News

21st July 2011 Weekend Athletics Roundup

Tullamore on Saturday hosts the second and final leg of the 2011 National Juvenile track and field championships and with a batch of medals already secured from a few weeks ago at the same venue hopes are high that some more silverware will be brought Foyleside from tomorrows action.

Around one dozen local athletes have qualified from the Provincial deciders and although sprinter Ryan McParland is an injury doubt locals are expected to challange strongly across a wide range of events. Leading contendors include Long Jumper Mark McGarvey, Shane McGowan in the 1500m, Aoife Laverty over the same distance and possibly Lisa Bradley in the 2K Walk and 200m man Jack McCloskey. Good luck to all concerned in what usually is a top class championships involving all the best young athletes from the four provinces.

Road racing continues with the Drumhalla, Rathmullan 5K race tonight Friday at 7 30pm. The Edenery Fermanagh 10K is tomorrow at 12noon while the Kennedy Kane McArthur Half Marathon and 10K has a 2pm start tomorrow in Dervock. The Dungloe Festival 5K is next Tuesday night 26th July at 7 30pm as the Donegal Athletics Board continue with their county wide summer road race series.

City of Derrys Connor Bradley will also be in action at a cross channel BMC meeting over the weekend and his progress will be of considerable interest locally as he and other local seniors biuld towards next months National Senior championships.

Desssies Run
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The popular annual Dessies Run on Tuesday evening 30th August will be the next major local road race and with the 30th Waterside Half Marathon following on Sunday 11th September the August event is sure to attract the usual big turn out to the Gransha grounds. Dessies Run returns to its traditional Tuesday evening slot after an experimental switch last year to Sunday morning;it will have a 7 15pm start with the U3A Foyle building in the Gransha grounds once again acting as race HQ.

Entres will be taken on the night from 6pm but online pre entry arrangements will be announced next week. The usual extensive prize list will be on offer and race T shirts are available for the first 200 entries recieved. The standard three lap Gransha course should prove popular to both runners and spectators and the 10K distance should be of benefit to all prospective Waterside Half Marathon participants as well as being a natural progressive challange to the Furey Insurances 5K runners, now looking for their next outing.