After about three months of very cold weather we had our first day of Spring in Morton Stadium on Saturday with beautiful warm sunshine for our Leinster/Dublin Regional Squad Day for March.

91 athletes from all over the province came together for excellent coaching from 12 coaches who worked hard at the sprints, middle distance, jumps and throws. Many of the young athletes were sharping up for their appearance at the National Indoors in Nenagh next week-end or are preparing for the track and field season which is just around the corner. We would like to thank all those who attended, the coaches who helped and those who brought such a large group to Santry on Saturday. We have organized one more Squad Day for Saturday 17th April IN TULLAMORE from 10.45am to 2pm

Three very successful workshops were held over the past two weeks in the South West with big turnouts from athletes/coaches in the region. A great throws workshop was held at Cork IT with coaches Jerry Horgan (Shot) and John Sheehan (Javelin) taking the coaches and athletes through their paces. Over 25 coaches took part and thoroughly enjoyed the workshop.

Also held in Cork IT on the eve of the All-Ireland Schools Cross-Country championships, was a Road Running/Endurance workshop with nearly 50 people attending. It was a very interactive night with many views shared on distance running. Guest speaker on the night was the 2009 Cork City Marathon winner Michael Herlihy and he made a great contribution to the night’s success.

Finally a Jumps workshop was held at the UL Indoor Arena with over 15 people attending and taking the opportunity to run through some great sessions with coaches Rosemary Daniels (High Jump) and Gareth Devlin (Long Jump). It proved to be a very enjoyable session indoors due to terrible weather outside. Many thanks to all the athletes/coaches that supported the workshops and indeed to all the coaches that helped run them.

Leevale Athletic Club officially launched their Fit4Life group this week in association with Athletics Ireland and the Cork Sports Partnership. On the launch night over 25 people registered showing the popularity of the Fit4Life concept. In June, Cork will be holding the Cork City Marathon & Relay and many members of the group will use this as a possible goal to aim for. Also in September the Cork County Board run the hugely successful Ladies Mini Marathon and no doubt many of the Fit4Life group will take part in this. Group leader Liam Horgan was delighted with the launch night and believes the group will go from strength to strength.

Merchandising/Sales Representative

Title: Merchandising/Sales Representative

Location: Santry Dublin

Job Type: 1 year Contract

Salary: €25,000 plus commission

Additional benefits: `Mobile Phones - Expenses - Parking

Minimum experience required: 1 year

Qualification: Third Level Degree

Contact name: Bernie Dunne, Office Manager
Athletics Ireland
Unit 19 Northwood Business Park
Santry
Dublin 9
admin@athleticsireland.ie

Closing Date for Applications: Monday 5th April

Your Role will involve:

• Selling advertising space for Irish Runner Magazine and other Athletics Ireland publications including building up a base of customers and maintaining relationship

• Dealing with sales administration relating to Runner Magazine and other Athletics Ireland publications

• Co-ordinating and implementing sales drives for subscriptions for the Irish Runner Magazine

• Managing the sales of Athletics Ireland merchandising at key National competitions

• Assisting with management of sales and administration for the Athletics Ireland E-shop

• Organisation and management of exhibition stands at key events

Candidate Profile
• 1yrs+ advertising sales (preferably in magazine publishing) with previous experience selling to Brand Managers and Advertising Agencies

• Appropriate third level degree is preferable

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills

• Ability to identify and develop new business opportunities

• Strong negotiation ability

• Needs to be a self-starter and highly motivated.

• Own car is essential with full licence - mileage allowance provided

• Excellent presentation and communication skills

• Will include weekend working. N.B Weekend working will be offset by nominated days in lieu

A workshop for Javelin and Shot will be held on Sunday March 21st in Templemore, Co. Tipperary.

11am Basic Shot and Javelin Coaching

1.30pm Shot and Javelin for more experienced Coaches and Throwers

Contact Billy Purcell (087) 2467226 to book places of for further details

Gillick and Abeylegesse voted European Athletes of the Month for February

European Athletics is pleased to announce that Ireland’s David Gillick has been voted as the European Athletes of the Month for February.

Gillick, a two-time European indoor 400m champion, started the indoor season in brilliant fashion by equalling his own two-year-old national 400m record of 45.52 at the UK Grand Prix in Birmingham. The 26-year-old remains the fastest European over the distance this season.

The European Athlete of the Month initiative was launched in January 2007 and is designed to recognise outstanding performers at all levels of the sport in Europe.

European Athletics names a male and female winner each month and features the athlete on the European Athletics website. Selections are based on votes by the public, the media and a panel of European Athletics experts, with each counting for 33.3 percent of the final vote.

