With just days to go, the first big club race of the year could surpass all previous attendance records.
Entries are flooding in for the 10th anniversary Tuam Athletic Club 8km Road Race which takes place at 2.30pm on Sunday.
The club’s Brendan Monahan says event numbers are expected to exceed the 556 finishers who took part in last year’s race.
With a comprehensive range of prizes on offer in all categories, several top-class runners have already committed to the Tuam race, including Belfast running legend Paddy Hamilton, who was runner-up in the 2012 event. He was narrowly beaten by Dublin Marathon winner Sean Hehir, and it is hoped Hehir will make it to Tuam again on Sunday.
Local athletes Fintan Hyland and Matt Bidwell of GCH will also aim to reign supreme in Tuam, and a final runner to watch out for in the men’s section is the winner of the first Tuam 8K – the ever consistent Ian Egan. Egan could go very well this year and he is also the main sponsor of this year’s event.
In the women’s race Regina Casey of GCH is back to her best and could be due a win in Tuam, but she will be pushed all the way by Mayo AC’s Siobhan Lennon and Colette Tuohy who are also in great form.
National Combined Events Results
There was success for Galway with a silver medal for Margaret Higgins of Corofin Athletic Club in the Masters Over 50 Combined events - 60m, shot, long jump and 800m - held last weekend in Athlone IT.
Athlone will now host the Galway Indoor Championships on Saturday 18, along with the Juvenile Championships.
