Trim 10 Mile: A large crowd descended on the Meath town on Sunday for the annual 10 mile race organised by Trim AC. We were well represented with excellent performances put in on a good honest test of a course. A headwind from mile 4 onwards made it slightly uncomfortable for runners but conditions were dry. Our mens team of Barry Sheil, Donal Mulligan, Paddy Sharkey and David Sheridan put in a strong showing finishing second in the team standings (out of 66 teams) with a combined score of 105. Donal placed 2nd in his age category. Ross Gannon and Colin Beades ran well to also place in the top 100 out of a total field of over 1500. Fiona Gettings and Sinead Nolan continued their good form with both in the top 30 women finishers. Niall Nolan and Stephen McDermott also put in good runs in this the opening race of the year for most of our members.
Connacht Indoors – Juveniles: All juvenile members born in or before 2009 who wish to compete at the Connacht Indoor Track and Field Championships in Athlone IT on February 22 / 23, please email longfordac@gmail.com ahead of the February 7th deadline. Please include the child’s name, DOB, the events they wish to enter and include a parent’s contact mobile number. Entry fee is €5 per event (max 3 events) to be paid at training. In advance of the championships, two club training sessions will take place at the AIT indoor track on Saturday February 8th (1.30pm – 3.30pm) and Sunday February 16th (3.30pm – 5.30pm). For each of the training days, there is a charge of €3 per child. Full details on www.longfordac.com.
Connacht Indoors – Seniors: The events for senior athletes at the Connacht Indoors will take place on the evening of Saturday February 22nd at AIT. Events include sprints, hurdles, jumps, middle distance and technical events such as the shot putt. Any interested members, please email longfordac@gmail.com for entry by February 9th detailing the event(s).
Training: Juvenile training (aged 10+) takes place in the Mall on Friday at 7pm on the astro pitch with Little Athletics (aged 6-9) in the sports hall. Senior training is on Tuesday evenings with the interval session beginning at 7pm at the Mall. This training is adapted to suit all levels of fitness. On Thursdays at 7pm from the Mall, the group run 5-8 miles at a comfortable pace. On Saturday morning, the group meet at the Mall at 8am for a longer run of 10+ miles. New members welcome.
Couch to 5k: The programme continues at two separate locations – Longford town (The Mall) and North Longford (Moyne Community School). Walkers, joggers and runners are all welcome. Join us at the Mall on Mondays at 7.30pm and Saturdays at 8am. On Thursday mornings, our Operation Transformation Beginners run group meets at the Mall at 8am. Sessions in Moyne take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9.30am. The €30 per person fee includes full-year membership to Longford AC. Our club coach will conduct the sessions providing support and advice in the lead up to the Longford 5k on March 1st.
Fundraiser Raffle: Thank you to all individuals and businesses who have purchased tickets so far for the draw to raise funds for our proposed indoor facility. Tickets are still available from club members and can be purchased on our website www.longfordac.com. Be in with a chance to win the €20,000 first prize! The details of the draw date and the proposed site location will be announced soon.
Good Luck: All at Longford AC wish Cian McPhillips and Nelvin Appiah the very best at the Millrose Games in New York this Saturday February 8th. Good luck also to Kate Hagan at the cross country in Wicklow.
Road Race: The annual Longford 5km/10km road race will take place on Sunday March 1st at 11am. The course remains the same taking in the lap(s) of the bypass finishing at the Mall. Registration available that morning in the Scouts Den building. Online pre-entry at a reduced rate is now open on Pop Up Races. A 2km Primary Schools fun run in the Mall will start at 10am with a prize for the school with the most participants. More information can be found on our Facebook page.