No athlete who has previously served a two-year doping ban can be nominated for or win the European Athlete of the Month.

Two Beijing Olympians were present at Jury’s Cork hotel for the monthly presentation of the Cork City Sports Athletics Award. Robert Heffernan from Togher AC is the winner for the month of February after superbly retaining his 5,000m walk title at the Woodie’s DIY Irish Indoor championships held in the Odyssey Belfast. This was his twelfth Irish indoor title, which when added to the seventeen outdoor and road titles won since 1999, shows what an amazing athlete he is.

Also present at Jury’s – to be re-named next week as the River Lee Hotel – was Derval O’Rourke.

The monthly award is sponsored by The Evening Echo, Jury’s Cork hotel and 96fm / C103fm.

John McHale, editor of the Evening Echo, welcomed Rob and his family and friends, telling him “we are here to pay tribute to you, not only for your achievements in the month of February but your achievements over several years”. He mentioned the disappointment of Beijing, “but I have no doubt you will look back in a few years time and the medals you do not have now will be there then”

He complimented his family and Togher AC, “without your help and support Rob would not be where he is today”.

Dick Hodgins, chairman of Cork City Sports committee, also said the best is yet to come for Rob. “As someone who has been racing at the top level of sport for over ten years you are still unheralded as an athlete”, he said, and added that “in that time you have represented Ireland at three Olympics which is a huge achievement in itself considering the Olympics comes around only one every four years. Commenting on his performance in Beijing he said “while your were disappointed with your 15th place finish, many other athletes would have been delighted”.

In thanking the sponsors for the award Rob said Beijing was a bit of a disaster but 2010 has got off to a great start with victory in the Irish indoors and a second place finish in Switzerland on Sunday. “It is nice to be recognised” he said, and thanked his wife Marian and family for their support. Its all systems go towards Barcelona where he expects the weather to be even hotter than Beijing.

Rob also holds Irish walks records in nine events at U23 and senior levels and is about to chase after another. On Sunday week he competes over 50k in Slovakia and goes into the race in confident mood.

Leevale’s Derval O’Rourke was in relaxed mood at the function. She has just returned from a week in Miami spent following a sailing event. Next weekend its back to a hill training session, while on the competition front she is looking forward to competing in the sprint relay at Leevale Open Sports on April 18 at CIT, and racing a few 200’s in May.

Results

st-patricks-day-5k-2010

Sprints & Middle Distance Please Note Date Change - Sunday 21st March

Venue Tullamore Harriers Stadium

Starting at 11am day will include a training session,
Talk by top coach and former Olympian Maeve Kyle on Making It To The Top.
Advice on Race Preparation, Tapering, Competition Plans.

Open to all athletes and coaches.
Light lunch included.

Please register with Brian Dowling, Tel 0852545579,E Mail bdowlingcoach@hotmail.com.
or Jim Davis Tel 0879537637 E Mail coachjdavis@hotmail.com

Two National Squad sessions for sprints have been organised as follows:

March 21st Tullamore 11am - 3 pm

April 17th Cork 11am - 3 pm

These March and April Squad Sessions will include an introduction and execution of ‘Dart Fish Analysis’ respectively specific for the Relay & Hurdle Events - this allows for indepth analysis of the athletes technique. Also on March 21st we have arranged for Guest Speakers to attend the National Squad Days and give presentations as outlined below.

‘Making it to the Top’ by Maeve Kyle

‘Sports Science to support Athletes’ by Dr. John Bradley

An official invitation to the National Squad Session will follow from the AAI Head Office

John Sheehan
086 8548428

The next Munster Regional Squad day takes place this Saturday March 20th at UL Track. Registration is at 10.30am sharp with the session starting at 11am sharp. Those attending a Munster squad day for the 3rd time will be given a squad t-shirt and water bottle. As always the personal coaches of the athletes on the squad are more than welcome to attend also and sit in on the various sessions. All Hammer Throwers need to check in at 10.30am sharp at the track before making their way to Bilboa AC for their throws session with Brian Akers. For further information contact Regional Development Officer Steven Macklin at 0876335565 or e-mail steven@athleticsireland.ie.

The annual Star Awards dinner takes place next Saturday at the Arklow Bay hotel at 7.45pm with Tipperary Crystal the new sponsors of the awards.

Some tickets are still available for this memorable night when the leading young Irish athletes will be recognised for their achievements. Contact Georgina Drumm @ 087 689 3361 or email georgina.drumm@gmail.com Tickets cost €35.

