Robert Malseed retires from running

Breaking news this week ahead of 20th Balla and another event beginning in London – Robert Malseed has decided to ‘hang up the shoes’ as he put it in a message this week. Robert went on to explain the background to his decision ” Ever since my tonsillectomy back in February, I have been having severe difficulty with energy levels and consistent minor infections. I have recently had some blood taken for tests, but the indication is that the tonsillectomy has affected my thyroid. There is little chance that any medication will be of any use and it is no longer feasible to try to train and race when the body is unable to cope. It’s not an easy decision to make, especially when I still had lots of hope and ambition. I wish Mayo AC all the best in the future and the continued success”. This is a sad end for Robert’s athletic career spanning over twenty years. He ran all the different distances from 1500 metres to the marathon, including also steeplechase, cross country and mountain running. He ran in many events in the UK and Ireland, and abroad –  Rome, Lanzarote, Poland, France etc. Robert joined Mayo AC from Clonliffe Harriers in 2008 and represented the club in a number of national championship events. A prolific winner for many years on the local circuit, many will recall his trademark front running style and his battles with John Byrne and other top club runners. Among his many successes was the Road League in 2007, and a bronze medal with the Irish team at the 2009 Masters World Mountain running championships in Poland.
His best performances list below shows that he ran some great times  on track and road between 1995 and 2012. Many of today’s club runners would be delighted to run 14:35 for 5,000 metres or a 2:31 marathon. His most recent success was winning the inaugural Belcarra 8k this year in 27:17.
We wish Robert all the best for the future and thank him for his contribution to athletics in general and Mayo AC in particular.

Best known performances