Tullamore Harriers athletes perform well at National Senior Indoor Championships
123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships
Over the weekend of February 22nd and 23rd, Ireland’s top athletes gathered at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown, Dublin, for the 123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships. From Olympians and Irish internationals to national, provincial, and club champions, the event showcased an exceptional display of talent and competition.
Middle-Distance Events
Danielle Donegan delivered a strong performance in the 3000m, finishing 4th with a new indoor personal best of 9:33.91. The race was won by Finn Valley AC’s Roisin Flanagan in 9:14.02.
Michael Murphy lined up in the Senior A 3000m for his third competition in three weeks. The race saw fluctuating paces, with Michael well-positioned at 400m to go before the leading pack pulled away in the final 300m. Despite this, he ran brilliantly to finish 8th in a highly competitive and experienced field, clocking 8:18.67, his second-fastest time ever over the distance. Notably, just two weeks ago, this time would have been a 7-second PB before his victory at the University Championships. Cian Law competed in the Senior B 3000m, securing 6th place in 8:41.34.
Sprints
In the Senior Men’s 60m sprints, Dean Power, Emanuel Ilori, and Billy Corrigan represented the club. All three competed in Heat 2 of 9, with Dean qualifying for the semi-finals in 7.04 seconds. He improved his time further in the semi-final, clocking 7.01 to finish joint 6th, just outside qualification for the final. Emanuel and Billy put in solid performances, running 7.17 and 7.18, respectively.
Standout Performance – Alisha Maher
The standout performance of the championships came from 17-year-old Alisha Maher, who took on Ireland’s top senior sprinters in the 60m. Competing in this high-intensity event for the first time, Alisha entered in top form, having recently set personal bests in both the 60m and 200m. Drawn in Heat 3 of 4, she had a cautious start but powered back to finish third in 7.77 seconds, securing her place in the semi-finals.
With just 16 athletes remaining and only the top four from each semi-final advancing, the challenge intensified. Alisha rose to the occasion, executing a much stronger start and surging through the race to finish 4th in a new PB of 7.73 seconds, also improving her own club indoor record of 7.75 seconds. Reaching the final was a massive achievement, but Alisha wasn’t finished yet. Competing in her third race of the day, she remained mentally focused and determined. She exploded out of the blocks, accelerating smoothly down the track to finish 8th in 7.76 seconds—just 0.03 seconds off her PB. Congratulations to Alisha on an outstanding day of racing against elite senior competition. This experience will undoubtedly serve her well as she prepares for the upcoming juvenile and junior championships in the weeks ahead.
Victory for Moore at Rás Na hÉireann Cross Country
Tullamore Harriers had a small squad in action at the annual Rás Na hÉireann in Dunleer, County Louth on Sunday February 16th. The conditions were good with the sun shining, rain absent and little or no wind. The course itself was testing with several steep inclines testing all those racing. Tullamore had a great return with Noel Moore winning the Under 11 race, while both Joe Daly and Sarah Whitaker also won fine bronze individual medals in their respective races.
Tullamore Harriers results:
Under 9 Boys
32nd Gerry Moore
Under 11 Boys
1st Noel Moore
42nd Johnny Moore
Under 13 Boys
6th James Hynes
8th Jason McKinney
Under 15 Boys
3rd Joe Daly
Under 11 Girls
19th Niamh Murtagh
Under 13 Girls
9th Meabh Boland
13th Annabelle Donegan
Under 15 Girls
3rd Sarah Whitaker
Senior Women
15th Eabhadh Multaney Kelly
Coughlan Breaks 80 Minutes for Half Marathon
While Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo stole the spotlight with a stunning world half marathon record of 56:42 at the Barcelona Half Marathon on Sunday the 16th of February, Tullamore Harriers’ Evelyn Coughlan also delivered an impressive performance in her debut half marathon. Competing in ideal conditions of 13ºC with no wind—Evelyn rose to the occasion in style.
