This weekend sees the opening cross country race of the season, the relaunched National Short Course Championships, which will feature several Galwegian athletes.
Some of the county's top cross country runners taking part include Kathryn Casserly of Castlegar, who will hope for a top 20 finish, along with a strong GCH ladies squad that includes Connacht champion Niamh Hennelly, Esther O'Flaherty, Maeve Brassil and Jean O'Connor. Cian Corcoran and Seamus Leddy will represent the GCH men over the 4km distance.
This event, which will be held in conjunction with the juvenile B and relays events, takes place in the ALSAA sports grounds on Saturday.
Fields of Athenry 10k
It was a fourth win in a row for the unstoppable Irish international Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrocks who won this year's Fields of Athenry 10k on St Stephen's Day.
The 14th running of the famous event was held in perfect conditions around the historic Galway town with more than 1,000 runners taking part.
Clohisey took the win in 30.03, narrowly missing the course record by six seconds. From the gun he took the lead from his nearest challenger U23 international Brandon Hargreaves which he never relinquished. Hargreaves was second in 31.13, with local athletes Matt Bidwell and Jason Broderick running well in third and fourth, in 32 minutes flat and 32.17 respectively. Brian Furey of Rathfarnham WSAF and Gerry Carty of GCH completed the top six,
The women's race was a much closer affair with Marie Hyland of Crusaders AC in Dublin, but originally from Galway, battling it out with national marathon medallist Jane Ann Meehan for much of the race. However Hyland took the honours in the end with a very fast last kilometre, winning in a huge personal best time of 36.36. Meehan claimed second in 36.58, with Laura Shaughnessy of Loughrea AC in third. The top six prize winners were rounded out by visitor Angela Buechler, Claire Rowe of GCH, and Irene Gorman of Crusaders AC.
Resolution Run
The in-form Jason Broderick of Craughwell AC took victory in the first road race in 2016 in Galway, the Resolution Run held on New Year’s Day over 5km. Broderick took an early lead and won comfortably on a testing course around the Claddagh, canals and city streets.
Clubmate Peadar Harvey took second, with Paul Buckley of Ferbane AC third. Kathryn Casserly of Castlegar AC continued her winning ways, with Donore Harriers Sorcha and Ide Nic Dhomnaill second and third in this fifth race edition which attracted 380 runners.
Clarenbridge 10km
Matt Bidwell of Galway City Harriers made a great start to his 2016, taking victory in the Clarenbridge 10k on Sunday on a mixed road and trail circuit. Bidwell, finishing in 33.27, comfortably saw off Mark Dooley of Donore and Niall Shanahan. Jane Ann Meehan produced a strong performance, clocking of 37.15, to win by a huge margin from Ann McPhail in second and Sinead Brody of GCH in third
