It has been a busy week of action for the club with members involved in competition from the Outer Hebrides to last weekend Strabane Triathlon Club ran their inaugural 5k in Lifford.
The race was very well organised and attracted 250 runners from Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry. Conditions for the road race were described as top class. Feedback was very favourable. Seven members of the club made the short journey down the road to Lifford.
Club captain Eoghain McGinley was 2nd in a time of 16.02. Philip McHugh crossed the line in 4th place in a time of 16.19. Sean McFadden (M40) finished in 18.21. Enda McLaughlin had a good run to finish in 18.40.
Next across the line was Stephen Woods (M40) in 19.17. The next Letterkenny man to cross the line was John Hughes (M60) in 21.45. Richard Raymond (M60) finished in 25.40. Well done to everyone who raced.
Barry Mackey who is currently in Dubai ran 18.56 in the Meydan 5k on Sunday morning.
Letterkenny AC’s Noeleen Scanlan launched the North West 10k on Monday nightin the Mount Errigal Hotel. Scanlan is the reigning female winner having taken the title for the first time last May in Letterkenny. It was a significant success and came six years after finishing second in Donegal’s biggest charity run. Noeleen has also been a huge part of Letterkenny Athletic Club’s successes in women’s events in recent years. She won in a time of 35.12 finishing ahead of City of Derry Spartans Ciara Toner and Helen McCready of Rosses AC.
North West 10k Chairperson Neil Martin said it was fitting that Noeleen Scanlan perform the official launch on Monday night. “Noeleen is one of the top female athletes in the County and has demonstrated that time and again with Letterkenny AC. She won the North West 10k for the first time last year and I know for her that was a great personal achievement. The Committee is delighted that Noeleen has accepted our invitation to perform the official launch on Monday night” Mr Martin said.
Noeleen said she wanted to thank the North West 10k for inviting her to formally start the run-in to the 27th North West 10k which takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, May 6th in Letterkenny. “I am honoured to have been invited to launch the North West 10k. It’s such a great event that raises so much money for charity every year. It was a great feeling for me last year to win the North West 10k for the first time after coming close in 2017 when I finished second.”
Elsewhere Nakita Burke was racing in the Armagh International 3k performing very well in a top quality field. Nakita finished in 15th place. Brian McBride also performed very well in the men's 3k.
Congratulations to Ann-Marie McGlynn who was the winner of the women's race at the Trim 10 miler in a time of 56.23. On a windy day Ann-Marie was the comfortable winner of the women's race.
Well done to Claire McGuigan at the Omagh CBS 10k. Claire was the first female to cross the line in the 10k race in a time of 37.10 whilst in Dubai Barry Mackey was running in Expo City Half Marathon. He was 1st in the M51-99 and 8th overall in 1.29.01. Well done Barry.
Ciaran Doherty was competing in the Outer Hebrides. Ciaran ran the Stornoway AC 5k in 16:22 on a hilly route, a 3 lap course which was windy last Thursday night. On Saturday morning he won a XC race with no spikes in atrocious weather conditions. Ciaran fell 3 times, undeterred he finished in 1st place. Ciaran described it as a nice training week when ashore. Well done Ciaran.
LAC meets Tuesday at 6.30pm for an interval running session, Thursday evening for a hill run at 6pm, Saturday morning at 9.30am for a tempo run and Sunday morning at 8am and 9am for a long run.
All runs start at the Aura. All levels catered for and encouraged.
Fit 4 Life which is run by LAC in conjunction with the Donegal Sports Partnership takes place every Monday at 5.45pm on the track at the Aura Leisure Centre Letterkenny.
The aim of the programme is to reach out to those who wish to improve their fitness and all are most welcome any Monday they choose to attend.
Fit 4 Life is not about speed but fitness and the coaches from LAC particularly welcome newcomers.