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Westmeath Duo Excel At European Racewalking Event

Tuesday, 5 April 2022 06:58

One secured qualification for the European Championships.

It was a great weekend for the upcoming racewalkers of Mullingar Harriers at the Czech Republic's European Racewalking Grand Prix and International in Poděbrady, which is part of World Athletic’s World Tour Gold Series of top international competitions. First on the start line on Saturday was Aisling Lane in the youth (under 18) race over 5,000m. The bitterly cold morning with traces of sleet are normally not conducive for fast times but speed was all that was on Aisling’s mind as she powered her way to a new big personal best time of 25:04 and more importantly inside the Athletics Ireland qualifying standard for the European u/18 Championships in Jerusalem in July. With a fourth place finish in a field of 28, Aisling can now look forward to going head-to-head again this Summer with many of these same competitors in Jerusalem.

As Andrew Glennon is already qualified for the European u/18 Championships over 10,000m he therefore opted for the shorter 5,000m and what a blistering performance he produced to cross the line in 23:11, a 90 second personal best, to finish an excellent second place, well clear of third place and the rest of the field. It was fantastic to hear the fanfare as Andrew climbed onto the podium to hard earned applause. He can now focus his training on reproducing the same form in the 10,000m in Jerusalem.

Later in the afternoon it was the turn of the 74 elite senior men to toe the line in the star studded 20k. With top athletes from five continents, this competition rightly claims its World Gold Tour status. Totally at ease in their company was Oisín Lane attempting his second ever 20k race walk and his first as a senior athlete. As a newcomer to this distance, Oisin carefully tested this new challenge with 5k splits of 22:04 and 21:56 to go through the 10k mark in exactly 44 minutes. He then followed this with ever increasing pace and splits of 21:48 and 21:18 and a final time of 87:06 seconds. His second 10k of 43:06 was effectively a personal best for 10k and incorporated a final kilometre of 4:07, a major confidence builder, and while finishing with relatively fresh legs, confirming that he has found his true racing distance for now. Well done to all three Harriers athletes for whom the club can feel rightly proud as they take on Europe and the World.

Maynooth 10k and 5k

On a dry bright cool morning last Sunday, the Maynooth 5k and 10k took place, and finishing well up in sixth place of the nearly 200 finishers in the 5k race, Stephen Naughton was happy with his time of 18:38. The longer 10k race attracted a bigger entry of just over 300 and despite the challenge posed over the final 2k of having to dodge around the back-markers from the 5k, Enda Seery expressed satisfaction with his race, especially a strong final kilometre, finishing twenty third in 39:40.

World Schools Cross Country

We announced a few weeks ago that Ross Killalea will lead the Colaiste Mhuire intermediate team that will represent Ireland at the World Schools Cross Country Championships to be held in Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia in three weeks. However, we forgot to note that on the team with Ross will be four other members of Mullingar Harriers, namely Conor Sherwin, Diarmuid Fagan, Pablo Lozano and Conor Liston. Teams entered for the event include squads from Afghanistan, Uganda, Mexico, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, England, France and Spain, so it should prove an absolutely wonderful opportunity and experience for the Colaiste Mhuire team.

Sympathy

Finally, the Executive and members of the Club extend sincere sympathy to Euan and Emma Lagan and the entire Lagan family on the death of their grandmother, Mary Ann Lagan, in Belfast in mid-March. Also, to David Burke and the Burke and Carey families on the recent deaths of his two grandmothers within days of each other, Margaret Burke, in Tullamore and Mary Carey in Carndonagh, Co. Donegal. May they rest in peace.

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