Oughterard 10KM - The Mick Molloy Classic - announced...

Saturday July 18th 2009 at 5pm, kids fun run at 4pm.

Last night saw the launch of yet another race to add to the increasingly crowded local calendar. But this race isn't exactly new, it is making a long overdue return. With the popularity of running currently seeing in the very successful county 5K series, we are seeing a lot of new folks joining the sport, and that is indeed a wonderful thing.

A lot of these people may not be aware of the relevance of the town of Oughterard in local running history. It is the home to Mick Molloy. If you don't know who Mick is, well he was at the forefront of not just local & national athletics, but also international athletics back in the 60s & 70s. To mention just a few of his accomplishments, Mick competed for Ireland in the marathon at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, held numerous national titles and in 1974 broke the 30 mile world record on the Walton track in London. He was also a member of the famed Derrydonnell AC.

So join us in Oughterard on Saturday, July 18th. The main event starts at 5pm and there will be a kid's fun run at 4pm, so there will be something for the whole family. We encourage runners and walkers to participate. As well as all the usual prizes, there will also be prizes for the Fit4Life folks taking part. And why not treat yourself and stay for the weekend, Oughterard is called "the Gateway to Connemara", and offers an unforgettable and enjoyable stay to any visitor.

The village, situated between the cosmopolitan city of Galway and the wilds of Connemara makes Oughterard the perfect base to explore all the diverse activities, sights and experiences the West of Ireland has to offer. For your added ease in the main street of the village is a fully staffed tourist information office with all the help you need for you to enjoy your visit to this beautiful location. Check out http://www.connemarabegins.com for a list of local accommodation.

The course can be described as somewhat challenging, but don't be put off by that, because the scenery more than makes up for a few hills during the first few kilometres. The old song may go, "You take the high road, and I'll take the low road", but in this race you'll be taking both.

You can sign up for the race at http://www.irishrunningtours.com/events and either pay online or print out the entry and mail it in. Entry forms will also be available at local races taking place prior to this event. You will also be able to pick them up off Christine at the Oughterard Tourism office.

The Connemara Lake Hotel has kindly offered their establishment for us to use as our race headquarters. Numbers & t-shirts may be picked up there before the race, and afterwards why not join us back there for some refreshments and some fun. You may just see a slice of running history in the room!

Entry is €15 before July 13th, €20 on the day. Kid's entry is €3.

Entries close promptly at 4pm. Guaranteed t-shirt to all pre-registrants.

This is an AAI sanctioned event.