Biggest field as Castlepollard 5k passes 25-year anniversary
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The start of the run in Castlepollard.Image 2 of 17
Ethan Quinn, John Thompson and Mick Rynne were stewards for the 5K.Image 3 of 17
John Clabby and Lauren Flaherty with Bailey on Wednesday evening.Image 4 of 17
Niamh Morgan, Claire McDonnell and Lisa McDermott from North Westmeath AC.Image 5 of 17
Ben Brunton (2nd), Cormac Dalton (1st) and Alex Wallace (3rd) after the race.Image 6 of 17
Shane McLoughlin from Mullingar.Image 7 of 17
Edel and Sean McCreery.Image 8 of 17
Damien Monaghan, Mark Darby and Kieran Nolan on Wednesday.Image 9 of 17
Tina McLoughlin from St Brigid’s AC.Image 10 of 17
Suzanne Forde at the finish line.Image 11 of 17
Martin Browne having a rest after the run.Image 12 of 17
Oliver Daly crossing the line.Image 13 of 17
Emma Lancaster from Castlepollard and Farah Forde from Mullingar.Image 14 of 17
Pat Boyhan with some of the Mullingar Harriers runners.Image 15 of 17
Brendan Murphy and Noel Devine after the run.Image 16 of 17
Laura Murtagh with Conor and Sarah Jane Tierney.Image 17 of 17
Rachel and John Waldron from Mullingar.A strong field turned out for the annual Castlepollard road race, hosted by North Westmeath AC, with organisers reporting the largest participation in several years.
Now in its 26th year, the event attracted runners from across the midlands, Dublin, Meath and surrounding counties. Their new route proved both challenging and fast, adding to the race’s appeal among competitive athletes and club runners.
Starting from the Square in Castlepollard village, runners headed towards Pakenham Hall Road before completing a scenic loop through the grounds of Tullynally Castle and returning to the village.
Local athlete Cormac Dalton of Mullingar Harriers AC took victory with an impressive time of 14:09, while Edel McCreery of Rathfarnham WSAF AC was the first woman home, recording a time of 18:04.
North Westmeath AC chairperson Niamh Morgan said the event had enjoyed a significant increase in entries this year.
“We're now in our 26th year, so we were celebrating our 25th anniversary. Last year we had 292 registered online and I understand there's about 100 more this year,” she said, “This is the largest participant we've had since probably 2018-2019 and are delighted with the response.”
Niamh also praised the volunteers and community organisations whose support helped make the event a success. She thanked the North Westmeath AC Race Committee, volunteers and their families, as well as the community organisations in Castlepollard for facilitating the temporary takeover of the town on a summer evening.
The North Westmeath AC chairperson also acknowledged the Tidy Towns Committee for maintaining the appearance of the village and thanked local groups for promoting and encouraging participation.
Special thanks were extended to the Tullynally Estate and the Pakenham family for allowing the race to pass through the estate, providing runners with a scenic and memorable route.