She passed the 5km mark in an impressive 18:40 and maintained her strong pace all the way to the finish line, crossing in 1:19:22. Her outstanding performance is a testament to her dedication and rigorous training. Though exhausted and sore at the finish, Evelyn was thrilled with her achievement, marking a memorable milestone in her running journey.
Leinster Star awards
The annual Athletics Leinster Star Awards ceremony took place at the Woodford Dolmen Hotel in Carlow on Saturday, February 15th,. These prestigious awards recognise one juvenile male, one juvenile female and one senior athlete from each county for their outstanding performances over the previous year.
The event is a celebration of the ‘next generation of stars, honouring their achievements throughout the 2024 season. The Leinster Athletics Awards stand as a testament to the dedication, hard work, and commitment of these young athletes and this recognition not only applauds their current successes but also serves as inspiration for their future in the sport.
Congratulations to Andrea Ryan who won the Ladies Juvenile Award for Offaly and to Dean Power who won the Senior Men's Award for Offaly. While Dean was unable to attend, Andrea was presented with her prestigious award by President of Athletics Ireland, John Cronin and Chair of Athletics Leinster, Catriona Duffy.
AGM
The Tullamore Harriers Athletic Club Annual General Meeting was held on Monday, February 17, 2025. Re-elected Chairman, Mr. Adrian Curley, expressed his gratitude to the 2024 committee for their dedication and hard work over the past year. He also extended a warm welcome to both new and returning officers of the 2025 committee.
- Adrian Curley
– Sharon Daly
- – Liam Hennessy & Daniel Molloy
– Mary Daly
* *– Josie Lalor
’ – Glen Finlay
– Rita Daly
& – Ray Delaney & Carmel McGreal
- – Laura Cusack
– Anna Hyland Guilfoyle
– Mary Daly & Aisling McCormack
’ – Carmel McGreal
– Joe Wrafter
– Adrian Martin (senior) & Elysia McCormack (juvenile)
– Tom Beatty
- Tommy Carberry, Mick O'Brien, Evelyn Herlihy, Darren Butler, Adrian Martin, Elysia McCormack, Naomi Galvin, Johnny Feery
5K Road Race – March 9th
Tullamore Harriers will host the annual 5K road race on Sunday, March 9th, marking Round 1 of the Healthy Offaly 5K Series for 2025.
The race will commence at 10:00 am on Charleville Road, (near the top of Dillon Street). Runners will follow an out-and-back route to Ballard before returning along Charleville Road. The race will conclude with a finish on the athletic track at the Harriers Stadium.
To facilitate the event, Charleville Road will be closed from Kilcruttin Junction to Charleville Roundabout between 9:45 am and 10:45 am. Traffic will be diverted via Cormac Street, Clonminch Road, Clonminch Roundabout, Tullamore Bypass, and Ballard Roundabout.
Runners can register online via PopUpRaces or in person on race day from 8:30 am.
For any queries regarding road closures, please contact Club Chairman Adrian Curley at 086-1636059.
Condolences
The chairman, committee and members extend condolences to Jack Ryan and the extended Ryan family on the passing of his mother Joan Ryan.
Fixtures
Saturday 1st March: Leinster U20, Seniors & Master’s Indoors NIA, Dublin
Sunday 2nd March: Leinster Juvenile Relays NIA, Dublin
Saturday 8th March: National Indoor Masters TUS, Athlone
Saturday 9th March: Tullamore Harriers 5k
Sunday 9th March: National Indoor U20 & U23s TUS, Athlone
Saturday 15th March: Leinster Juvenile Day 1 TUS, Athlone
Sunday 16th March: Leinster Juvenile Day 2 TUS, Athlone
Sunday 23rd March: Dunboyne 10k - National 10K Dunboyne, Co Meath
Saturday 29th March: National Juveniles Day 1 TUS, Athlone
Sunday 30th March: National Juveniles Day 2 TUS, Athlone
Senior Training
Training Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6.40pm to 8.30pm.
For any enquiries contact club captains Glen 0868275228 or Rita 0868386687