World Relays Selections
Athletics Ireland has announced a 14-strong team ahead of the upcoming World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China on Saturday, May 10th and Sunda,y May 11th. Women’s, Men’s, and Mixed 4 x 400m relay teams will travel to the championships aiming to seal all-important qualification for September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. The top fourteen teams in each event qualify for the World Championships. Cillín Greene (Galway City Harriers) is selected, and medalled at these championships in Nassau, the Bahamas, last year on the mixed 4 x 400m team, and he will be looking to contribute strongly once again to the Mixed Relays team. Aaron Greene of the University of Galway and Tullamore AC is selected for the Men’s Relay squad. Notably, the women’s 4 x 400m relay team, which finished fourth in last summer’s Olympic final in Paris will all travel to China. Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC), Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC), Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC) and Phil Healy (Bandon AC) are all also listed for the mixed 4x400m team.
Craughwell Silver at Road Relays
Craughwell AC claimed a historic silver medal at The National Road Relays held in Raheny last Sunday. This was the first ever Senior medal win by a Galway team at the hugely prestigious event, which is one of the highlight competitions of the domestic distance running calendar. The squad, led by hugely dedicated coach Mark Davis, has been building over several years, and it was a well-deserved achievement for the talented squad he has assembled. Craughwell were narrowly pipped for gold by an excellent Ennis Track squad, with Clonliffe Harriers next in third. The men’s event over four legs of 2 Miles, 1 Mile, 3 Miles and 2 Miles was led off for Craughwell by Jamie Fallon, who clocked an excellent 2-mile leg of 9.27, and was a narrow third at the changeover. Kyle Moorhead ran a superb second leg to bring the squad into second after a fast mile leg of 4.21. William Fitzgerald had the toughest and most important job in running the three-mile leg, and the international cross-country runner ran strongly all the way and finished with a phenomenal last km to run the 5km in 14:11, the 3rd fastest leg in the field. Oisín Davis took on the last leg for Craughwell in 3rd, with a DSD athlete just a step behind in 4th. Mark Hanrahan led out the last leg for Ennis Track, and Davis tracked him all the way. Hanrahan, however, surged continuously to shake Davis off and eventually managed to eke out a slight gap with 400m left to run, and held on to win by just four seconds running 9:14 to Davis’s 9:17, the fastest 2-mile times of the day. Silver in the road relays is the strongest achievement as a distance running team by Craughwell AC, and a very rewarding day for the club.
Galway 5km Series
The 2025 Galway 5k series kicked off in earnest last week with the 100th race of the series, which first started in 2006. Craughwell had the honour of hosting the event on a fast course, and the winner was one of the youngest winners yet in the series, Craughwell junior athlete Mathys Bocquet, in a super time of 15.36. Evan O'Rourke was next home for Maree AC also sub 16 minutes, with Kevin Mooney of Craughwell third/ GCH Ladies’ Grainne Ni Uallachain in 18.26, and Sarah Collins made it a one-two in the Ladies race, with Caron Ryan in third. Amazingly, Tony O'Callaghan has run all of the 100 races, and he, along with Gary Doherty,, who ran 99 of them, were presented with a prize ahead of the Craughwell event. Last night saw Race two of the six-race series, and it was Evan O'Rourke of Maree AC who took the honours, clocking 15.58 ahead of Kevin Mooney and Ruian Collins of Athenry in third. First lady home was again Grainne NI Uallachain of GCH in 18.47, with Amey Bermingham second for GCH and Athens’s Caron Ryan third. Cover Photo Credit: John O'Connor
Easter Lily 5km
The 3rd Edition of the EASTER LILY 5km -remembering Aoibhe in aid of ACT for Meningitis and organised by Tribal Running took place on Doughiska road in Galway on Easter Sunday Morning last. Aimade Belayd from the Team Tribal training group and also a member of Castlegar AC was first over the line on a fast course in 15mins 12 seconds , with Serhii Sylenko also from Castlegar AC second over the line and Adrian Duignan third home. Cliodhna Ruane (Corrib AC ) was victorious in the Senior ladies’ race in a time of 20.38, Triona Moran (Castlegar AC) was 2nd, and Martina McDonagh of Headford Harriers training group was the 3rd lady home.
Track and Field Tour – Day 2
The Goal Track and Field tour's second day took place in Ballinasloe on Saturday, 19th of April last, with great numbers in attendance - Full results are on eire.entry4sports.com
The standout performance on the day was a Senior sprint Treble win by Delapo Kush (Tullamore Harriers). Kush won the 100m, 200m and the second series of the 100m in 11.62, 23.57, 11.80, respectively, a strong return to competition after a 2-year layoff for the TUS student. There were also impressive victories at Juvenile level for Donnacha Galvin (Athlone AC)60m winner at U10 level, Aisling O’Dowd (Ballinasloe and District) won the U12 girls 60m, Keelan Fox (Athlone AC) claimed the U12 boys 60m and Donnacha Galvin (Athlone AC) and Faragher Fox(Athlone AC) won the 80m events.
Connemara Marathon
Over 2,000 athletes took to the scenic and rolling roads around the Inagh Valley, Leenane and Maam Cross last weekend in the three-event card for the Connemarathon. Winner of the Marathon in a great time of 2 hours 30 was Feidhlim McGowan of North Sligo, while first lady home was Jenny O'Leary in 3 hours 29 minutes. The Half marathon crown went to Marc Augustin of St Cocas AC in 1 hour 16 minutes, with the Ladies race won by Sarah Flanagan of Tullamore Harriers in 1 hour 33 minutes. The testing 39.3-mile Ultra was won by Eoin Fletcher in 4 hours 57 minutes, with the first lady home Simone Durry in 5 hours 57 mins.
