The 2009 FUTURE Streets of Galway 8k Road Race took place on Saturday evening last from Southpark in the Claddagh. This was the 24th running of the race hosted by Galway City Harriers AC and sponsors FUTURE, and the biggest yet. The race entries sold out in mid-July and on Saturday night over 2000 people took to the streets around the traditional route from Southpark, up Merchant’s Road to Eyre Square, by UCHG and St. Mary’s towards Devon Park, Pearse Stadium, then Leisureland, Seapoint and back in the Prom.

The weather forecast had been good, fine and dry with only light winds, and these were predicted to be at the runners backs on the home stretch along Salthill promenade. Fast times, personal bests and seasons bests, were hoped for by many of the runners who lined up at the start. Chip timing was used again this year, which means that everyone can get an accurate time for their run, regardless of how far back from the start line they are. The chip records the time from the moment you cross the start line to the moment you cross the finish. Glen Grant from ChampionChip Ireland was down from Belfast to help us make sure it all ran smoothly.

Oliver Geraghty fired the starting gun at 7pm and the race was underway. National 10,000m champion Josphat Boit of the Clonliffe Harriers club, went straight into the lead, accompanied by Galway’s road racing supremo Gerry Ryan and Mark Kirwan of Raheny Shamrocks. These three were closely followed by a group of athletes from Raheny, North Cork and Ferrybank clubs. At the 3k mark, Boit began to open up a lead on the others, a lead he never relinquished. When news came back from the lead car that he hit the 7k mark in 20 mins, it looked like Clare man Seamus Power’s 1998 course record of 22:49 could finally be broken by the Kenyan. Coming into the finishing stretch on Nimmo’s Pier, with the large crowd roaring him on, he crossed the line in 22:49.5, equaling the record for an outstanding performance. Gerry Ryan of host club Galway City Harriers was 2nd in 24:40, closely followed by Mark Kirwan in 3rd.

The renowned Raheny club had 4 athletes in the first 8 home, easily taking the team honours. Raheny Shamrocks AC celebrated 50 years last year, and they also host the Raheny 5 Mile Road Race which is going just one year longer than the Streets of Galway 8k, having celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year.

Notable performances by local runners apart from Gerry Ryan himself, included a marvellous sub 27 run of 26:56 by Brian Bruton of Athenry AC and a 27:28 from Tony Scanlan of GCH. Tony is quietly making a name for himself as one to watch and is a son of former National Champion and international runner Joe Scanlan.

Rosemary Ryan of Bilboa AC, won her 5th Streets title, and her 4th in a row. Her own course record of 26:01 wasn’t in danger on the night, but this popular competitor won comfortably to great cheer from the crowd in the Claddagh. Second was Aoife Brady of Sportsworld and Ruth Mills of DSD. Regina Casey of GCH, was yet again the first local woman home in the Streets, in 6th place. This year she was closely followed by the ever improving trio of Caroline Clancy of Loughrea, Jane-Ann Healy and Elaine Walsh of Athenry AC. Two Raheny women also made the top 10, including Caitriona Hooper, a name synonymous with Raheny Shamrocks.

The Veterans prizes were hotly contested in all categories. These were presented in Galway Rovers clubhouse after the race by GCH’s Race Director Gearoid Quinn and FUTURE’s Michael McLaughlin and Breda Scully. Mick Rice of Athenry AC had a great run in 27:30 to win the M40 holding off the challenge of GCH’s Ian Egan. Martin Corcoran of Craughwell AC was one again supreme in the M45 as was Ronald Naylor of Mayo AC in the M50. Andrew Talbot of Clare River Harriers, whose son Martin and daughter Ruth also running on the night, won the M55. Sean Ryan won M60, while former National Mile Champion Brian Geraghty of GCH won the M65. Roger Rushe of Tuam AC held off the challenge of Shane Forde in the M70.

In the women’s Vets the winners were Fionnuala Keane of Loughrea AC in the F35 from Loretto Duggan of St. Marys AC and Olivia Feeney of Sligo AC. Ann Lennon of Mayo took the F40 prize while only 3 seconds seperated Ann Murray of Mayo AC and Anne Burke of Ballinasloe and District for the F45. Ann Ryan and Shirley Potter were winners in F50 and F55.

Danny Murray of Mayo AC won the Junior Mens race with a great time of 28:46, from Jack Larkin and Keith Fallon of GCH. In the women’s it was GCH again with Nicola O’Ceallaigh winning from Irene Gorman in fine times of 33:18 and 33:34 respectively. Another notable performance was that of 15 year old Priska Summer, who ran 35 mins flat.

One of our visitors from the Basque region near the city of Orio, Izaskun Gaztelumendi, will be happy to have comfortably broken 40 mins with half a minute to spare alongside Grainne Breen of Athenry AC. Also enjoying the Streets were some notable champions in other sports, such as Ken Horan the WKN Kickboxing World Middleweight Champion and Cormac Folan of NUI Boat Club.

The race statistics show that the Men only just outnumbered the Women on the night with 53% vs. 47% of finishers. Athenry AC was the largest club represented and had a staggering 66 runners finish, while Craughwell AC was next with 47. The number of finishers in 5 min time slots breaks down as:

9 < 25 mins
60 < 30 mins
253 < 35 mins
415 < 40 mins
502 < 45 mins
338 < 50 mins
194 < 55 mins

Massive thank you to the huge number of volunteers and organisations who gave generously of their time and services to help stage this years Streets of Galway.