Mullingar men survive Dublin City Marathon

It was run in conjunction with the Dublin City Marathon last October Bank Holiday Monday, and lived to tell the tale!This year was the 30th Anniversary edition of the race and a there was a record entry of over 12,000 with 10,468 managing to finish on the day. Maurice Looby was first in for Mullingar running a very even paced race to finish an excellent 80th place overall (18th in his master category) in 2:45:26, which is great reward for all the hard work put in at training over many months. At the half way mark,Martin Lyons was well on target to comfortably break 3 hours and still so at 30km but he suffered a bit over the last few miles though just managed to find an extra bit at the end to break 3 hours with 2:59:51. No problem with pace for Eddie Newman who must have an in-built metronome such was his perfectly even paced run and also got under 3 hours, though with only 2 seconds to spare, in 2:59:58 - phew!Matt Glennon admitted after that he really suffered in the latter stages and vowed never to try another marathon; only time will tell if he really means it! Tom McGrath has most reason to feel disappointed with his race, having been on target for a 2:36 finish all the way to 30km but came undone in the closing miles to finish outside his pre-race target, due no doubt to the residual effects of a recent niggling injury (always a hazard with the tough marathon training regime).Tom is a very experienced athlete though and knows that some days it just doesn't go right, for whatever reason, and might take some comfort from that cold fact. It's only a little under a year ago that Darragh Thornton thought 6km cross country was too far, but he ran a careful race and was very pleased to finish in 3:04 and no doubt will now set his sights on a sub-3 hour effort another day. Also running well up to the 30km mark and on schedule to meet their pre-race targets but falling foul of the dreaded last few miles, though still very pleased to have completed the course, were Mark Carroll, Kieran Nolan and John O'Reilly.All in all, a mixed bag of results for the Mullingar men; some delighted with their performances and others not so, though we know that whatever happens they'll still keep running and look forward to the next competition. The race included a team event and thanks to the performances of Maurice, Eddie and Matt, the Mullingar master men finished 6th team, which is a very credible finish and congratulations to them.Very large Mullingar squad to compete on day 2 of Leinster Cross CountryWe expect over 100 Club athletes to be in action this coming Sunday (8th Nov) in the second round of the Leinster Cross Country Championships in Charleville Castle, Tullamore. The Club will have teams in every age group from boys and girls under 11 years to under 19 years, and Intermediate men and women. The juvenile teams that qualify from Sunday will go forward to the All-Ireland Championships in Coleraine, Northern Ireland on 6th December, which will mean an overnight stay in the North.The names of those entered on teams for Tullamore are on the notice board in the Clubhouse. Please let Club officials know as soon as possible if you can't compete, so we can arrange a substitute. The first race will be at 12 noon sharp, which is the girls under 11, followed by the rest of the underage races in succession. We expect most will make their own travel arrangements but anyone needing a lift should tell Greg at training this week and if necessary we'll hire a small bus.All parking will be in the Tullamore Harriers Grounds, with no access for cars to the course. The entrance to the course is 350m from the front gate of the Harriers, on the other side of the road. There will be a supervised pedestrian crossing but please be careful crossing the busy N52 road. Don't be fooled into thinking that as it's only Tullamore, you can leave at your leisure. There will be a big crowd, so it's advisable to allow extra time for traffic delays entering the venue in order to arrive early and get to know the course. Aim to be at the course by 11.15am to get your number and warm-up for the race. Don't delay at the car park, head for the Club flag at the course where you can collect your number.Please bring a change of clothes, water or sports drink, rain gear, four safety pins for your race number, check that you have the correct length of spikes in your spiked running shoes and that you've packed your singlet. Parents and adults are advised to bring rain gear and proper footwear. Newcomers in particular are reminded that they must wear a Club vest in Championships. Club vests are available for purchase at the Club on any training night.Registrations for 2010We're continuing to take registrations for 2010 any Tuesday or Thursday at training and we ask everyone to pay their membership as soon as possible. We want all existing members to make sure we have complete contact details, particularly mobile phone or e-mail.Road safety/reflective clothingAs it is now dark very early in the evenings, athletes running from the Club house on the roads on Tuesday and Thursday nights must wear reflective clothing. You might see the car, but the driver mightn't see you.SympathyThe Executive and members of the Club wish to extend sincere sympathy to Claire Giles and the Giles family on the recent death of Claire's mother, Nellie Gorman. May she rest in peace.CongratulationsOn a happier note, congratulations to Matt and Helen Glennon on the birth of a son, Daniel, last Sunday, a new brother for Club regulars Edel, Rachel, Sarah and Susan.Cross country fixtures8th November. Leinster Cross Country (uneven ages, Intermediate) Charleville Castle, Tullamore14th Masters Home Countries Cross Country, Birmingham22nd AAI Cross Country (even ages, Inter-Counties) Kilbeggan Racecourse6th December. AAI Cross Country (uneven ages, Novice) Coleraine, Co. Londonderry13th European Cross Country, Santry Demesne, DublinTrainingTraining continues each Tuesday and Thursday from the Clubhouse in Grange at 7pm and in Belvedere on Sunday morning at 11am when not at competition. For the latest results, news and details of all upcoming fixtures check the Club's website <>at www.mullingarharriers.com.P.R.O.