Star Award Winners 2009

Armagh: Stephen Kerr (Armagh)
Antrim: Joanna Mills (Ballymena & Antrim)
Carlow: Marcus Lawlor (St. Laurence O’Toole)
Cavan: Cian O Reilly (Annalee)
Clare Aisling: (Darcy Ennis Track)
Cork Eric: Stam (Bandon)
Dublin: Sinead Denny (D.S.D)
Derry: Mark Mc Garvey (City of Derry)
Donegal: Louise Harvey (Tir Chonaill)
Down: Karyn Dumigan (City of Lisburn)
Fermanagh: Stuart Connor (St Michaels )
Galway: Simon Callaghan (Galway City Harriers)
Kerry: Claire Fitzgerald (Tralee Harriers)
Kildare: Claire Mooney (Naas)
Kilkenny: Mary Kate Lanigan (KCH)
Laois: Conor Daly (St Abbans)
Leitrim: Michelle Beirne (Mohill)
Louth; Emily Rogers (St Peters)
Limerick: Sara Lavin (Emerald)
Meath: Conal Campion (St Andrews)
Mayo; Caoimhe King (Westport)
Monaghan: James Treanor (Co Monaghan)
Offaly: James Mulligan (Tullamore Harriers)
Roscommon: Lorcain O Cathain (Roscommon)
Sligo: Ciara Mc Bride (North Sligo)
Tipperary: Keith Smith (Carrick On Suir)
Tyrone: Ben Mc Gillian (Strabane)
Wexford: Conor Wilson (Menapians)
Waterford: Ciara Giles Doran (Ferrybank)
Westmeath: Shane Fitzsimons (Mullingar Harriers)
Wicklow: Niamh Kearney (Greystones)

Special Awards
OVERSEAS: Oliver Back (Liverpool)
EAMON GILBERT: Cathriona Farrell
BILL BATTERSBY: Joanna Mills
KEARA O HART: Joan Healy
MATT MC GRATH: Claire Fitzgerald
ROISIN O CALLAGHAN: Kate Veale
ROBIN SYKES: Amy O Donoghue
INTERNATIONAL: Ciara Mageean

Below you will find the dates for the next Leinster and Dublin Regional squads where we hope to see you and your club athletes in attendance.

If you are not attending the next squad in Morton Stadium, Santry please contact me by either email or text.

Leinster & Dublin Regional Squads

Date: Saturday March 20th

Venue: Morton Stadium, Santry

Time: Registration 10:30am

Date: Saturday April 17th

Venue: Tullamore Harriers

Time: Registration 10:30am

We hope your training is going well and we will see you all on Saturday 20th.

Assistant Coach Course, Saturday 20th March, Shoreline Leisure Centre, Greystones, Co Wicklow

Aim

The aim of the assistant coach course is to give some basic skills to the beginner coach to help assist a more senior coach in the delivery of coaching sessions to young Athletes. It is an introduction to the coaching of three key events, running (Sprints and Endurance), Jumping (Long Jump) and Throwing (Shot Putt).

Content
The content for this course includes;
• group coaching skills and identifying ways to make coaching sessions fun • Fun and functional warm ups and cool downs • Safety in Athletics • Rules of key events • Communicating with young athletes and giving effective feedback.
• Basic running skills
• Basic Long Jump Skills
• Basic Shot Putt skills

Duration This course runs from 9.30am-5pm.

Entry Requirements The Assistant Coach Course is open to all

Assessment/ Qualification There is no exam.

Cost -€60

Venue – Shoreline Leisure Centre, Greystones, Co Wicklow Date – Saturday 20th March

Time – 9.30am-5pm

For further information contact Regional Development Officer Ryan Montgomery 0872631441, ryan@athleticsireland.ie

National Senior Champions lead event specific workshops for Wexford’s top youngsters.

Wexford Athletics County Board’s Development squad athletes this weekend attended a full day of event specific workshops organised by the Wexford County board’s development team. Over 40 of the counties top juvenile athletes were put through their paces by National Sprint and High jump champions Darragh Graham and Rose Daniel, Athletics Ireland Regional Development Officer Ryan Montgomery and National Squad Coach George Ayres. The session saw the athletes given valuable lessons in their specific events focusing on technique development this was then followed by a seminar in Planning and Nutrition by Coaching Ireland under the Lucozade Sports program.

The squad day was the highlight so far of the 2010 program for the counties top juvenile athletes with the Wexford Development team looking into further opportunities in competition and athlete development in the coming months. Thanks to all the parents and coaches who helped out on the day.

