 International athletes, including six new ones in 2009. The "International Roll of Honour" plaque was most generously donated by one of our first members and great Club man, Seamus Gibney, himself an outstanding cross country runner with his native County Louth.

It is also hoped to have a photographic display of many of our Club members who competed for us down through the years. We hope to complete this project during the coming year.