2022 Results
You can now download your finish line video from results!!
ClickHERE for full results listing
Just click on your name to see your individual downloadable video.
You can now download your finish line video from results!!
Click
Just click on your name to see your individual downloadable video.
29th April 2022 : Online Registration is now CLOSED. But you can still register in person
To Register in person:
Pop in to us : Mayo House, Moneen Rd, Castlebar.
Contact: (094) 906 4360
You can Register Weekday 10am-4pm Saturday 30th April 10am-1pm
NB: If you registered online by April 25th and have NOT yet received your packs OR have registered online since. **Packs should be collected from us at our offices as listed above.
NUMBER COLLECTION
With only a few days to go we want to wish you all a wonderful day.
Just a few things to note:
Walk, Run or Jog on the day but most importantly we want you to have fun, meet up with friends and make new memories.
Full details: http://www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com/ Contact:msp@mayococo.ie
With only a few days to go we want to wish you all a wonderful day.
Just a few things to note:
- Event Starts 12 noon at ‘The Mall’ Castlebar
- If you haven’t received your T-Shirt yet don’t panic. You can pick up your packs from Mayo Sports Partnership right up to race day.
- Wed 27th and Thurs 28th April you can still register online but T-Shirt and number collection will be from Mayo Sports Partnership.
- You can also Register in person every day this week 10am- 4pm. Saturday 10am-1pm within Mayo Sports partnership (Mayo House, Moneen Rd, Castlebar) and if you decide Sunday morning you would like to do it. We will be happy to register you at The Mall.
Walk, Run or Jog on the day but most importantly we want you to have fun, meet up with friends and make new memories.
Full details: http://www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com/ Contact:msp@mayococo.ie
Closing Dates
Participants in the Mini Marathon are reminded that closing date for entries on-line is Wednesday 27th April; you can enter online at www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com .
You can also register with us in person at our offices in Mayo House, Moneen Rd, Castlebar.
Monday 25th : Friday 29th 10am - 4pm
Saturday 30th: 10am - 1pm
For more information on any of the above contact Mayo Sports Partnership at 094-9064360 or email mayosportspartnership@mayococo.ie
NB if you do not receive your T-shirt by Thursday or Friday, please wait until then to contact us and we will sort you out from there. Thank you.
Participants in the Mini Marathon are reminded that closing date for entries on-line is Wednesday 27th April; you can enter online at www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com .
You can also register with us in person at our offices in Mayo House, Moneen Rd, Castlebar.
Monday 25th : Friday 29th 10am - 4pm
Saturday 30th: 10am - 1pm
For more information on any of the above contact Mayo Sports Partnership at 094-9064360 or email mayosportspartnership@mayococo.ie
NB if you do not receive your T-shirt by Thursday or Friday, please wait until then to contact us and we will sort you out from there. Thank you.
Look what has just arrived !! Our 2022 tops are fab !! With only 12 days to go... Don't miss out. Register today and join us all the Mall Noon May 1st #hometomayo
Early Bird Competition - Only 3 days to go !! Register before 16th April 2022 and be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize!!
#HometoMayo Full article : Western People — Come home to where the heart is for Mini-Marathon | Western People
We are so excited to be back for 2022!!
Register for the Mayo.ie Western People Women's Mini Marathon before April 16th and you will be entered into a competition for a fantastic weekend hotel stay including dinner.
#MayoDay #WOIMM #HomeToMayo
Register for the Mayo.ie Western People Women's Mini Marathon before April 16th and you will be entered into a competition for a fantastic weekend hotel stay including dinner.
#MayoDay #WOIMM #HomeToMayo
March 25th 2022
We are delighted to announce that 'The Mini Mini' event for National School Kids is now open for Booking !!!
Go to The Mini Mini Page for full details
We are delighted to announce that 'The Mini Mini' event for National School Kids is now open for Booking !!!
