Five Fit N Running locals in Galway action

FIT N Running Ballymena, who are an associate members of leading club North Belfast Harriers, had five athletes in action in Galway at the recent 10k and half marathon events.

There was a sell out field of 1200 athletes in both of the Elvery sports sponsored events.

Going in the half marathon, Mark McKinstry produced a fine performance to record a 2min 56sec personal best crossing the line in 1hour 30mins 56secs well up the field in 86th place.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The club had four athletes competing in the 10k. After the frantic mass start Gregory Walsh and his club mate Conor Curran were stride by stride as they comfortably moved through the field into joint fourth at the 3k mark.

By the time they reached the top of the hill on the main Salthill Road the two race marshals who had been assigned to direct the runners left onto the seafront had walked off the course. Walsh, Curran and the following five athletes followed the road ahead and went 800 metres off route before realising the problem.

Conor fought gamely through the field to reclaim 4th and finish in 36min 20secs. Gregory opted to shut down the jets and use the remainder as a tempo run and crossed the line in 37mins 6secs in 7th place.

A short distance back was the ever improving James Wallace who produced his second sub 40min performance in a fortnight to finish well up in 21st place in 39mins 51secs.

Paula Wallace, nursing a head cold, claimed 20th place in the female open finishing in 47mins 37secs.