Keith Whyte (Ennis Track) got 2015 off to the best possible start with a comprehensive victory in the Antarctic Ice 100K. This race was held on Union Glacier in the Antarctic on Jan 15th and involved travelling to a base in Chile prior to arriving at the location. This represented extremely challenging conditions but Keith pressed on to record a time of 9 hours 26 minutes. Kevin McGeeney finished in second place to underline the strength of the Irish challenge. This was a welcome return to form for Keith and augurs well for his performances in the coming months.
The Irish 50K Championships take place in Donadea on Saturday 14th February starting at 10am . Gary O’Hanlon returns as one of the favourites having claimed the title with a sub 3 hour performance in 2014. He underlined the quality of that performance with a 5th place finish in the subsequent 50K World Cup. There has been strong demand and the race is fully sold out with a waiting list. This race has received an IAU Silver Label which is a testament to the quality of the event.
The National 24 Hour Championships in July 17th / 18th is another race that is currently sold out. This race is run in conjunction with the Energia Belfast 24Hour Run. This is a high quality event and has also gained an IAU Silver Label. This promises to be a very competitive race once more with most of the top contenders entered. The 24 Hour specialists are currently preparing for the World and European Championships in Turin on 11th / 12th April. The team of Eddie Gallen, John O’Regan and Eoin Keith along with Ruthann Sheahan and Susan McCartney are currently making final preparations for the event which will attract competitors from over 40 nations.
