Having been absent in any great number for several years, the Club’s novice and master athletes made the decision to field full teams in the Leinster Road Race Championships held in Gowran, Co. Kilkenny on Bank Holiday Monday (3rd May) and what a decision that turned out to be! Taking full advantage of the dry pleasant conditions over a well laid out fast course, by day’s end, Mullingar Club teams had won two gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal, and also County teams won a gold medal, two silver medals and one bronze medal. These results are in addition to very many individual medals won, making this the best result for the Club in years.

The women’s teams were the first into action in the combined master and novice 3km where Sinead Roche took the Leinster Novice title after a terrific performance, and with great support from Riona Murtagh in 7th and newcomers Kate O’Flynn and Laura Temple who only took up running with the “Meet & Train” group a few months ago, led the team to 3rd Club and 2nd County.

In the master women’s race, Mary Scully dominated from start to finish and finished comfortably clear to win her first Leinster road title and with Michelle O’Halloran (6th in category), Maura Dervin (1st in category) and another “Meet & Train” newcomer, Mary Kennedy, running so well in support, it was no surprise that the master women took Club gold and County gold, so all the women – novice and master – were rewarded with Leinster medals.

The celebrations didn’t end there though, as in the novice men’s 6km, Paddy Kelly battled hard and was rewarded with a 6th place finish, just ahead of Martin Lyons in 8th, and with Aidan Gorry, Colm Walsh, Mark Carroll and JP O'Brien packing well, he led the team to 2nd Club and 2nd County, so medals for everyone here too.

The final race was the master men’s 5km where Liam McGlynn really found his form and cruised to victory in his category, followed by Ben Vaitkavichius (2nd in category), Maurice Looby (5th in category), Matt Glennon (6th in category), Keith Gorry (9th in category) and Christy Creagh (1st in category), and the master men were rewarded for their efforts with Club gold and County bronze medals to really round off a memorable day for the Club.

Congratulations to each and every one of our novice and master athletes on their performances, in particular the newcomers who have clearly made a very successful transition from the informality of the Wednesday evening “Meet & Train” group to competing with distinction on Club teams and playing a full part in team success.