Could the Mullingar Road League be expanded?

This year"s Road League promises to be a series to remember. It is hoped to extend the League to include several more races around the County.The races on the four Wednesdays of May in Belvedere will still be the flagship of the series. Belvedere has now become the Mecca for all the runners and joggers of the Midlands and further afield, as is evidenced by the number of enquiries regarding this year"s League.The idea of promoting extra races in Villages and Towns throughout the County is based on the success of previous events over the years. Looking through past Club Notes recently, it was interesting to note that cross country fixtures were held in Kinnegad, Cullion, Boherquill, Rochfortbridge, Moate, Athlone, Bloomfield, Tyrrellspass, Multyfarnham, Lynn, Newbrook, Clonkill, Clonmellon and of course Belvedere, a really impressive list it must be admitted.Road races were promoted in Delvin, Streete, Killucan/Rathwire, Athlone, Ballynacarrigy, Bunbrosna, Rathowen, the great Mullingar Festival 'Round the Town' road races, the famous 'Lakeland 15', which started and finished at Bloomfield House Hotel, going through Gainstown and Rochfortbridge. There were also road races in Tyrellspass and Kilbeggan. At present, North Westmeath AC promotes the Castlepollard 5km, one of the best and most popular road races on the athletics calendar.What a boost to athletics if some of these venues were to be used throughout the summer and autumn with the emphasis on participation and keep fit and walking, with a different distance each week. Perhaps even a 'women only' race might be included. Watch this space for further details.Schools Cross CountryThere were a good number of Club athletes - too many to mention by name - in action at the Dublin City University Grounds last Wednesday (28th Jan) representing their schools and colleges in the North Leinster Schools cross country and as expected, they were in top form and sailed through the first test easily. They will now compete in the Leinster Schools cross country in Santry on Wednesday 11th February from which they will be hoping to advance to the All-Ireland Finals on 7th March and join Arlene Coughlan, Thomas Fagan and Aoife Hogan who were representing Moate Community College and qualified equally easily from the Connaught Schools last Sunday (1st Feb). Congratulations to one and all on their successes so far and they are wished the very best for the future rounds.Leinster Indoors - Day 1Hard to believe, but even though we"re right into the Schools cross country season, the indoor track and field season got underway in Nenagh last Sunday (1st Feb) where day 1 of the Leinster Indoors for junior, senior, masters and selected events for under 16 to 19 years took place.Mullingar had only a few athletes in action but there was still plenty to cheer about. Master athlete Sean McMullin was in great racing form in the 3,000m race walk where he battled all the way to take silver, and went one better later in the day in the 1,500m to win gold. Brendan Marshall was hoping to jump further than in recent competition, but given the very cold day that it was, winning was more important than distance and he was more than a match for the competition and won the men"s long jump in convincing style with a Championship Best Performance to add yet another Leinster senior title to his growing collection.Hoping to relive the medal winning successes of last year, there was disappointment for Diarmaid Hyland and David Moran in the under 18 boys 200m, where despite running very well in their respective heats they didn"t advance to the final, with Diarmaid coming closest and being eliminated by only three hundredths of a second. It is still very early in the year and they have plenty of time to improve for days 2 and 3 at the end of February and for the outdoor season.Leinster YearbookWe still have copies of the 2008 Leinster Yearbook for purchase any night at training for €5. This is an excellent production, with lots of local photos and features and is a great record of the 2008 season.Entries for Indoor Championships - Days 2 and 3The closing date for entries for days 2 and 3 of the Leinster under 12 to 19 years indoors is 13th February, so tell Greg what events you wish to compete in. As in previous years, no one will be automatically entered.The dates are Saturday 28th February and Sunday 1st March (see the Club notice board for details), so please check that you"re available on those days so we don"t waste money on entries. All entries must include the 2009 AAI registration number, so it is vital that athletes have paid their subscription otherwise they cannot be entered.We expect a full turn out at 11am in Belvedere this Sunday where everyone will be put through their paces in preparation for the indoors at the end of the month. Everyone is asked to stay in the reception area and await instruction before all heading out together for a warm up lap and then breaking up into the different training groups. No solo runs please. By the way, only those who train regularly can expect to be entered for the Leinster indoors.Fixtures7th/8th Feb. AAI National Senior Indoors, Odyssey Arena, Belfast11th Feb. (Wednesday) Leinster Schools Cross Country, Santry15th Feb. AAI National Intermediate & Masters Cross Country, Tymon Park22nd Feb. Rás na hÉireann Cross Country28th Feb/1st March. Leinster Indoors Days 2 & 3 (u/12-19), Nenagh1st March. AAI National Senior & Junior Cross Country, SantryCheck the Club"s website <>at www.mullingarharriers.com for results, news and details of all upcoming fixtures.