Doireann and Eabha Hickey Compete in Spain
Doireann and Eabha Hickey travelled to Spain last weekend to compete at the Spanish Race Walking Grand Prix in Guadix. Guadix is the home of race walking in Spain and world champions like Kate Veale and Rob Heffernan have all trained and competed there. A group of fourteen Irish athletes from Galway, Sligo, Kilkenny and Waterford all part of the Rob Heffernan Race Walking Academy travelled to compete over the 5k and 3k events. It was a very successful trip for the group with several athletes attaining podium finishes and personal best times across both distances.
Both Doireann and Eabha were among the almost forty athletes who competed in the 3k event. The Irish led the way in this race with the top two placings going to Caoimhe Phelan Galway and Doireann Hickey West Waterford. Doireanns time was just over the 17min mark and will give her a base to work on for the track season. The next five places were all filled by Spanish athletes. Eabha Hickey made it into the top ten finishing in 9th place with a new personal best time of 18.40. This was Eabha’s first time to break the 20min barrier and she did it in style also breaking the 19 min barrier.
Well done to all the athletes who travelled to Guadix. This was an experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else. They will all benefit from this in the track season. Well done also to team coach Jamie Costin who travelled with the team.
East Munster Schools Cross Country Championships
The East Munster Schools cross country championships will take place at the SETU Campus in Carriganore on Friday next Feb 3rd. There will be eight races in all for Minor, Junior, Inter and Senior boys and girls. The event will get underway at 12.30 and finish about 3.30. This is the first of three events to be held in Carriganore as the Munster and All Ireland Schools will also be held here. Preparations start on Wed at 1pm when Mary Ashe and her team will lay out the course and it is a tough test of cross country running.
All the local schools will be competing and with four teams and the top fifteen advancing to the Munster Championships there should be plenty to cheer about for the local schools. If anyone from the club is available to help with stewarding at these events we would welcome your help.
