Mick Rice has already posted Mike Tobin's report hereabouts so I will just add a few personal words on the event itself and its organisers here.

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I was wrangled in to help Mike put some shape on the Galway Primary Schools Cross Country Championships (lunchtime on Tuesday, 30 September 2008).

Four different races, around a 800 to 1000 metre brass course. 3rd and 4th class girls; then 3rd and 4th class boys; then 5th and 6th class girls; finally 5th and 6th class boys.

A super hour's actions - not that I saw any of it, given that I was at the end of two long chutes in the company of Jim Maher furiously taking and scribbling numbers - trying to put shape on the 100s of kids coming through at a rate that would make even Ballycotton Running Promotions at their busiest on a cold March Sunday blanch more than ever so slightly.

The energy, the excitement, the novelty of the event was a joy to behold, all ably managed by Mike and his many helpers. The start of each of the races would put the World Cross-Country to shame such was dash to the first corner in each. I don't think there was a single faller in any of the four races around that first bend either!

The event was a credit to all involved. The four races were run off in military fashion and full provisional results produced within an hour of the completion of the last race.

Over 800 finished across the four races. The old adage that _many hands makes light work_ was never more ably displayed that afternoon in the back dressing-room, with pieces of papers, laptops, pens and calculators flying every which way, as four sets of people were compiling results for the four races at the same time.

The results were compiled & checked and were then presented to the baying masses who had stayed on, in the expectation that their respective charges might be in the medals. Most were not disappointed.

Overall, a great day for all concerned. I just wish I'd been able to be part of such an event when I was that age!

Hopefully, we saw the first inklings of a few future champions and also people who might just take up running as a leisure pursuit in the years to come. They all count equally...