Oisin Lane excels at Summer World University Games

Mullingar Harriers notes

Representing the University of Limerick and Ireland at the FISU Summer World University Games in Bochum, Germany, Oisin Lane competed in the 20k race walk early last Sunday morning, his first time to compete at World level, which is great preparation for the World T&F in Tokyo in September.

The course was a 1,250m loop through a wooded park and had lots of twists, turns and dips and also had a long pull, so it was really like a cross country course, but on tarmac paths. The morning was humid, but it rained beforehand, which helped to take the edge off the oppressive heat and humidity. The pack went out at a reasonable pace but didn’t really start racing until the third kilometre.

Once Oisin got into real racing mode, he raced intelligently and with great determination. The majority of the leading pack picked up red cards but Oisin maintained a totally clean sheet, a testament to his excellent focus and technique. Covering each 5k quicker than the previous, this was Oisin’s best race yet on the hardest course that he has faced abroad.

He crossed the finish line well up in 11th place in 1 hour 23 minutes and 6 seconds, which is a new personal best, and he was delighted with his result and also happy that his preparations for the World T&F Championships in Tokyo in September are going so well [ML/GD].

Gold rush at National Masters T&F

Mullingar was represented by seven master athletes at the national Masters T&F in Tullamore last Saturday. Competing in 11 events, the seven Mullingar athletes really made their presence felt by winning seven gold medals, one silver, and one bronze, and just missed two more medals with two fourth place finishes, so it was definitely a ‘gold rush’ by the magnificent Mullingar masters.

The medal rush began in the men 5,000m race walk, which was a mixed race for all the master men age categories. Colm Walsh settled in quickly and sticking to his task in this technical event he raced to third place overall but first in his age category, delighted to win the national title. Finishing behind him was Sean McMullin, who won his age category with ease to add another gold to his considerable collection of national medals.

In the field events, Ramona Carey was just too strong in the women shot put and putting all her recent hard work at training to good effect, was delighted to win national gold by a big distance. Over the following hours, Ramona added to her medal haul with a fine silver medal in the women javelin, delighted to win a medal in a new event for her and completed her medal haul by winning gold in the women discus, giving her three medals in three events.

Back on the track, Maura Dervin dropped down to the women 800m and was simply untroubled in her age group and won to take national gold, comfortably clear of second place. Aidan O’Donoghue was unlucky to miss a medal by a narrow margin in the men shot put, finishing fourth, but made up for it the men 100m hurdles, where he raced to victory and the gold medal, and rounded off his day with the men javelin, where he was happy to win the bronze medal after an excellent competition.

Competing in his first track competition in a Mullingar singlet, Dan Morris toed the line for the men 5,000m. Conditions were tough for a distance event but Dan dug deep and despite the heat covered the 12 and a half laps in 15:45.24, an excellent time in the heat, but he was unlucky to just miss a medal, finishing in fourth place. We ended a great day back in the medals when Tom Walsh simply dominated the men 28 pounds weight for distance to take gold and another national title [GD].

Dysart 4 Mile Classic

We’re only a week away from the Dysart 4 Mile Classic next Tuesday evening and so far online entries are going well but we’re strongly urging members that haven’t entered yet to please do without delay, as it greatly speeds things up on the night at registration and will help us tie down final catering arrangements. Of course, any members not running are asked to please help out on the night, as we’ll need lots of help.

National 10 Mile medal for Sharon O’Dowd

Last week we noted the excellent performances of the Mullingar athletes in the national 10 mile in the Phoenix Park, winning three sets of master team medals and three individual masters medals, but that has now been increased to four individual medals.

The master women individual medal results were amended during the week and we’re delighted to note that Sharon O’Dowd won the individual bronze medal in her master category to add to her bronze team medal. It was Sharon’s first time to race 10 miles and she was pleased to finish in 1:08:34, but even more happy to win an individual national master medal too.

Brandon Bay Half Marathon

Last Saturday morning Zane Smukste competed alongside nearly 190 other runners in the Brandon Bay Half Marathon, an event that is run entirely on the golden sandy beach that stretches around Brandon Bay in Kerry.

Competitors doing the half marathon effectively run from one point of the seven-mile beach to the other and back. The event is the only running event in Ireland run entirely on the beach, so it provided a great challenge. Zane finished well up in a fine 28th place overall in 1:43:17, the second woman finisher, and was delighted to win a prize for her efforts [GD].

Check the club website at mullingarharriers.com or the Facebook page for more news.