Inaugural Mullingar 10 just four weeks away

At this time of year thoughts of the regulars at Mullingar Harriers Athletic Club turn to the bank holiday in October and the Dublin City Marathon.

Last year more than 60 members took part, some completing the distance for the first time and others aiming for new personal bests, and this year’s group have started their training.

The schedule will incorporate a couple of races, usually a 10-mile and a half marathon, so even if the full 26.2 miles isn’t in your plans, training with a group for the longer distances can be less daunting.

This year Mullingar Harriers host their inaugural Mullingar 10 road race on July 27 at Dalystown.

It was hoped that this race would appeal to midlands athletes who are training for the marathon or just looking to go beyond the 5k and 10k distances, but the support in ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ on social media has spread word of the race to the wider running community and since it was launched on the Precision Timing calendar in May, entries have been increasing daily, from all over the country.

What has attracted runners to the race so far is the flat course along quiet country roads and the proximity of Mullingar to most areas in Ireland due to the improved road infrastructure.

The Mullingar 10 has been greatly supported by the local community with many businesses coming on board as race sponsors, making it possible to stage a professional and safe race that will hopefully continue to grow year on year.

As a result of the entries received so far, the Mullingar 10 race committee are confident of a staging a great race that will cater for all levels and perhaps attract a few elite runners to Mullingar for the day.