On a surprisingly sunny Saturday morning we headed off to Ballymena for some parkrun tourism, the chosen destination today was Ecos parkrun, Ballymena, Co Antrim. On arriving at the event, we found plenty of parking and friendly volunteers and parkrunners who pointed us in the direction of the loos (slightly tucked away in a field by the entrance). The parkrun takes place at the Ecos hub conference centre and nature park near Ballymena town centre. The location looked especially picturesque in the Spring sunshine and the numbers gathering at the start were swelling rapidly.  Peggy, our ..read more

With the recent release of a new batch of Dublin Marathon places, now is the time to kick off the training for the big day. Participating in the Dublin Marathon is a physically and mentally demanding endeavour. To cross the finish line with a sense of accomplishment and joy, it’s crucial to engage in proper training. Preparing for a marathon requires dedication, discipline, and a well-structured plan. In this article, we will outline some key points on how to train for a marathon effectively. 1. Set Realistic Goals: Before embarking on your marathon training journey, it is essential to set ..read more

Friday 28th October, 1100 runners lined up to take on Enniskillen’s Spooktacular 5K. With many of the runners dressing up for the occasion, there was a magnificent atmosphere  and the mild evening meant that there was terrific support around the course. The Course is a loop around the town and has a few climbs in it, making it a challenging course. However there was some outstanding results  Name Time Mc Caughey, Conan 15:01 Williamson, JP 15:09 Reed, Declan 15:36 Male Winners Name Time Heaney, Niamh 19:32 Hall, Natalie 19:34 McCormack, Aobhin 20:14 ..read more

Dublin Marathon 2022 ..read more

Report, Lee Maginnis  Photos, Paul Lawther  Saturday the 8th of October saw the Northern Ireland trial races for the five-nations Masters Cross Country International which takes place on the 12th of November in Santry, Dublin.  Conditions were dry and mild with light winds.   The course at Queen’s University playing fields was firm underfoot. First off was the ladies race which also incorportated the M65+ categories.  It was a lap shorter than the M35-60 race to follow. A group quickly broke away, with former Commonwealth Games 800m athlete Kelly Neely playing a promi ..read more

While young Nick Griggs took the headlines at the Queen’s 5K on Wednesday night with his superb win breaking Paul Pollock’s course record, there were also some fine perfomances on down the field by our older Northern Irish athletes, proving once again that the province can punch well above its weight.  Colin McDowell,  who back in March at Coleraine University Campus 5K,  set the fastest time in the UK so far (on that date) for a M50 5K,  was again in great form, despite the windy and cold conditions. Another sub 16:30 time saw him win his category.  A massive c ..read more

Friday 4th March saw the inaugural Coleraine Campus 5k, generously sponsored by Roadside Garages & Ulster University, take place at the university in Coleraine. The race was supporting the “Downs Syndrome Association” with runners able to donate to the charity before or after the race as well as 10% of all profits being donated (final total TBC). A beautifully calm but chilly night greeted the 250 runners who descended on the campus to experience a new event on the racing calendar. The night was s ..read more

https://belfastcitymarathon.com/news/Half-Marathon/2022-Half-Marathon-open A record number expected in 2022 for the Largest Half Marathon in NI 03 March 2022 Organisers of the Mash Direct Belfast City Half Marathon are delighted to OPEN entries for their 9th event which takes place on Sunday 18th September 2022. The event is an extension of the popular May Marathon event which moves into its 40th anniversary year on Sunday 1st May.  The Mash Direct Belfast City Half Marathon is the largest Half Marathon in Northern Ireland and has seen a massive growth in numbers ..read more

Official Announcement re Mourne Skyline MTR: After eight years of our Mourne Skyline Mountain-Trail Race, we are absolutely gutted to announce that the race will no longer exist. After months of discussions, consideration, and reflection, we believe, as hard as it is, that the race is no longer sustainable in its current format; a running community and volunteer driven, not-for-profit event. This is for a number of reasons, including the continual rise in cost of essential materials and services required to deliver a safe and memorable event, all of which has contributed to financial losses s ..read more

Sarah Lavin achieves european championship qualifying mark A popular regular at the Mary Peters Track, Sarah Lavin broke the stadium record in 2021 when competing in her specialist 100m hurdles. The previous record had been held by a certain Sally Gunnell.  Sarah is a member of Emerald AC in Limerick and one of her greatest achievements to date was qualifying for and competing in the Tokyo Olympics. She has also gone sub 13 second with her PB currently standing at 12.95 (she has run 8.06 indoors in the 60m hurdles). Other highlights include finishing 9th in the European Indoor Championshi ..read more