The Road Racing season finally got underway today with the Tuam 8K. 273 athletes finished this 2 loop course and were refreshed afterwards with buns, mince pies and all manner of nice goodies washed down by gallons of tea and coffee. The race was won by our own Gerry Ryan with Damien Ridge our next finisher followed by Billy King close on his heels. Paul Fallon took to the winning podium finishing 1st 0/40 Male as did Thomas Porter 1st 0/50 Male and Martin McEvilly 1st 0/60 Male.

Some 1500 runners braved snow, ice and freezing temperatures to have some real fun at the 2010 Bupa Great Winter Run.

Bupa Great Winter Run, Edinburgh, Sat 9th Jan 2010

The annual mass participation race, now in its sixth year, was run on a 4km route instead of
the usual 5km circuit around the Scottish capital’s Holyrood Park because of the icy conditions.

When the race got underway the temperature was a testing minus three degrees.

The results of the inaugural Clarinbridge 10k in aid of the IHPCT Lourdes Fund 2010 are attached. The IHPCT travel to Lourdes every year with children with special needs and over 2900 Euro was raised by this morning's event. Congratulations and thanks to the local organisers for putting on a very enjoyable 10k race. Mike Dillon, Bosco Forde and their large team of volunteers, with assistance from GCH's own Bernie Kelly, ensured a very smooth event that was thoroughly enjoyed by all the participants.

I hit the stop button on my watch and looked up, it was like the scene from the opening sequence of Michael Jacksons Thriller video. Grey faces, sunken in eyes and a shuffling gait. How did I get here?….

....DUBLIN MARATHON 2009...(cue Thriller music!)

I think the hysteria started last year. There were some great performances in the Dublin City Marathon 2008 by GCH and indeed a lot of the other Galway clubs, with some inspirational times by a number of Galway girls. I had completed London Marathon almost 10 years ago in a time of 3:46 and had no desire to do another.

The Galway Juvenile & Senior Cross-Country were held in Tuam last Sunday and the results are attached. P.J. Coyle was on-hand to capture all the action and provided us with this report:

The first of the season's cross-country races was held in the Palace grounds on Sunday last 4th October in very benign conditions.
There was a reasonably good turn out for most of the races. For some of the juveniles this was their first ever competition.

With the October bank holiday and "marathon Monday" in Dublin approaching ever closer, it was good to see two of GCH's leading male athletes running so well in the final of the 3 preparatory races in the Adidas/Lifestyle race series, the Dublin half-marathon in the Phoenix Park over the weekend. Matt Lockett came home in just under 73 minutes (6th place in category), while Rob Staunton followed soon afterwards in just over 75 minutes (3rd place in category). This should set them up well for what's to come on the 26th of next month. If there were others from the club running in the Dublin half, please post a comment below.

Great running lads!

Also, as per comment below, the GCH ladies were represented by Regina Casey who ran another fine race coming in under 90 minutes. More great running - maith sibh go léir!

A year on from the 40th birthday celebrations in Loughrea AC, the 2009 running of their annual 5 mile road-race went off last Sunday in dry but quite breezy and blustery conditions. The weather did not however deter close on 400 athletes going to the start-line and the race itself was organised with the usual efficiency that we associate with Loughrea AC. To top it all off, recent world championship medalist and local girl Olive Loughnane was on hand to fire the starting hooter.

To the race itself, there was some very strong running at the front of the field in the men's race with GCH's Gary Thornton and Gerry Ryan having to settle for 3rd and 4th place on this occasion as the Clonliffe Harriers duo of Mark Kenneally and Sergiu Coibanu maintained a hot-pace throughout.

Results are attached. Also, check out Stan Shield's wonderful photos of the event on pg 24 of today's Connacht Sentinel.