Andrew Glennon, who has achieved the qualifying standard for 10k race walk at the 2022 European U18 T&F in Jerusalem in July.

Mullingar Harriers: Andrew goes through his own ‘Calvary’ to reach Jerusalem!

Published: Tue 15 Feb 2022, 1:24 PM

Last updated: Tue 15 Feb 2022, 1:25 PM

Two weeks ago (Saturday February 5), at the UK National Endurance Centre track in Headingley, Leeds, three Mullingar Harriers athletes were part of a large Irish group who travelled to compete in the England Athletics Winter Race Walks Championships over 5,000m and 10,000m.

This was a special qualification event in the UK for the Commonwealth Games, the World Juniors, the World Cup and the European Youths, however the onset of an storm overnight put paid to the qualification dreams of all present except for one brave young Irishman.

First to compete was Aisling Lane in the senior 5,000m race walk where she finished third overall against the best of the UK across all age groups.

While fighting the high winds, she stayed on pace for the European Youth Standard for two thirds of the race but the storm eventually blew her off target. However, she still finished with a big personal best by over two minutes of 25 minutes 38.8 seconds.

Next was the senior 10,000m race walk, where Oisín Lane finished an excellent second overall in a windswept 44 minutes 26.7 seconds, leaving several more senior and experienced athletes in his wake.

However, the standout hero of the day was Andrew Glennon, finishing in seventh place despite easily being the youngest participant in this mainly senior 10,000m race.

Andrew stayed focussed and absolutely determined to stick to his pacing plan throughout this 25-lap challenge. He showed committed bravery as every time the ongoing gusts lost him valuable seconds, he toughly fought back to repeatedly regain any lost time while maintaining flawless technique.

Pushing to the limits of endurance in every sense he crossed the finish line in 47 minutes 49.5 seconds and a big personal best by over a minute, but more importantly, just over ten seconds inside the qualification standard, which books his seat on the plane for the European Youths (U18) T&F Championships to be held in Jerusalem, Israel in July.

Well done Andrew on a very brave and hard-fought performance in exceptionally tough conditions.

Team honours at National Masters Cross Country

Looking to build on success in Leinster cross country, a strong team of master men and women from Mullingar Harriers travelled to Castlelyons, near Fermoy in Co. Cork where the AAI National Intermediate and Masters Cross Country was held last Sunday.

First race on the card was the master women 4,000m, which included the master men over 65 years of age running alongside the women over the same 4,000m distance.

As she had done in Leinster in January, Aine O’Reilly led the Mullingar women home with a terrific seventeenth place overall finish of 141 finishers, placing a very creditable sixth place in her master category.

Following in behind only a few places behind Aine and finishing very strongly was Michelle Bohan and Sinead Whitelaw, followed in by Aisling Corcoran, Caroline Mullen, Joanna Tyrrell, Linda Cunningham, Emer O’Hanlon, Terri Greene and Brigid McCabe, who finished just out of the medals in fourth place in her master category.

Aine, Michelle, Sinead, Aisling and Linda combined to finish fourth Club but a brilliant third County to win well deserved All-Ireland medals in their master category. Caroline, Joanna, Emer, Terri and Brigid finished a very creditable fifth Club and sixth County in their master category.

We had no team in the master men over 65 years race but Sean McMullin and Nicky McCabe put in very strong and spirited efforts to finish well up in the field of 43 master men athletes, with Sean placing second in his master category and Nicky seventh in his category, excellent performances in a National final.

We finished the day with the largest race on the programme, the master men 7,000m and it was quite a magnificent sight to see 211 men charge from the start, among them Gerard Gavin.

Keeping well up with the action, Gerard ran a very fine race and even though finished out of the medal places, has to be very pleased with a forty second place overall and a very creditable seventh in his master category against the very best master cross country men in Ireland.

Jenny Algar takes on a 50k Challenge

Hosted by Donadea Running Club, the Donadea 50k last Saturday morning incorporated the Irish 50k Championships. Ten laps of Donadea Forest Park in Co. Kildare faced the 260 entrants and by the end of ten gruelling laps, just under 200 mud-soaked runners had survived the ordeal, among them Jenny Algar flying the flag for Mullingar Harriers.

