Fintan Walsh's latest blog.

Waterford AC Annual Half Marathon on Saturday
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A record entry of 1750 has been received for the Annual Waterford AC
Half Marathon which starts at 10 am on Saturday next from WIT Sports
Campus, Carriganore over a new course this year and finishes there
also. Leading the male entries is Martin Fagan  Mullingar who has a
60.57 half to his credit and leading the ladies is Lizzie Lee  Leevale
who has a best of 64.48. This event is a major undertaking for the
organisers and even at this stage marshals etc are required and anyone
available should be at the start by 9 am.. Any of those who have
entered and who find for some reason they cannot compete on the day
are asked not to transfer their number to someone else as this causes
major problems with the results process. Full map of the course on
Waterford Half Marathon Website There will be traffic delays on the
morning at places like Old Kilmeaden Road, Tyrconnell Avenue  Lismore
Park,Cork Road, Witches Lane ,Ballybeg ,Lacken Road, Green Road
Tramore Road etc

National Cross Country on Sunday

Santry Demesne in Dublin is the location Sunday for the National
Novice Men and Women's Cross Country Championships and also the boys
and girls under 9,11,13,15,17 and 19. Athletes from Waterford clubs
will compete in some of the categories full programme available on
Athletics Ireland Website

National award for Thomas Barr..

Thomas Barr Ferrybank AC won the Inspirational Performance of the Year
on Irish Soil Award at the National Awards Ceremony in Dublin last
week/ The award was a new addition to the annual awards and was
decided solely by the Irish Athletics Community via an online poll on
the Athletics Ireland website. Barr performance in beating the
reigning World Champion and setting a new stadium record of 48.94 at
the Morton Games was deemed the most inspirational performance of the
year on Irish soil for 2014. His performance was one of many
outstanding ones he achieved in the year
European Bronze Medallist Mark English (UCD AC) was named as the
Athlete of the Year

USA win

On Thanksgiving Day November 27 th many road races were held all over
the New United States. In the Upper Saddle River 5 Km in New Jersey
Kevin Cooper Ferrybank AC and Brown University and Providence College
led a huge field of 1700  home winning the event in 15 minutes 2.91
seconds well clear of the second athlete home.

Munster Cross Country

Athletes from Waterford clubs competed in the Munster Cross Country
fixture in Watergrasshill Co Cork on Sunday last. In the juvenile B
championships KCK had some good results. Padraig Fitzgerald was 3 rd
in the u 13 championship and his brother Seamus was 5 th in the same
race, Ellen Boylan was 5 th  under 9 and Roisín Dunphy was 10 th u 15
In the inter club section in the girls under 15 KCK were third
club.West Waterford had a 4 th with Kevin Dower under 9 and Sophie
Crotty was 12 th u 9,Sarah Stone Tramore was 5 th u 13 and Corey
Scanlon Finisk Valley was 6 th u 9. In Inter County team competitions
Waterford were third in the girls under 11 and girls under 13.In the
master's men's race PJ Scollard Waterord AC was first Waterford
athlete home in 20 th place  and Siobhán Boylan KCK was first home 14
th place

Órna Murray on Irish team

On December 13 th in Bulgaria the European Cross Country Championships
take place for senior, under 23 and junior athletes and Órna Murray
Ferrybank AC has been selected on the Irish under 23 team. Leading the
senior team will be Fionnula Britton twice winner of the event and
fourth last year while Paul Pollock leads the men's senior team. Cross
Country is an excellent athletic event as it covers individual and
team competition with all who finish contributing to their teams
points total and Irish teams have figured prominently in these
European championships.This year it was felt that the Irish under 23
men's team would be definite medal prospects but with two of the most
prominent members USA based Shane Quinn and Jake Byrne not making
themselves available it would seem that chance has gone, one wonders
why they have decided not to run as Kevin Dooney who finished a few
places behind Quinn and in front of Byrne in the recent American
Collegiate Cross Country Championship is running and should secure a
good placing as his fitness is guaranteed.Athletes running Cross
Country have just two major events to aim to compete in the Europeans
and World Cross Country.
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Death

The death took place on Sunday November 30 th of Mr Eddie Ryan,
Ballyvellon Dunhill, father of Mary Ryan Jennings Waterford
AC.Deceased was a very well known sportsman and was a fine cyclist in
his day riding with Southern Sprinters Cycling Club. All in Waterford
athletics send their sympathy to Mary and her mother May and family.

Other Fixtures

Saturday December 13 th  Schools Combined Events International Glasgow
also European Cross Country Championships Bulgaria

Early January Fixtures

Munster Juvenile Combined Events Championships, Sunday 4 th January
2015 in Nenagh Indoor Stadium @ 10 am sharp.  Juvenile Cross Country
Relays & Senior & Junior Cross Country Championships, Sunday 11th
January 2015 in WIT,