Mayo Road League

The year ahead

The 2010 Mayo AC /C+C Cellular league will take us on a journey around the county taking in nine races, some long established and some more recent. We will be also meeting race organisers and helpers who will have given many hours of their spare time to ensure all goes smooth.

It all starts on May 15th with the Carramore 10k established by local man Christy Heneghan about 10 years ago its held over a relatively flat course with a testing hill in the last kilometre. At the end of June it’s off to Claremorris for the 5 mile mainly organised by Maureen Walshe and Mairead Nester and their staff at Decare Dental. This year the course will be slightly modified to ensure an accurate 5 mile.

The now famous Balla 10k in its 18th year and organised by Brendan Conwell is sure to attract all the leading runners in the West as well as from further afield, equally it caters for the jogger and walker.

On Sunday, August 1st the Swinford AC  5 mile, now in its 5th year forms the centre piece of the local Siamsa Straide festival  Padraic, Peter, Michael and Joe will ensure that all goes smooth.

At the other end of August the Ballyhaunis 8k will be held organised by local men Jim Donnelly and Martin Fitzmaurice now in its third year the event has proved very popular especially now with its headquarters based at the excellent Ballyhaunis rugby club house.

September takes us to the banks of the river Moy for the very popular Ballina AC 10k organised by the local athletic club led by Marion Mattimoe. This race has grown in stature since it was established in the early eighties.

The autumn leaves will certainly be falling in Belleek Woods, when we return to Ballina in October for the Ballina 4 mile a race organised by local man Michael Rice. For many years a unique feature is that this race does not have a prize fund, all entries go to the Terry Fox Foundation.

The first weekend in November will see the 45th staging of the famous Hollymount road races which all began in the mid sixties and are organised by the same person the incredible Sean Reilly for all of 45 years.

When we head to Westport on December 12th for the 2010 league finale there will certainly be a little Christmas atmosphere around but hopefully no snowflakes! This 5k run through the grounds of the famous Westport house has proven a very popular conclusion to the league in recent years. Afterwards, we head to Hotel Westport for tea and Christmas cake, the prize presentation and maybe fit in a bit of Christmas shopping before the day is over. See you there!