First sub-2-hour marathon on Mullingar Harriers track

Young and not so young, past and present members and friends gathered at Mullingar Harriers AC grounds last Saturday morning to showcase the talents of the Club’s juvenile, senior and master athletes in various marathon relays.

The centrepiece was the senior men’s and women’s relays, run concurrently on the track, alternating individual 400m laps. A total of 105 and a half laps were completed, with the men targeting sub-2 hours and the women sub-2 hours 36 minutes.

The men’s team of Jack O’Leary, Michael Murphy, Kris Foster, Dan Morris, Luke Greene, Donagh Carey, Matthew Molloy, Euan Lagan, Vinny Connolly, Kevin Moore, Michael Moran and Cormac Dalton stuck to schedule, completing the first sub-2-hour marathon on our track in 1 hour 57 minutes 19 seconds. The team averaged 66.50 seconds per lap.

The women’s team of Niamh McEntegart, Catherine McGlew, Orlaith Flanagan, Sinead Whitelaw, Blathnaid Peters, Lydia McDonnell, Lisa O’Brien, Eleanor Kiernan, Tianna O’Leary and Grace Byrne also produced a superb run. Having passed halfway in 1 hour 12 minutes, they finished in 2 hours 23 minutes 3 seconds, just 40 seconds outside the National women record for the distance, averaging 81.50 seconds per lap.

Earlier, master women and men completed separate marathon relays. Juveniles aged 9 to 12, coached by James Carton, completed a two-lap course on the outside tarmac track, running one kilometre each to marginally surpass the classic marathon distance.

Music, refreshments, home baking and confectionery added to the morning, which also saw former members travel from Galway, Dublin and further afield. They celebrated the Club’s current talent and viewed facilities that have advanced significantly in the past five years, as well as plans to further enhance and upgrade the clubhouse, track and field event facilities [MO’S].

Star of the Sea AC Cross Country

This Sunday, we head to Co. Meath for the Star of the Sea AC open cross country meeting, the Club’s opening cross country fixture for many years.

The programme includes juvenile races for boys and girls from under 9 to under 17, plus under 20, senior and master men and women. The shorter juvenile distances make this ideal for newcomers, especially those training at the Club recently.

There are prizes for the top 6 in juvenile races and team medals for teams of three. Entries are online at My Run Results.

The first race is at 11am, so aim to arrive by 10am for race numbers and a proper warm-up. Newcomers should bring a packed lunch and change of clothing, while parents should bring appropriate clothing and footwear. Please wear Club colours. Club vests can be purchased at training.

Rhode Half Marathon and 10k

Rhode AC staged a marathon, three-quarter marathon, half marathon and 10k early last Saturday morning.

Enda Seery represented Mullingar Harriers in the half marathon, finishing third overall among 85 runners in 1:26:15. On a tough, rolling course, he stayed with the lead group despite a strong headwind on the canal section and held off a challenge in the final kilometre. Despite a head cold in the days before, he was happy to get a half marathon in his legs.

In the 10k, Ann Hall finished fourth woman overall in 45:24 among 111 runners, taking first in her master category [MO’S].

Quadrathlon Success for Paddy Boyhan

The Northern Ireland and Ulster Combined Events Championships took place at the Mary Peters track in Belfast three weeks ago (Sat 29 August).

Paddy Boyhan represented Mullingar Harriers in the master men quadrathlon, competing in shot put, long jump, 100m and 1,500m. He threw 5.39m, had a good long jump, ran 21.27 seconds for the 100m and completed the 1,500m in 9:13. When the points were tallied, Paddy emerged victorious in his master category (AO’D).

Athlone Half Marathon and 10k

Athlone AC staged their annual half marathon and 10k last Sunday morning in perfect conditions, with the route taking runners around the town and along part of the Old Rail Trail Greenway. Start and finish were on the outdoor track at the TUS Athlone campus.

John Glennon completed the half marathon in 1:27:47 among 64 finishers.

Mullingar Harriers had four runners in the 10k, all making the podium. Mark Darby won among 158 athletes in 34:07, pulling away from club colleague Kevin Moore in the last 1,500m. Kevin was second in 34:53. Eddie Lynch won his master category in 39:24, while Alwyn Thornton took her master category in 44:09 [MO’S].

Fit 4 Life Returns

A new Fit 4 Life programme commences next Monday evening (28 Sept) and runs for 10 weeks, with trained coaches supporting participants as they build their fitness. The programme concludes with a timed 5k on our all-weather track.

Registration is from 6.45pm next Monday, with the session starting at 7pm.

See mullingarharriers.com, Facebook and Instagram.