No January blues in evidence as we saw out a very busy and successful start to 2024. The headline event in the Irish Athletics calendar last weekend was the AAI Indoor games in the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown, Dublin on Saturday 27th . Unfortunately, Ciarán Nugent didn’t make it to the start line due to illness, we wish Ciarán a speedy recovery and hope to see him back in action soon. Timmy Hawkins made his Senior debut in the 3000m Heat 2 having watched Efrem Gidey run an impressive 8:05 to win the first heat with a blistering turn of pace in the last 400m. Timmy was pacing well to the 2Km mark before the pace took its toll, finishing the in 9:27. However, the Carraig na bhFear AC coaches encourage athletes to compete at this level as there is a wealth of learnings and experience to bring home. The beauty of athletics is that there is always another race around the corner and Timmy will be in action again in the Munster Junior competition next week in Nenagh.
The Seville 10k, Half-Marathon and Marathon race series are proving extremely popular with local athletes this year with weekend flights from Cork airport. Darragh O’Keeffe was competing in the Half-Marathon on Sunday 28th , looking for a progress marker as he prepares for the Barcelona Marathon on March 10th . Darragh survived a nasty fall at 19km to get back into his rhythm and finish in a fantastic time of 1hr 22m, the free beer at the finish line apparently easing the pain considerably! Congratulations to Darragh, training for Barcelona well on track!
Other News: Clíona Hurley clocked up a big Parkrun pb in Tramore Valley on Saturday running 24:09 as she prepares for the upcoming John Treacy 10-miler. Good running also from Odhrna Hurley finishing in 28:32. David O’Riordan kicked off a series of introductory trail runs in the Nagles mountains on Sunday, great fun had by all and some fine potential on show by all accounts! There will be an opportunity to put the new skills to the test next Sunday as the IMRA will host a short and long course race in Bansha Woods, Tipperary and we expect to have numbers travelling.
Look Forward: The National Indoor League Final takes place in Athlone on Saturday 3rd . The bigger clubs will be bolstered by the return of athletes from warm weather training, but the coaches are confident in the ability our Ladies team to once again compete with the best. Continuous improvement is the key so bettering last years 7th place finish the main target. Best of luck to all competing! In Nenagh next Saturday, the newly installed track surface will be put to the test by several of our athletes. Carraig na bhFear AC will be represented in the ‘Track and Field Live’ series who are hosting a juvenile event. On Monday 5th we will have competitors in the Munster Junior and Masters track Championships. Good luck also to club members heading to Dungarvan for the John Treacy 10-miler.
Finally, a reminder of the upcoming AGM on Sunday 18th February at 7pm in the Arches Bar Carraig na bhFear, all adult members welcome.
Featured Image: Cliona Hurley in action at the Tramore Valley Park parkrun.