Galway Athletics Report

European Athletics U20 Club Championships

Craughwell AC make the journey to Portugal this weekend to compete at the forthcoming European Athletics U20 Club Track and Field Championships,  to be held in Leiria Portugal on Saturday 21^st September. It will be a historic weekend for the growing club, in their first foray into European competition, with team management, under Michael Tobin, captain Laura Cunningham and joint manager Aisling Keady, and their charges confident of a strong showing.

Qualification for the Champions Cup was achieved by the club’s U20 Women’s team when they topped the leaderboard in the Irish U20 Championships held last year. The club will be pitted against the top clubs from Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Slovakia. The athletes will compete across a range of 19 track & field disciplines comprising 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 100 Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, 2000m steeplechase, Long Jump, High Jump, PoleVault, Triple Jump, Shot Putt, Discus, Javelin, Hammer, and two relays, over 4x100m and 4x400m. [Photo courtesy of John O Connor]

European
Masters Athletics

The European Masters Track and Field
competition concluded last weekend after 12 days of competition in the Venice
area of Italy, with medal success for Galway athlete Jim Phelan among the
highlights

The hugely talented sprinter Jim Phelan of GCH [pictured] secured two European medals in the relay events, first anchoring the Irish 4x100m M40 team to European bronze medals, setting a new National Record of 45.38 in the process. On Sunday last in the 4*400m relay, Phelan and the Irish squad went one better to win Silver medals with the O40 4x400m relay team.

Sean McDermott of Castlegar AC had a
good championship, placing 11^th in the Men’s 800m at O45 level, and
clocking a 1 hour 22-minute half marathon on the road in very hot conditions.

In the field, Tommy Farragher of
Corofin AC placed eighth in the Throws Pentathlon incorporating five events.

Castlegar AC Cross Country

The local cross-country season kicks off
this weekend, with Castlegar AC hosting their annual cross-country event for
Juvenile and Adults ages on Saturday 21^st September next. The events
will be held at Merlin Woods City Park Doughiska and will start at 12 noon. The
programme includes Cross country relays for U8 to
U16 age groups and an adult mixed relay, all over 4*500m laps;
a 2km open event, and the two main adult events of the day, the Ladies 4km and
the Men’s 6km. These adult races will incorporate the Galway Novice
Cross Country Championships.

 Galway
Cross Country fixtures

The Galway Primary Schools Cross
Country championships for 2019 takes place over two consecutive Tuesdays, the 24^thSeptember
and 1^st October next, in Renmore, Galway City. Entries are due by
next Saturday, and the Semi finals will take place on day one, with qualifiers
advancing to the finals on the second day.

Athletics
Training

Galway City Harriers’ Fit for Life next Beginners group for those wishing to start running will be starting Thursday evening, September 19th at 7pm from its HQ at Westside Library. There will be an introductory talk by programme leader Bernie Kelly followed by a short session.

Road Races

At the Westport 10k road race Saturday last, held as part of Westport ACs 40^th anniversary celebrations, Laura Shaughnessy of GCH was first female over the line in 35.49 with clubmate Regina Casey third in 37.09. On Friday night, the four-man GCH squad won the 4 X 1 Mile Relay held at the Westport track.