Go to The Mini Mini Page for full details
Charity Partner Invitation for 2022
The Mayo.ie Western People's Mini-Marathon in association with the Mayo Sports Partnership is currently seeking charity partners for what it is hoping will be its biggest and best event to date. The groups behind the west of Ireland's premier road-race would like to thank all charities for their support throughout the history of the event by offering them the opportunity to buy bulk entries for the event at a special discount of 20 percent.
This reduction would provide charities to sell on the entries at a cost decided by the individual charities, which would give them more control over fundraising. As well as this, it ensures that all monies raised will be going directly to charitable causes.
The groups behind the event are offering charities a minimum purchase of 20 entries at €20 each with all finishers receiving a T-shirt, medal, race number and a printable training chart, plus delivery of all of the packs to your charity.
In addition, each charity will be highlighted in an article in the Western People, the Mini-Marathon’s official media partner, in the run-up to the event. All charities will be included in the social media campaign with over 50,000 followers across all platforms. Each charity will be recognised as an official charity partner on the Mini-Marathon’s official website.
Any charity who is interested is asked to please contact the Mayo Sports Partnership via email at: mayosportspartnership@mayococo.ie or contact Conor Newell - cbrady@mayococo.ie
This May Bank Holiday weekend will see the first in-person staging of what is Ireland’s biggest all-female sports event outside of Dublin since 2019, with very successful virtual events held in both 2020 and 2021. The event officially launched last Tuesday, March 8 to coincide with Women in Sport week, as well as the worldwide celebration of International Women’s Day.
The launch was just one part of what was an extremely successful Women in Sport week. A number of events were held throughout the county including webinars, interviews, talks, events and ‘come & trys,’ an initiative to encourage women of all athletic abilities to take part in sports and to try out new sports for the first time.
There is a clear sense of anticipation for Mayo.ie Western People Mini-Marathon from the high volume of registrations since the online portal opened next week and it is already shaping up to be an event that is not to be missed on the Mayo sporting calendar.
It will take place on Sunday, May 1 at the Mall in Castlebar with more event details, including the mini-marathon route to be revealed in the coming weeks. The entry fee is €25 if competing in the Castlebar race. Following the success of the online-only events in 2020 and 2021 there is also a virtual race option again this year. Entry for the virtual race is €20 in Ireland and €25 outside of Ireland, to allow for additional postage costs. All participants, whether at the virtual or physical event, will receive a t-shirt, medal, event number and pack delivery.
To register, please visit www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com or get in contact with the Mayo Sports Partnership via email: mayosportspartnership@mayococo.ie
The Mayo.ie Western People's Mini-Marathon in association with the Mayo Sports Partnership is currently seeking charity partners for what it is hoping will be its biggest and best event to date. The groups behind the west of Ireland's premier road-race would like to thank all charities for their support throughout the history of the event by offering them the opportunity to buy bulk entries for the event at a special discount of 20 percent.
This reduction would provide charities to sell on the entries at a cost decided by the individual charities, which would give them more control over fundraising. As well as this, it ensures that all monies raised will be going directly to charitable causes.
The groups behind the event are offering charities a minimum purchase of 20 entries at €20 each with all finishers receiving a T-shirt, medal, race number and a printable training chart, plus delivery of all of the packs to your charity.
In addition, each charity will be highlighted in an article in the Western People, the Mini-Marathon’s official media partner, in the run-up to the event. All charities will be included in the social media campaign with over 50,000 followers across all platforms. Each charity will be recognised as an official charity partner on the Mini-Marathon’s official website.
Any charity who is interested is asked to please contact the Mayo Sports Partnership via email at: mayosportspartnership@mayococo.ie or contact Conor Newell - cbrady@mayococo.ie
This May Bank Holiday weekend will see the first in-person staging of what is Ireland’s biggest all-female sports event outside of Dublin since 2019, with very successful virtual events held in both 2020 and 2021. The event officially launched last Tuesday, March 8 to coincide with Women in Sport week, as well as the worldwide celebration of International Women’s Day.
