Sligo AC News: Running Shoes

September is a funny old month in the athletics world. The track season comes to an end in August and the cross country season doesn’t begin until well into October. Most top class athletes take a couple of weeks off this time of year to re charge their batteries and to help heal any lingering injuries they may have. It is also a time to plan for the long winter that lies ahead. Athletes at this time of year should be sitting down with their coaches and planning exactly which races they are going to take part in and the races they plan to peak for. Of course the national championships in cross country should be the priority for our distance athletes this winter. The national inter counties is the most important of these championships as it serves as a trial for the European cross country which will take place this year in Portugal on Sunday December 12th. Mary Cullen will be running the trial which will be in Derry on November 27th. Eimear O’Brien who is now back in Sligo after her three year athletic scholarship in the USA will also be running this and may have an outside chance of making the team. Eimear made the under 23 team two years ago in Belgium. Tommy Casey who had such a wonderful track season will be aiming to make the mens junior team and Anna Reddin will also be hoping to be competitive in the trial for the junior ladies team. The National novice cross country will also be a big attraction for a lot of our athletes and a strong Sligo team will travel to the Tullamore venue for this event. Sligo master athletes will have no excuse not to participate in their national cross country championships this year as it will be held in Sligo race course in early February. The AAI intermediate championships are also on in this venue and again strong teams in ladies and men’s races from Sligo are expected to breast the tape. Of course a lot of our road runners are busy pounding the highways and byways in preparation for the forthcoming AAI national marathon which is held in conjunction with the Dublin City Marathon. An ideal road race to test where they are at in their preparations is the Grange 10k which will take place next Sunday. This is always a well-organised race with a good prize structure. A team race is held as well and with teams such as Mayo AC, Letterkenny AC, the host club North Sligo AC and Sligo AC all fielding teams a close race is expected to ensue. The battle for individual honours should be no less exciting so expect plenty of excitement on Sunday at the North Sligo venue.