THE announcement of an inaugural world-class 5K and accompanying mile road races in Belfast this summer has been welcomed by the local running community.
The 5K is a World Athletics Label – Elite event and like the mile open to all.
The date fixed for both races is Sunday, June 9, right in the middle of the track season.
An attempt on the world record is not being ruled out as part of the thrust to obtain the World Road Running Championships for Northern Ireland in 2027.
The event will be principally sponsored by Clearer Water and BBC live coverage is also promised.
The organisers offer a flat course designed for personal bests. Entry is already open for the event at www.belfast5km.com, with entrants being encouraged to run alongside Belfast’s most iconic landmarks including the Titanic Museum and the SS Nomadic in both Belfast 5K and the mile.
“The Belfast 5K and mile are Northern Ireland’s latest World Athletics elite label road races, and we look forward to working with the best in the world 50 days before the start of the Olympic Games,” said race organiser James McIlroy, who acknowledges the quality of the Armagh 5K as well.
Good news about one local 5K but bad news for another. It has not been the best of weeks for the organisers of the Armagh International Road Races on February 8, with their main sponsor withdrawing at short notice.
Brian Vallely who founded the Armagh 5K and was its race director until recently is bemused at the decision: “Our race has been established since 1990 and is nothing if not an elite performance event established for many years and known and respected worldwide. We have welcomed Olympic and World Championships medallists almost every year since then.
“With the sudden withdrawal of the headline sponsorship we’re facing an uphill struggle but not ‘bate’ yet,” concluded Vallely in typical fighting spirit.
Voluntary contributions are invited to help defray the cost of the Armagh races at https://www.gofundme.com/f/can-you-help-the-armagh5k
No funding problems down in Donegal where registration remains open at www.bundoran10.com. The feature 10-mile event takes place on Saturday, March 2 at 11am preceded by the walk one hour earlier.
The Friday night will see the traditional curtain-raiser, the 5K run, take place at 7:30pm. The local athletics club Tír Chonaill AC will be one of the charities to benefit from the weekend’s events.
In the meantime, Northern Ireland & Ulster send senior women and senior men teams this weekend to the London International Cross Country at Parliament Hill.
The meeting, organised by former London Marathon winner Eamon Martin, incorporates the Home Countries International and the trial for the UK teams for the World Championships in Serbia this March.
North Belfast Harrier Conal Mc Cambridge makes his debut at this level after a hugely successful 2023 and is joined in the men’s team by club-mate Andrew Milligan, City of Derry Spartan Chris Fielding and North Down’s Andrew McMeechan.
Two Dublin City Harriers – Edel Monaghan and Orla Duffy – spearhead the women’s selection, where Annadale Harriers duo Hannah Gilliland and Robyn McKee complete the quartet.
Track exponents will need to be quick out of their blocks on Sunday afternoon as Eamonn Christie opens registration for his Belfast Milers’ Meeting at 2pm.
If it is anything like last year, the entry for all events should be filled by bedtime. There will be details of the meeting in next week’s column. In the meantime take care on those roads.