The launch was just one part of what was an extremely successful Women in Sport week. A number of events were held throughout the county including webinars, interviews, talks, events and ‘come & trys,’ an initiative to encourage women of all athletic abilities to take part in sports and to try out new sports for the first time.
There is a clear sense of anticipation for Mayo.ie Western People Mini-Marathon from the high volume of registrations since the online portal opened next week and it is already shaping up to be an event that is not to be missed on the Mayo sporting calendar.
It will take place on Sunday, May 1 at the Mall in Castlebar with more event details, including the mini-marathon route to be revealed in the coming weeks. The entry fee is €25 if competing in the Castlebar race. Following the success of the online-only events in 2020 and 2021 there is also a virtual race option again this year. Entry for the virtual race is €20 in Ireland and €25 outside of Ireland, to allow for additional postage costs. All participants, whether at the virtual or physical event, will receive a t-shirt, medal, event number and pack delivery.
To register, please visit www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com or get in contact with the Mayo Sports Partnership via email: mayosportspartnership@mayococo.ie
2021
Your Packs:
For those of you who registered by April 20th. You should have received a text and/or email to let you know that your packs are on their way ...
Our event this year covers 2020-2021. We were unable to host a physical event last year so felt that this year's virtual event would be a perfect use of our medals. The T-shirt, Medal and 2021 bib are a representation of the hard year that we have all put in throughout the pandamic and a chance to run for our heroes together though apart.
Big Response to this Years Virtual Mayo.ie Western people Women’s Mini Marathon !!
Almost 3000 Women and Children registered for this year’s virtual event which takes place as part of Mayo Day activities from the Saturday 1st – Monday 3rd May. You can do the event in your own locality and at your own time while still observing HSE COVID19 guidelines.
Mayo Sports Partnership are asking that you:
-Send your pictures and videos in to us of you taking part so that we can share our celebration.
Pictures can be emailed or posted on Social Media just tag us and use #Mayoday #WOIMM .
-While there will not be a prize fund for the top runners this year the organisers have decided to have an overall prize fund of €1,000 for participants who submit their photos and log their times on MyRunResults.
Your Packs:
For those of you who registered by April 20th. You should have received a text and/or email to let you know that your packs are on their way ...
Our event this year covers 2020-2021. We were unable to host a physical event last year so felt that this year's virtual event would be a perfect use of our medals. The T-shirt, Medal and 2021 bib are a representation of the hard year that we have all put in throughout the pandamic and a chance to run for our heroes together though apart.
Big Response to this Years Virtual Mayo.ie Western people Women’s Mini Marathon !!
Almost 3000 Women and Children registered for this year’s virtual event which takes place as part of Mayo Day activities from the Saturday 1st – Monday 3rd May. You can do the event in your own locality and at your own time while still observing HSE COVID19 guidelines.
Mayo Sports Partnership are asking that you:
-Send your pictures and videos in to us of you taking part so that we can share our celebration.
Pictures can be emailed or posted on Social Media just tag us and use #Mayoday #WOIMM .
-While there will not be a prize fund for the top runners this year the organisers have decided to have an overall prize fund of €1,000 for participants who submit their photos and log their times on MyRunResults.
T-Shirts & Race Bib :
Kids 2km Mini Mini : Sent in Mondays post - You should have received Tuesday/Wednesday .
T-shirts, Finishers Medals & Race Bib
Its for Girls and Main event:
We will be posting your t-shirts and finishers medals from this Thursday and we will send you a text when dispatched. If you registered early you will be part of this first batch of post.
With huge demand for this year's event and ensuring that each person receives the t- shirt requested, a 2nd batch was ordered and this may take another couple of weeks to reach you.
For those who registered from last Thursday you will recieve a t- shirt only. Please read your confirmation email for your expected delivery time.
Closing date for Registration 12 noon April 30th .
April 26th 2021
With only a few days to go before our 2021 event:
- You will receive an email 26th April giving you details on how you can register your results.
