Saturday 30th June - 7.30pm Its that time of year again as we extend a special welcome to you all to participate in our annual 10Km Road Race and Fun Run around the roads of Dunshaughlin. This is race No 6 on the exciting Meath Athletics road race league – It is the longest and toughest with a great tradition which includes nine Olympians and many International athletes gracing our royal roads over the past 28 years. The race began way back in September 1979 just 5 months after the club was founded to commemorate Mick Manning, one of the founding members who was tragically killed in an road accident earlier that year. The 1972 Munich Olympian Des McGann led home the 35 strong mens field that balmy Autumn afternoon while Carol Meagan – the recently crowned Three A’s champion and niece of former Irish Press sports writer Jimmy, led home a field of 4 women. The series of underage races that day saw Maggie Smith win the girls U/12 race and she would go on to become and still is the club secretary. The following years produced many class performances – none better that the 1974 Boston Marathon winner Neil Cusack’s blistering 28.58 set in 1985 – an average racing pace of 4 minutes and 40 seconds per mile and while the course was adjusted in 1995 to comply with IAAF measurement standards his adjusted time would be 29.15. Tommy Maher gave the locals great value for money with his 2 victories in 1990 and 1994 – (last Meath man to win the race) while the triple Olympian Dick Hooper’s 1987 victory and Gerry Curtis’s 29.02 in 1989 when 25 men dipped under 32 minutes are other fond memories. The official course record of 29.21 was set by Noel Cullen’s solo run in 2000 while his Clonliffe clubmate Mary Donoghue set the ladies best of 34.50 in 2001.The category records also make impressive reading – the 1984 Olympian Gerry Kiernan’s M40 best of 31.11 in 1995, The 1976 Olympian Jim McNamara who has the M60 best of 39.09 from 2003 and the late Ann Kearney who still holds the F45 record of 39.20 from 1998. There is one record that does look vulnerable, (a bit like himself!) and that is Paddy Mangan’s M45 best of 33.03 set back in 2004 as the great Wicklow man Mick Byrne who is the newly crowned European road masters 10Km champion (32.25) and who has been top master here for the last 4 years looks likely to re-write the record books. The top master man receives the PJ Fagan memorial trophy. Last year’s winners were Martin Fagan Mullingar Harriers – 29.29 who was just home from Providence College while the Ladies race saw Mary Hanley (37.17) from Na Fianna become the first female Meath athlete to win this race since 1980 and had the added satisfaction of leading her club to the team title. This “friendly race” offers something for everyone – T-Shirts to first 150, goodey bags and spot prizes and a post race party in the Arch Bar. The official race starter will be Patsy McLoughlin, a true Dunshaughlin man steeped in GAA forklore, but also a great young athlete in his day and a member of the first ever athletic club in Dunshaughlin back in 1943 when he would have ran with the likes of Bren Murray, Mannix Mangan and the Foley clan to name but a few. Patsy will send the runners on their way at 7.30pm – ironically enough on the site of the new M3 motorway. We can’t guarantee you a fast time but we will do our best to give you a good time so if you haven’t got a better offer for 7.30pm on Saturday 30th June 2007 we would love to see you. Paddy Mangan Chairman Dunshaughlin A.C. 087 2597731