Twelve months ago, Great Island Athletics began with a simple idea: create a safe, welcoming and inclusive place where people of all ages and abilities could experience athletics and feel part of something meaningful. One year on, that vision has continued to gather momentum, with the club now approaching 100 members and a growing presence within the local sporting community and beyond.
From the outset, the ambition has been broader than simply building a running club. Great Island Athletics was established with a commitment to developing all areas of athletics, creating opportunities for athletes to run, jump, throw and race walk within a positive environment where participation and enjoyment sit alongside progression and performance.
The Cobh based club continues to place a strong emphasis on creating a culture where everyone feels they belong. Weekly practice sessions cater for athletes of different ages and abilities, with coaches and volunteers working to ensure each athlete is supported in a way that allows them to enjoy the sport and develop at their own pace.
A key part of the club’s growth has been its sustained schools programme, which now includes regular athletics coaching delivered within local primary and secondary schools. Those links with schools have helped create meaningful pathways into club athletics and have introduced hundreds of young children to the sport.
Among the most successful initiatives have been the Great Island Cross-Cup at Cuskinny Court and the Fota House XC Challenge. Now entering their third year, both schools’ events have grown into popular fixtures, giving children the opportunity to experience athletics in an enjoyable and supportive setting while also creating a natural route into continued participation through club involvement.
Inclusion also took another important step forward this year with the introduction of The Great Island Way, a participation focused experience created for children who may feel more comfortable in a non-competitive environment. Designed around movement, enjoyment and simply taking part, the initiative ensured more young people could experience the atmosphere, achievement and sense of belonging that sport can provide, while reinforcing the club’s belief that athletics should be accessible to everyone.
Community engagement continues to sit at the centre of the club’s identity. While weekly practice sessions support members directly, Great Island Athletics regularly looks beyond its own membership through initiatives and partnerships that reflect its wider values. Collaborations with Sanctuary Runners Cobh, volunteering at Cobh junior parkrun, visits to Cobh Community Hospital and the annual hosting of the Cobh GOAL Mile have all helped strengthen the club’s connection with the community around it.
Meanwhile, the green and white singlet has already travelled well beyond the shadow of Belvelly Castle.
Last winter saw youth and senior members line up in Italy at both Campaccio and Cinque Mulini, two prestigious cross country events which form part of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold calendar. For a club still in its infancy, seeing athletes represent Great Island Athletics on such stages reflected both ambition and the willingness to embrace opportunities beyond home shores.
Closer to home, participation across competition continues to grow, with athletes competing regularly at local, county, provincial and national events. Encouragingly, strong performances and silverware have already followed, but just as important has been seeing increasing numbers of athletes stepping onto start lines, runways and throwing circles for the first time.
The club also recognises that progress rarely happens in isolation. Positive collaboration with likeminded clubs, both nearby and further afield, has created opportunities for coaches, athletes and administrators to learn, share experiences and continue developing together.
Much of what has been achieved during the club’s first year has also been made possible through the support of generous sponsors, community partners, schools, volunteers and families whose encouragement and belief in the vision continue to help create opportunities for athletes both now and into the future.
Looking ahead, facility development forms an important part of the club’s long-term vision. Partnerships with local schools, neighbouring clubs and generous landowners have already helped improve existing facilities, while plans are already in motion to provide a broader range of facilities for both athletes and the wider community in the years ahead.
For a club only one year into its journey, Great Island Athletics has already travelled a considerable distance. Yet perhaps the clearest sign of progress is not measured through membership numbers, medals or events.
It is visible in the growing numbers arriving each week, in the friendships being formed, in opportunities being created and, in a community, beginning to recognise that something special is taking shape.
Despite its relatively short time on the athletics landscape, the impression being made by Great Island Athletics is already clear for all to see.
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