The first running of the Martin Egan Memorial 10k Road Race takes place on Sunday, south of Gort.
Starting and finishing at the Beagh Community Centre, it runs through the hamlet of Shanaglish, passing by Martin Egan's home in Creggboy along the way. This road race was formerly the Beagh 10k, which was successfully organised in 2010 and 2011.
Martin Egan of Shanaglish was a well-known middle-distance runner who died in 2006. He broke the Irish four-mile record in 1946, which had stood for the previous 59 years. He was also selected to compete for Ireland in the 1948 London Olympics, and won more than 50 national senior medals. He was also a member of a wider family of siblings who won eight national senior medals on one day in August 1945, a feat that has never been repeated.
To commemorate the inaugural running of this road race, a special limited edition booklet to celebrate Martin Egan's achievements is being produced and will be available at no cost on the day of the race. This booklet is entitled, The Lost Olympian: Martin Egan, Shanaglish. It will contain numerous articles about Martin and his wider family, as well as a treasure trove of photographs of Martin and his many achievements.
The race, which starts at 1.30pm, is Athletics Ireland permitted and the course is Jones Counter measured. For more information telephone Margaret Walsh 087-9917961 or [email protected].
