Donegal 5K Road race

HOT on the heels of the record breaking Waterside Half Marathon last Sunday the distance drops to 5K this Sunday when the Donegal 5K road championships are staged in Convoy.

A 11.15am start should see a great morning’s competitive race action as the penultimate race in the summer long Donegal Athletics Board series is expected to draw a big entry.

The final race in the popular series is on Saturday, September 29, when the Ards Forest Park 5K Trail Run brings the thirty eight strong series to a close. The Creeslough race has a 2pm start and could be an ideal introduction to the upcoming cross country season for many runners. The Bangor 10K road race is on the same day at 11am.

Beyond that on Saturday, October 6, the NI Road Relay championships are set for Belfast’s Victoria Park, a venue which successfully hosted them last year. Seniors, Masters and Juvenile races are on a packed programme, check out the Athletics NI website for details.

Back home and Sunday, October 7, brings the annual Foyle Valley promotion, Martys Run, a 5K road race based at Templemore Sports Complex. It has an 11am start on the Glengalliagh Road and will once again draw a big turnout as runners and joggers commerate the late Marty Gallagher.

The cross country season kicks off in earnest a week later with the NI Masters Open races on the Queens University sports grounds in Belfast.

This one has an added significance as it hosts the trials for the NI Master squads to contest the annual Masters Internatioal event, to be staged this year in mid November on the spacious Stormont grounds.

Several local Masters runners will be in action on Saturday, October 13, with hopes of making the cut for the Stormont International on Saturday, November 10.

Staying with cross country and moving to the Primary Schools competition. The very popular Flahavan’s Primary Schools cross country League returns to the North West with the first of three local races set for Templemore Sports Complex on Friday, October 19.

The other two dates are provisionally, Friday, December 7 and Friday, January 18. P5, P6 and P7 pupils get the chance to represent their schools in the three race local league with the top three Boys and Girls teams , plus the top individuals, all qualifying for the NI Finals in Mallusk in February next year.

All local Primary schools should have been circulated with the entry details but information can be found on www.athleticsni.org or email [email protected].