Imagine running a marathon and then be told at the end that you still have five miles to go? That’s what Jenny faced, so it took an awful lot of mental strength and determination to maintain concentration and focus as the laps unwound.

Jenny ran a very consistent pace for 6 laps, then the pressure began to be felt and she had to reduce her pace a little over the remaining laps but dug deep to finish the 50k run in 4 hours 5 minutes and 4 seconds, the tenth woman overall, which is a terrific result.

Cormac Dalton in the USA

After an excellent cross-country season with the University of Tulsa, Cormac Dalton moved indoors to compete over 3,000m at the Windy City Invite in Chicago last Saturday, placing fifth in 7 minutes 59.73 seconds, a time that puts him in the Irish indoor top 10 times for this season so far.

Tulsa’s and Cormac’s attention now turns to the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Alabama at the end of February.

AAI Indoor Games

The AAI Indoor Games were held at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown last Saturday and Mullingar Harriers was well represented with four athletes in action.

Colin D Smith was in the 800m and raced aggressively to stay in contact in what was a very fast race from the gun, and came home in 1 minute 53.15 seconds, a bit off his best for the distance but can progress further throughout the indoor season.

Better suited and more focussed on the longer 5k and 10k distance, Jamie Battle raced in the 3,000m which was a very competitive and fast race from the start. Jamie went with the pace and settled well for a long time but in the closing stages the effort began to take its toll and he had to ease off but still finished a very good fifth in 8:19.24, not far off his best time over the distance last year, so he’s coming into form. In the second race, Lorcan Mullen finished in 9:29.61 but it’s early in the season and he can look forward to improving his time with more races.

Shauna Leydon competed in the 400m where she finished second in her race in 61.43 seconds, a bit slower than her last race over the distance three weeks ago, but it’s still a new event for her and as her confidence grows in the event, a more aggressive opening lap will see her dip well under 60 seconds.

Plenty of Mullingar cheer at the Trim 10 Mile

Two weeks ago (Sunday February 6), while many from the Club were staying indoors and keeping warm and dry in Athlone at the Leinster Juvenile Indoors, a large group of 27 adult members were among the more than 1,500 hardy folk that braved the elements at the Trim 10-mile road race.

It was cool and very gusty, so not ideal for such a long race, but buoyed up by the pent-up enthusiasm at being able to run such a race after so long away, any negative thoughts were quickly put to the back of everyone’s mind before the start.

This race continues to go from strength to strength and has become a favourite race fixture for runners of all abilities. All the Mullingar group performed brilliantly, winning individual and team prizes, and some running best times for the distance.

Leading them home was the very much in-form James Keegan in eighteenth place with an excellent 56 minute 27 seconds. Following him in was Eddie Newman (58:40) first in his master category, then came Alan Crowley (60:24), Evan McCormack (61:14), James Cribbin (63:36), James Tierney (63:39), Joan Flynn (63:57) fourteenth woman overall, Susan Glennon (64:23), Kieran Nolan (65:52), Richard Ferris (69:14) with a big improvement, Mary Stuart (69:17) second in her master category, Martin Fitzpatrick (74:22), Anna Broderick (75:33), Emer O’Hanlon (76:15), Tommy Byrne (77:14), Siobhan McCarthy (77:44), Criona Reid (77:50), Shaun Mills (78:42), John McNamara (78:43), Nuala Moran (81:14), Gordon Ward (82:07), Gemma Kelly (83:08), Terri Greene (85:08), Richie Kelly (87:08), Mervyn Kennedy (87:38), Marna Groenewald (90:53) and Ger Langtry (92:01), all pleased with their efforts.

In the team standings, Joan, Susan, Mary and Anna combined to place second women Club and James, Eddie, Alan and Evan were third men Club. It was great to see so many from the Club competing and running so well, giving everyone plenty to cheer about.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting will take place this coming Friday evening at 8pm in the Annebrook House Hotel. All club members and friends are encouraged to attend to hear reports on the club’s performance, both in competition and how it is administered, and to have a say on club matters. The meeting will take about an hour and a half and there will be light refreshments served after the meeting.