Irish Life Health All Ireland Schools Cross country
This weekend sees one of the major cross country events of the season take place. The Irish Life Health All Ireland Schools Cross Country championships will take place in Waterford IT on Saturday next. The course is a most testing one with several hills. Galway athletes will travel with high hopes, with some of the country’s top junior athletes competing for their schools, including Eanna Folan of Colaiste na Coiribe, Aaron Brennan of Claregalway, Ben Ryan of Calasanctius Oranmore and Gary Martyn of Galway Community College all going in the Senior Boys, while in the Senior Girls, Caron Ryan of Oranmore and Aine O'Farrell of Presentation Athenry will expect to feature. Several Galway teams will travel with medal hopes including St Enda’s, Claregalway College and Pres Athenry.
Sean Breathnach Irish appearance
Sean Breathnach, of Galway City Harriers will compete on the Irish team for the European Winter Throws competition in Leiria, Portugal this weekend over two days, the 10th/11th March. This call up follows his National title victory in the Shot Putt last weekend at the National Indoors.
World Half Marathon selection
Congratulations to Galway's Laura Shaughnessy, now running with DSD in Dublin, who has been selected on the Irish team for the World Half Marathon championships that will be held March 24th in Valencia, Spain.
Fixtures Rescheduled
The inclement winter weather claimed a host of athletics fixtures last weekend, in common with most other sports.
The National Masters Indoors Championship scheduled to take place Sunday 4th March was postponed due to the adverse weather conditions for athletes travelling, and has been rescheduled for this Saturday 10th March in Athlone IT.
The Kinvara Rock and Road series of races over 10k/half and full marathon distances, due to be held on Sat 3rd March was cancelled and will be refixed, most likely in circa six weeks time
The Connacht Schools Athletics Association Cross Country finals due to be held Wednesday last 28th February was cancelled and the Finals will now be held at Calry, Sligo, on 15th March.
Saturday's IUAA Universities Cross Country Championships 2018 were also postponed, and provisionally, the new date is set for Saturday 10th March.
Fixtures
The Abbey 8Km Road Race takes place Sunday 11th March next at 12 noon around the village of Abbey, Loughrea.The race will be chip timed again this year and all race entrants will get the Abbey 8KM Tech T Shirt.
The race this year will start and finish in the Village, close to the Community Centre. Registration will take place in the Community Centre on morning of the race from 10am to 11.30am and on runireland.com in advance.
