123.IE NATIONAL MASTERS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS.
MEDALS GALORE FOR WEST WATERFORD ATHLETES.
The 123.ie national Masters indoors were held last Sunday at the well-appointed TUS arena in Athlone. Competition this year was of a very high standard and all medals were well earned. Our club had 3 athletes in action at the championships with a great amount of success. In his first competition from some years in fact many years to was great to see Michael Mikey Murray back in the club singlet when he competed in the over 45 category in the Shot put, weight for distance (WFD), Triple Jump. What a returned he made it to, In the shot Mikey threw 11.15 for gold and weight for distance again with a throw of 6.49 he claimed his 2nd gold of the championships and in his 3rd event the Triple Jump he gave a great leap of 9.45 to claim his 3rd gold of the day.Terri Gough in the over 80 category competed In her usual disciplines the 60m, 200m, Shot put and gold in all 3 made it a great day for the Rathgormack Lady ,In the 60 meters a time of 18.56 saw her claim her first gold, turning shortly after to the 200 meters again gold was her lot here in a time of 1.09.47 and to round of another successful national championships for Terri in the shot put with a best of 5.75 took her 3rd gold medal.Tina O’Leary in the Ladies over 35 category running the 60 meters , sprinted to her first national gold medal when she ran a time of 9.15,Tina was also entered for the 200 meters but had to retire from the competition due to a hip injury.Very well done to out masters on the national scene.
MARK MASON FINANCIAL PLANNING COLLIGAN LEAGUE.
Spring is in the air when we start mentioning our next big club event the 5 week Mark Mason’s Financial Planning Colligan running league for beginners and regular runners. Open to all once they are over 16 years of age. This league has something in it for all from the beginner to the seasoned athlete with many distances to choose from along with flat courses and hilly courses. Beginning at the wooden bridge and finishing at the wooden bridge. This is 4.4 km in distance or 2.7 miles so it might suit all those that ran the short route over the winter league plus this route is more or less completely on the flat. Another option is to take part in the 3 lap which is 6.5 kms or just over 4 miles; this is 3 laps of the same flat circuit of the wood mentioned above. The final option is the 5 mile hill route which is one lap of the wood for starters and then up the first hill and down the hill and then across the road for the second hill and finishing in by the wood at the bridge. Entry will be online in due course. The league will start on Wednesday April 1st and continue for five more Wednesday evenings April 08th,15th, 22nd and 29th .Mass start each evening at 6.30 pm.
FORMAT OF THE LEAGUE.
Over the course of the 5 weeks of the league we will keep a record of each person’s finishing position. If you finish first you get one point, fifth place will give you 5 points and so on. All runners will be put in to divisions of 5 and after the five weeks the winner of each division will receive a prize. Prizes will be awarded to those in each route and the divisions make it fun and interesting and all the more enjoyable.
2026 WEST WATERFORD AC REMAINING FIXTURES
1st April to 29th April 2026-Mason Colligan Hill League for 5 Wednesdays
06th April 2026-Aglish CHUI Crumlin charityFun Run
08th May 2026-AHS Tuning Ballinroad 5k
22nd May 2026-Round Tower Hotel Ardmore 5 Mile
5th June 2026-Dungarvan Leader Dromana 5 Mile
26th June 2026-Oriel Bar Ballymac 5 Mile
3rd July 2026- Old Head Financial Ballinameala 5k
17th July 2026- Sherry Fitzgerald Reynolds Dungarvan 10 k
29th August 2026-Waterford Greenway Half Marathon
15th November 2026-Murrays Pharmacy Brickey 5k
06th December 2026-Clean zone Technologies Old Parish Turkey Trot
CLUB MEMBERSHIP 2026.
The club membership for 2026 can now be paid. The club membership is for the calendar year January to December. You can pay your membership online by logging onto the athletics Ireland web site and just follow the instruction under membership, all membership renewals have been sent to your e mail address some weeks ago.
12th ANNUAL AGLISH FUN RUN/WALK IN AID OF CRUMLIN.
The 12th Annual Aglish Fun Run/Walk is back and will take place on Easter Monday 06th April 2026. Registration from 10.30 am on the day and costs €10 / Donation.The popular 5k Walk and run will kick off at 11.30. All proceeds to Children’s Health Foundation Crumlin. Numerous Spot Prizes. All are welcome.
LENIHANS PAVE THE WAY IN NEW YORK HALF.
Last Sunday over 30.000 athletes took to the streets of New York City for the annual half marathon which is held on the park to park course. The overall winner this year was Adriaan Wildschutt South Africa 59.30 and the Ladies race saw a new course record by Kenyan Hellen Obiri in a time of 1.06.33, Winner of the John Treacy Dungarvan 10 in February Emily Sisson finished 6th in 1.09.06.Another huge Irish performance came in the men’s race when Kilkenny’s Peter Lynch was well inside the Irish record when he finished 5th overall with a time of 59.52. Although the point-to-point nature of the course in New York makes the race ineligible for record purposes, the 28-year-old becomes the first Irish athlete to break the one-hour barrier for the 13.1-mile distance.Due to the ineligibility of the New York race, the current national half-marathon record of 60:22, set by winner of the John Treacy Dungarvan 10 in 2025 Fearghal Curtin Youghal remains .Curtin’s half-marathon record came a month before he also broke the Irish marathon record last year, winning Gyeongju International Marathon in South Korea in 2:05:54, improving the previous record of 2:09:36 set by Kilkenny man Lynch last April at the Düsseldorf Marathon. The club had a strong representation at the event again this year when the Lenihan Family Ballinacourty Mark, Seanie and Michael along with Siobhan as mentor made the long trip to compete. Michael took the bragging rights in the household as he led the 3 home with a time of 1.48 with Seanie next in 1.53 and Mark hot on his heels at 1.56. Well done to all on what I’m sure was a great family occasion for the Lenihan’s in the wonderful city of New York.
SYMPATHY.
West Waterford athletic club extend sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Kevin O’Brien Rathmines, Dublin who passed to his eternal reward last week , may he rest in peace .