Queen’s 5k Race Around The River , hosted by Queen’s Athletics Club will this year take place on Wednesday 31st March at 7pm. Last year’s race saw record numbers of participants and the addition of chip timing and this year is set to be even bigger with continued support from Powerade and Queen’s Sport. This year sees Gotto sports in association with Asics coming on board to sponsor additional prizes for race winners as well as give out spot prizes for those coming over the finish line!
This event has established itself as one of the best 5k races in the country, popular with the elite athlete through to the recreational runner. We are delighted this year to be named as an official warm up race for the Deep River Rock Belfast City Marathon and hope that this will encourage all those getting involved in the marathon to come out and run Queen’s 5k.
Online entry is now open at a cost of £8 and £7 for students. On the night entry will also be available for £10. For full details and prize list see www.queens5k.co.uk or contact queens5k@qub.ac.uk

queens_5k_poster1

The 2010 Colleges mountain running championship takes place on Saturday 20th March in Glendalough. Eoin Pierce (DIT) and Niamh O’Boyle (TCD) are the pre-race favourites on a route comprising mostly forest trail and grass.

The trial for the International Youths Challenge (born 1993-1994) will be held in Howth County Dublin on April 10th. A training run over the route will be held this Sunday. See www.imra.ie for details of both events.

Silver for Dan Mulhare

At the British Universities indoor championships Dan Mulhare from North Laois AC was second in the 3,000m in a time of 8:05.06 a new indoor PB for him to better the 8:16.18 for third place in this race last year. His time is just half a second outside his outdoor best of 8:04.53 from Cork City sports in 2008.

Irish walkers were well represented in Lugano Switzerland yesterday and posted some great new PBs. Laura Reynolds from Mohill AC was 12th in the women’s 20k race in a time of 1:37:29, a huge improvement on her previous best of 1:43:07.

Robert Heffernan from Togher AC was second in the men’s 20k in 1:20:45 with Colin Griffin from Ballinamore AC 13th, Michael Doyle from Tara AC 14th and Brendan Boyce from Letterkenny AC 16th. Doyle reduced his best time from 1:31:40 to 1:27:54 and Boyce took his time from 1:30:29 to 1:28:37.

BUCS Indoor Athletics Championships EIS, Sheffield
3,000m ht
1 James SHANE Anglia Ruskin 8:24.97Q
2 Dan MULHARE Edinburgh Napier 8:25.21Q
3 Matthew PROCTOR Durham 8:25.57q
Final
1 Ricky STEVENSON Teesside 8:04.21
2 Dan MULHARE Edinburgh Napier 8:05.06
3 James SHANE Anglia Ruskin 8:11.78

800m
1 Ejiro OKORO Medway 2:17.23 Q
2 Sara TREACY Birmingham 2:17.26 q
Final
1 Rachel STRINGER Loughborough 2:10.98
2 Jenny TAN Dundee 2:11.68
3 Emily MOSS Royal Holloway 2:11.75
4 Sara TREACY Birmingham 2:13.05 (indoor PB)

Gran Premio Citta di Lugano - Memorial Mario Albisetti Lugano SUI
Risultati marcia 20km donne
1. YANFEI LI CHINA 1h31′26”2
2. LI LI CHINA 1h31′32”3
3. INÊS HENRIQUES PORTUGAL 1h32′30”8
12. LAURA REYNOLDS IRELAND 1h37′28”1

Risultati marcia 20km uomini
1. ALEX SCHWAZER ITALIA 1h18′23”2
2. ROBERT HEFFERNAN IRELAND 1h20′44”2
3. GRZEGORZ SUDOL POLAND 1h20′49”2
13. COLIN GRIFFIN IRELAND 1h24′44”9
14. MICHEAL DOYLE IRELAND 1h27′54”5
16. BRENDAN BOYCE IRISH 1h28′37”7

At the Cowboy Relays, McNeese State’s home meet, Alvy Carragher took the steeplechase with a 12:07.14 clocking which broke the record she had set last year.

Laura Kerr from Abbey AC was second in the javelin - her first competition in two and a half years.

David Rooney from Raheny Shamrock AC won the mile in 4:11.33, run for the first time in many years during the Cowboy Relays, He was taking a shot at the school record of 4:06.4. A strong wind was a factor in the race but Rooney was on a record setting course through three laps.

