From Our Special Correspondant in Ballycotton John O'Connor One of our members ran around Ballycotton in these “flip-flops” last week. He must have thought it was a pilgrimage not a race. Without naming and shaming anyone our ex-club treasurer, Limerick born GAA fanatic who works for Nortel was even...

A new monthly athletics e-zine will provide runners all over Ireland with information about the sport they love – and it will be absolutely free of charge. The new e-zine is being launched by two Mayo men – Mark Scanlon and Liam Horan – in mid-April. Mark and Liam are both keen runners, with Mark...

The provisional results from 2009 Balltcotton have just been released and can be found here: http://www.ballycottonrunning.com/Ballycotton2009.htm Finish line photographs are available from here: http://www.finishlinephotographs.com A wonderful day out; as good as I ever remember it. Conditions for...

Paul Hession this morning made it through his 60m first round heat of the European Indoor Championships as one of the fastest qualifiers. This has now earned him a place in this afternoons second semi-final. This could prove to be a tough semi with the event favourite Dwain Chambers in the same semi...

Athenry AC sprint sensation Paul Hession will be in action this weekend at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Turin, Italy. Paul is entered in the 60m, a distance in which, although it is far short of his specialisation, he has met with some considerable success previously. The men's 60m...

I sat down and tried to think of twenty 'positives' that arise from being off the road. I've always thought that Ian Dury's 'Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3' was a great song with a good message and so it should be possible to put a positive spin on almost any situation if you just try hard enough...

After a little bit of research on the web, I've come up with a grand total of 43, including (West) Waterford's David McCarthy, who ran an awe-inspiring 3.57.75 at a recent indoor meet in the US! A flotrack video of David's race is located here and is well worth a viewing, or three: http://www...

***** Series sold out early on Thursday morning, 5 March 2009 ***** Six Galway Athletics Clubs have announced their plans to organise a series of low-key, no-frills roads races around the county this spring. The clubs have organised a similar series of races for the last three years and the...

Ann Carter put on a confident and well paced display of road running for the second time in as many weeks when she was first woman past the finish line of the Kilconieron 5 Mile Road Race last Saturday. Ann was also first past the post in the Maree 8km two week previously in a splendid time of 31:51...

There have been some fine road races for us all to enjoy in recent weeks around Galway and for once the weather hasn't been too bad at all. Fond memories of the Maree 8k are still fresh in our minds and the Craughwell Fit for Life 5k and last Saturday's Kilconieron 5 Mile race were great days out...

The good news has reached us that Grainne Breen completed her debut marathon in Barcellona yesterday in the time of 4:02:02. Obviously has been secretly training away for many months. We're looking forward to a complete report on her return but in the meantime I'm sure you'll all join me in offering...

One of the greatest distance runners of all time,Ron Hill is to visit John Buckley Sports. A former world record holder and winner of the Boston and European marathon championship. Ron Hill now aged 70 is equally famous for having run every single day since 1964. There will be a special 'MEET RON'...

Country: Thailand Departure: October 09 Price: €4,000 €300 deposit: to be paid upon return of application form to COPE Galway €1,500:to be raised and returned to COPE Galway by 1st May 09 €1,000: to be raised and returned to COPE Galway by 1st July 09 €1,200: the balace to be raised and returned to...

Have you ever dreamed of completing a triathlon but been daunted by lack of fitness, lack of knowledge or even by poor swimming skills? Galway Triathlon Club, in conjunction with the Galway City Sports Partnership, is running a ‘Try2Tri’ information day and challenge, at the NUIG Kingfisher Club...

Provisional Result of the Bothár 5M Charity Road Race at Kilconieron (28 February 2009) Pos Num Time Name Club Category 1 3142 27:30 Kenneth Rodgers St Cronans MS 2 3146 27:59 Ian Egan Galway City Harriers M40 3 3163 28:56 Johnny Lane Craughwell AC MS 4 3143 29:04 Dan O'Rourke Tuam AC M40 5 3184 29...

...the more they stay the same. As many of us are training for a spring marathon and are by now well used to encountering the wit and wisdom of Galway's youth while we're out on the road, I thought the letter above might raise a smile.

The Community Games Art and Model making county Finals take place this year on the 21st March in the new venue of Holy Rosary College Mountbellew. It will commence at 11 am sharp. It is indeed great to see both competitions back in the same venue as last year they had to be hosted in different...

Please direct all remaining queries to Fergal O'Neill at [email protected]. Maree 8K 2009 - Official Prizes Category Time Number Name Club Male Overall 1st 27:14 218 Tom Hall Hillingdon AC 2nd 27:59 254 Mike Rice Athenry AC 3rd 28:05 108 Dennis Shanahan Female Overall 1st 31:51 245 Ann Carter...

Connemarathon 2009 Launch You are invited to the launch of the 2009 Connemarathon and the announcement of our new title sponsor, Buitoni. Please join the Connemarathon team in welcoming Buitoni aboard! Where: The Marriott Hotel, Galway When: Tuesday 24th February at 6pm Buitoni have enjoyed a long...

GTC - Lecture Series - Sports Psychology. Speaker: Karen Weekes, Sports Psychologist Venue: Menlo Park Hotel, Mon 23rd Feb, 7:30pm. Karen Weekes, a sports psychologist who specialises in working with ultra-endurance athletes, will give an outline of sports psychology and its relation to sports...

GOAL Kayathalon is a novel fundraising event in aid of GOAL’S Famine appeal. It is a triathlon consisting of a hike, a cycle and a paddle and will be held in Gleann an Mháma, Conamara on April 25 2009. The route is attached below. In this increasing time of financial difficulty for many, charities...

From Saturday, 7 February 2009 Irish Examiner, which I cannot find on-line... See attached JPG (773 KB)

It was great to see Loughrea AC's Olive Loughnane profiled on the IAAF site recently. If you want to catch up with what Olive has achieved in her career so far and indeed what she plans for 2009 and beyond this is a good place to start. http://www.iaaf.org/WRC09/news/kind=103/newsid=49229.html

Photo Credit: Alan Cowzer (http://www.cowzer.com/athletics/) Many athletics fans in Ireland will easily recognise the name Lezan Kimutai. Lezan has been a frequent visitor to Ireland over the last decade and his competitive record is impressive. In 2003 Lezan won the Belfast Marathon and he also...

Athenry AC's annual pre-Connemara Marathon raiding party took to the roads of Connemara this weekend to test out the famous marathon route before the big day next month. A full compliment of 27 dedicated Connemara Marathon aspirants wrapped up well and braved the cold weather and were rewarded with...