Race Programme St. Stephen’s Day 2017 www.athenryac.com www.facebook.com/athenryac www.athenry10k.com Chairperson’s Words It is my pleasure as chairperson of Athenry Athletic Club to welcome you to the 16th running of the Fields of Athenry 10KM road race. It is a huge tribute to our small army of volunteers, who turn up unfailingly year after year, that the race is alive and prospering – thank you all. But the most important person is you, the participant. Without you, there would be no race and we are very grateful for you taking the time and effort to support us. If you have been here before, you know what to expect and we hope it lives up to your previous experience. If it’s your first time then you are doubly welcome and we hope to make it as good a race as possible for you. We do try to build on the race experience every year and if you think there is any area that could be made better, we would very much appreciate you taking the time to let us know. Brendan Galvin. Race Director’s Note Dear runners and walkers, You are all very welcome to Athenry for the 16th running of the Fields of Athenry 10KM road race. M Once again Hygeia are our title sponsor this year. We are very grateful to them for K 0 1 their continued support, and the support of all our other sponsors. I ask that you Y support them wherever and whenever you can. R N E This is my 3rd and final year as race director. It has been an huge honour and H T privilege to work with such a great team. They have made my job so easy I often A feel I have nothing at all to do, other than tell others what to do. I would like to F O thank each and every one of them sincerely for all their help over my three years. S D L We have decided to mark the brilliant achievement of the Galway hurling teams − E I both senior and minor − in winning their All-Ireland by having this year’s hat in the F Galway colours, which also happen to be the club’s colours. It seems to be very | popular already and we hope you like it too. b u As always the team has worked hard since August to put on a top-quality race and l their attention to detail has never waned. C c We are delighted to support Athenry Cancer Care again this year; they do a i t fantastic job helping local people with cancer and their families in very many ways. e l h Finally, I would like to thank each and every one of you for supporting our race. I t hope you have a really enjoyable run and wish you all the very best for 2018. A y Jim Leahy. r n e Photo Credits: h t John O'Connor @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/edenhill77 A Andrew Talbot @ https://www.facebook.com/edel.talbot Peter Mooney @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7 Layout: JO'C ~ Editor: JAL ~ V13 3 2016 Galway AI Athlete Award Winners Female 12-15 years old − Seren O’Toole (GCH) Male 12-15 years old − Evan Hallinan (Craughwell AC) Female 16-19 years old − Nicole King (GCH) M K 0 1 Male 16-19 years old − Cillín Greene (GCH) Y R N E Female Senior − Niamh Hennelly (GCH) H T A F Male Senior − Sean Breathnach (GCH) O S D L Female Master − Mary Barrett (Loughrea AC) E I F Male Master − Gary Thornton (GCH) | b Women's Team − GCH Senior Marathon team u l Grainne Ní Uallacháin, Sarah Collins, Siobhan Egan C c i Men's Team − GCH National Premier League team t e l Sean Breathnach, Keith Fallon, Seamus Leddy, Linus Mitkus, Brendan Staunton, Cillín h Greene, Igor Muntean, Sean Kilmartin, Jack Dempsey, Bryan Ndego, Henrique Nkolovata, t A Robert Meagher, Cliff Jennings, Andrew Ó Donnghaile, Kelvin Samson, Luke O'Shaughnessy, y Brendan Glynn. Gary Thornton, Eanna Folan, Mark Powell, Eoghan Dobey, Darragh Whyte, r n Evan McGuire, Simon Callaghan, Michael Breathnach e h t Outstanding Contribution − PJ Coyle (GCH) A Hall of Fame − Brian Geraghty (GCH) 4 5 Athenry Athletic Club | FIELDS OF ATHENRY 10KM 2017 Galway 5K Series Report (www.5km.ie) James Lundon The Galway 5K Series moved into its railway bridge near the modern level second decade of existence with another crossing. The only course that has not excellent set of races this year. It massively changed over the lifetime of welcomed aboard another new co- the 5KM Series! ‘Nirvana’ cross takes ordinator, the extremely venerable Andrew longer to round as the years go by and Talbot (Clare River Harriers). He came with the race was a painfully