McNeese Cowboy Relays

Women 3000 Meter Steeplechase
1 Carragher, Alvy McNeese State 12:07.14

Men 1 Mile Run
1 Rooney, David McNeese State 4:11.33
2 Chelimo, Moses Ul-Monroe 4:28.52
3 Koenck, Jonathon McNeese State 4:31.55
4 Dyer, Michael McNeese State 4:32.82

Women Javelin Throw
1 Richard, Marcie Ul-Monroe 45.21m
2 Kerr, Laura McNeese State 42.62m

Women 5000 Meter
1 Guinn, Amy McNeese State 17:20.53@
2 Kapkiai, Dorcas SE Louisiana 18:44.74
3 McCormick, Candice McNeese State 19:05.82
4 Ross, Fionnuala McNeese State 19:06.72
5 Casey, Aisling McNeese State 19:26.84

Images courtesy McNeese State

Athletics Ireland has announced today that they will be sending Linda Byrne of Dundrum South Dublin AC and John Travers of Donore Harriers AC to the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland on the 28th of March. Mark Kenneally of Clonliffe Harriers has declined a place on the team as he is focusing his efforts over the coming months on preparation for the European Track and Field Championships in Barcelona.

Linda Byrne will compete in the senior women’s 8,000m, after her dominant performance at the Woodie’s DIY Inter Club Cross Country Championships in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on the 7th of March. Byrne’s solo performance saw her coast to victory in 27.10 minutes to win her first national Inter-Club senior title. Byrne cruised to a second national title in the space of six days, winning the women’s inter-varsities race when representing DCU at the weekend.

The DSD athlete commented:”I finished outside the top 50 two years ago and I feel this season I have stepped up my level of performance so I will be looking for a good race at the World Cross Country Championship.”

John Travers will compete in the Junior Race 8,000m after his excellent winning performance in a highly competitive junior race at the Inter-club championships. Travers, who is coached by former Irish International John Dowes, followed this up with a victory in the senior boy’s race at the All-Ireland Schools Championships this weekend. “This is a wonderful opportunity for me to be able to compete in the World Cross Country Championships” said Travers

Dublin, Sunday, 14th March 2010….Mullingar athlete Mark Christie has won the KBC Asset Management St Patrick’s 5K Festival Road Race which took place in Dublin today. The Mullingar Harriers AC runner completed the course in a new record time of 00:14:12, clipping 2 seconds off the previous course record.

Second place went to Sean Connolly from Tallaght AC who finished in 00:14:39. He was followed in third and fourth place by Raheny Shamrocks AC runners Richie Corcoran and Mark Kirwan with times of 00:14:42 and 00:14:45 respectively.

Winner in the women’s category was Linda Byrne, a member of Dundrum South Dublin AC. Linda, who was the recent winner of the National Cross Country Championships and winner of the IUAA Intervarsity Cross Country Championship which took place in Cork yesterday, completed the course in a time of 00:16:07.

Second in the women’s category was Ava Hutchinson, also from the Dundrum South Dublin club with a time of 00:16:15 followed in third place by Kerry Harty from Newcastle, Co. Down in 00:16:47 and Ciara Durkan from Skerries AC in fourth place with 00:17:28.

Team prizes were won by Raheny Shamrocks (men) and Dundrum South Dublin (women).

First, second, third and fourth prizes in both men’s and women’s categories were EUR1,000, EUR500, EUR250 and EUR100 respectively. Other prize categories included Team Masters Men and Women categories, Junior Men and Women under 20 and Corporate Teams of 4 runners in any gender combination.

The race, from which a portion of the entry fee went to Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, attracted a record entry of over 1,700 runners.

Officially started by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr. Emer Costello, it was the first street race held in the city in a year when Dublin celebrates its status as European Capital of Sport.

Organised by Metropolitan Harriers & St. Brigid’s Athletic Club, it formed part of the St. Patrick’s Festival Week programme. Praising the efforts of all who took part, race director Eamonn Coghlan thanked Dublin City Council and An Garda Síochána for the support which they had given to the event.

Sponsorship was provided by KBC Asset Management, the specialist provider of niche investment strategies for pension funds, charities and corporate bodies, who have supported the event for a number of years. Commenting, their chief executive Sean Hawkshaw, himself a well-known tri-athlete, said
‘we are proud to support an event that is an integral part of the St. Patrick’s Festival programme. From the record level of entries, we recognise the role which the race has in attracting visitors to the city.’

UL Track Friday March 19th

There will be a Jumps workshop taking place on Friday March 19th at UL Track 7-9pm. Registration is at 6.45pm sharp and you just come along on the night and pay €5.
The events covered will be High Jump and Long Jump.
The coaches on the night will be Rosemary Daniels for High Jump and either Gareth Devlin for Long Jump. Come along on the night and don’t miss out on what should be a great workshop.

For more information contact Regional Development Officer Steven Macklin at 0876335565 or e-mail steven@athleticsireland.ie.