International selection for talented Glennon
Mullingar Harriers notes
The Tailteann Inter-Provincial Schools T&F held in Santry last Saturday was the trial event to select Irish teams for the SIAB Schools T&F International to be held in Wales in July. Having placed second in the recent All-Ireland Schools in the 3,000m race walk, the target for John Glennon (St. Finian’s College) was to finish in the top two again and earn selection. After an excellent effort in hot sunny conditions he finished in second place, comfortably clear of third place and this result should see him selected on the Irish schools team. For John, this will be his International debut, which is a great honour for him, his family, his school, and of course for the Club.
John’s older siblings, sisters Edel, Rachel and Sarah and brothers Matthew and Andrew have also represented Ireland, all making their debuts in race walk at the SIAB Schools International too, so this will be the sixth Glennon to represent Ireland in International competition in the same event, which is an extraordinary record of success from one family in Mullingar Harriers. Congratulations to John from everyone at the Club [GD].
National Children’s Games and u/12 T&F
It was very hot and sunny last Sunday in Tullamore, where the National Children’s Games and u/12 T&F Finals were held. Temperatures reached 24degC in the afternoon, making conditions very difficult for middle distance athletes in particular. Daniel Cummins competed in the 600m u/12 and despite putting in a great effort he was unable to find the form that took him to third in Leinster only three weeks before but he never gave up and battled all the way to the finish and though he finished out of the medals, it wasn’t for the lack of effort.
Showing that sprinters love the heat, Cara Hickey blasted from the start of the 300m u/9 and after a terrific race crossed the line in fourth place, nearly three seconds faster than she covered the 300m in the Leinsters, with Zoe O’Donoghue running out of her skin and making up several places on the home straight to finish very close behind in seventh place. This age competes as a team of two (or “pair”), so all eyes were on the combined times of the two girls to see how they fared. Unfortunately, there were IT problems with the results system and the final results have been held over to be confirmed during the week, but it looks like Cara and Zoe finished a brilliant fourth place, just outside the medals, but they can be very proud of how they ran in an All-Ireland final [GD].
Westmeath Community Games – help needed
The Westmeath Community Games T&F Finals will be held at our Club grounds this Sunday and we’re appealing to Club members and friends to assist, even if only for a few hours. We need as many stewards and officials as possible, especially early in the programme when the sprints and hurdles events are held. Juveniles who are too old for Community Games are particularly asked to help on the day. This is the third year for the Games to be held on our new track and we want to put on as good a show as possible to showcase our facilities and we need all the assistance we can get.
National 5 Mile
The Irish Runner 5 Mile, incorporating the AAI National 5 Mile Championships, took place last Sunday morning in the Phoenix Park. With this being the second instalment of the Athletics Ireland Race Series, the race attracted a large number of over 1,600 finishers. An early morning race, the athletes were glad to be finished and on the way home before the day really heated up. Eddie Newman had the honour of leading the Mullingar squad home in 29 minutes 27 seconds, placing second in his master category and bringing home a National silver medal. He was closely followed in by Gerard Gavin (29:35), Patrick Muldoon (32:19), Liam McGlynn (34:15) and Linda Cunningham (36:43), placing her a very creditable eighth place in her master category. Indeed, all of our athletes placed well up in their age categories. The team of Eddie, Gerard and Liam finished sixth Club in their master category and were happy with their placing in a National race. Attention will now turn to the final event of the series, the Irish Runner 10 Mile race to take place in late July, also in the Phoenix Park [LC].
Dunshaughlin 10k
The annual Dunshaughlin 10k is well known to attract the top road runners over the distance from across Leinster and beyond. 2024 was no different and on a fine warm evening last Saturday, the County Meath town was thronged with over 960 athletes eager to take on a largely flat course that starts and finishes on the main street taking in a looped course into the countryside, with some occasional sharp inclines to keep everyone on their toes.
Thirty three athletes from Mullingar Harriers took part and with excellent bunching, they finished second Club in the mixed team as part of the Peugeot Race Series, with Ray Hynes (31:58) first in his master category, Vinny Connolly (32:33), Andrew Nevin (32:53) finishing well up in the men race, and Elizabeth Carr (35:28) finishing an excellent fifth place in the women race, followed by Glenda Shaw (37:58) second in her master category, and Ann Hall (39:16) third in her master category to complete the team. The women team was third Club, with Elizabeth, Glenda and Ann making up the scoring three, while the men finished second Club with the quartet of Ray, Vinny, Andrew and James Keegan (33:10).
There was also excellent running from our other participants, Ian McCormack (33:17), Eoin Clarke (35:45), Tony Doran (36:02), Alan Crowley (36:40), Evan McCormack (38:08), Joan Flynn (39:19), Susan Glennon (39:41), Aine O’Reilly (39:48), James Cribben (40:25), Darren Carroll (40:30), Mary Stuart (40:43) first in her master category, Padraig Beglin (40:55), Tommy Byrne (40:55), Jacintha Reilly (41:30), Kieran Dodrill (41:50), Mark Geoghegan (41:28), Criona Reid (41:54) first in her master category, Aelish McGovern (42:09), Aisling Corcoran (42:50), Therese Glynn (43:42), John McNamara (44:17), Paul Ginnell (45:40), Shaun Mills (46:25), Richie Kelly (46:50), Gemma Kelly (47:08) and Andy Boyhan (48:13) [MO’S].
Derravaragh 5 and 10 Mile
Ballinafid-Multyfarnham Community Services held their annual 5 Mile last Sunday morning, and this year incorporated a new 10 Mile option. Warm and very humid weather conditions were faced by all the runners. The races started just outside the village of Multyfarnham, at the Derravaragh Holiday Park, with a stiff and hilly course to be tackled. In the 10 mile race, Steven Underwood came home second in 1:03:34, with Eoin Clarke having ran the Dunshaughlin 10k the evening before, delighted to take third in 1:08:38.
They were followed in by Kieran Dodrill, also a Dunshaughlin participant, in 1:27:08 and Michael Purdue came home in 1:28:36.
In the 5 mile race, Andrew Nevin came home first in 27:47, none the worse of his exertions in Dunshaughlin the previous evening, as was Evan McCormack who secured second place in 30:02, Mick Fagan was fourth (31:40), Emer Savage (42:53) and Declan Costello (44:36) in a good field of nearly 100 runners [MO’S].
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