slow one for me Jane Ann Meehan (Craughwell) and Caron bags of experience, self proclaimedly personally, especially after turning that Ryan (Loughrea) won one leg each, with having been on the roads of Galway – corner to get to 4KM. The lack of early- Sarah running the fast women’s leg in literally speaking – for over 50 years. No season training really showed that Caltra! Except for Shauna Bocquet, of one knows more about road running in evening. Elvis looked shook at the finish, course, who competed in five of the legs Galway than this gent does and he proved obviously. At least 109 people broke 20 this year and recorded an outstanding it this year. He even got to run five of the minutes, on a lightningly fast course. 15:05 in Athenry. legs himself, all pretty niftily too for a gent Loughrea’s course was the same as last The excess of €16,492 from the series was of his many years. BRADLEY RENAULT year. It stayed dry for the duration of the given to the Galway AAI county board for continued to sponsor the series, as did the race too but the ground was wet the continued advancement of both adult HSE in their own smaller way. underfoot. The finish line is well back up and juvenile athletics in the county. This is The web site Active.com did not blink an the road to Tulla Hill. Not a course for PBs. the 9th year that an excess has been electronic eyelid on Friday, 24 March @ Loughrea AC were out in style and a generated and on all occasions it has been 8PM when online entries became available. goodly numbers of locals cheered on the given to the local county board, for which Over 750 people entered via this race too. One leg closer to the series T- the board are deeply grateful. Martin mechanism, with nearly 700 entering in shirt. Smyth, 5K Series treasurer, presented the the first 30 minutes alone. Cost of entry cheque to the county board at its monthly Claregalway unveiled their new 5KM meeting in September. was €30, as has been the case for a course, starting outside the main entrance number of years now. If you hadn't to the new secondary school, and finishing The two 5K Series stalwarts remain registered by 9PM, you were out of luck. A halfways up the driveway of the same standing (surprisingly!) after the 2017 limited number of others were able to school. This course had been used earlier series: Tony O'Callaghan (Craughwell AC) enter through their affiliated club, to bring in the year for the local club’s 5KM, so it and Gary Doherty (Athenry AC). Each has the numbers registered to near 1,000. was no surprise to those who had done successfully completed all 69 legs (2006: There were some substantial changes in their homework. The course still included 4; 2007: 5; 2008-2017: 6 each year). A M number of other people have run at least K the series this year, especially the Rock Road, going down. It was a misty 0 66 legs each: Adrian Fitzmaurice, Jim 1 sequencing of the legs, with GCH first up, evening for running with the organising Y at Ballybrit around another slightly- club, as always, in top form. Maher, James Lundon and Tony Nevin. R N changed course on a bracing April Athenry again hosted the last leg of the Race No. Director Date E H evening. Number pick-up was under the series. The race HQ was the Raheen Ballybrit (GCH) 746 Brendan Kennelly 25 April T new stand like last year. Red Tag Timing Caltra 571 Michael Fallon 2 May A Woods Hotel, both before and after the F provided expert timing services, as John race. The start was at the pitches in Craughwell 711 Brian Gorman 9 May O Cunniffe & Co have every year since Loughrea 602 Martin Smyth 16 May S Raheen. The finish was at the Athenry Claregalway 613 Tom Kilgarriff 23 May D almost before the flood i.e. 2010! A record Primary Care Centre. It was a warm and L Athenry 685 Kieran Guiry 30 May E number finished that evening, 746. I sunny evening, which suited some but not F Caltra & District were next up. Caltra! others! There were a lot more Races Run | Where’s that? Google Maps may have refreshments available this year. per Person No. Gender No. helped many people safely find the place. Six 196 Male 534 b The 2017 technical top was red in colour For those who didn’t travel, or who got lost Five 290 Female 479 u and 683 were eligible to receive one by the l Four 197 on the way (probably somewhere between Athenry leg.