- Your T-shirts - We aim to have them to you for Friday 30th
Updates April 20th
*******PLEASE NOTE : ****** Due to demand - As of 20th April.
If you register for the Event, merchandise will be T-Shirt ONLY and there will be a 3-4 week wait timeframe before you receive your T-Shirt.
UPDATES - APRIL 12TH 2021
- RACE PREPARATION: Check out this section to keep up to date with Hints, Tips, Training Plans, Schedules over the coming weeks. Follow us on our Social Media Platforms to get links to new information.
- CLOSING DATE for Entry (With T Shirt and Medal) is April 23rd
- T -SHIRT & MEDAL: You will receive an email from MyRunResults the weekend before the event and your tops and medals will be sent in the post the week before. T-Shirt are normal sizes i.e Small (10) Med (12-14) etc
- TRAINING CHART: A printable copy can now be downloaded from the 'Home' page. The Teens training charts can be found within the 'Secondary Schools' section.
- EMAIL UPDATES: All Registered Participants will receive an email update this week and every week from now on the lead to the event.
Registration for the 2021 Event is now open !! Go to the Home page for the booking link...
Charity Call Out
The Western People, mayo.ie and the Mayo Sports Partnership are issuing an appeal to all charities operating in the West of Ireland who wish to have their name included amongst the list of included charities. To have your charity included amongst the list of beneficiaries for the 2021 West of Ireland Mini-Marathon, please contact minimarathon2020@gmail.com with the charity name, point of contact, and a funding link. Charities must be registered with the Charities Regulator to qualify for inclusion.
The deadline for submissions is Thursday, March 18 at 12 noon.
The Western People, mayo.ie and the Mayo Sports Partnership are issuing an appeal to all charities operating in the West of Ireland who wish to have their name included amongst the list of included charities. To have your charity included amongst the list of beneficiaries for the 2021 West of Ireland Mini-Marathon, please contact minimarathon2020@gmail.com with the charity name, point of contact, and a funding link. Charities must be registered with the Charities Regulator to qualify for inclusion.
The deadline for submissions is Thursday, March 18 at 12 noon.
Today is International Women’s Day 2021 - March 8th
and to mark the day, as well as Women in Sport Week, which runs from March 8 to March 12, the Western People, Mayo.ie and the Mayo Sports Partnership are proud to formally launch the 2021 Women’s 10k Your Way, the twelfth annual staging of the West of Ireland Mini-Marathon which will be held in a virtual setting for the second year running on the May Bank Holiday Sunday (May 2).
Following on from the resounding success of last year’s virtual 10k, which saw over 1,000 participants around Mayo, Ireland and the world run together to raise over €40,000 for charity, this year’s 10k will again be open to women from the four corners of the globe. Whether you’re a Mayo woman in Swinford or in Sydney, you are encouraged to get involved and get active.
The theme of this year’s Mini-Marathon is ‘Your Way, Your Hero, Your Say.’ You can run the 10k any way you see fit, whether on your own or as part of a group, against the clock to improve your personal best or as a leisurely afternoon stroll. Younger runners are once again encouraged to take part in the ever-popular Mini-Mini while pupils in secondary schools around Mayo will once again be participating in the ‘It’s For Girls’ initiative, which aims to increase participation in sport amongst girls.
The ‘Your Hero’ element of the race is a new addition for 2021 and has been introduced as a way of acknowledging the difficult twelve months through which we have just gone. Runners can nominate their own hero, in whose honour to run, whether that be a frontline worker fighting the pandemic, someone in your community who has stepped up to the mark to help others during lockdown, or a loved one who has passed away over the last year in whose honour you wish to run.
The Mini-Marathon has long been an important fundraiser for numerous local charities and this year will be no different. The ‘Your Say’ element of this year’s event means runners will have the choice of which charity their donation will go to, from an extensive list on the registration website. Registration is €20 and €10 from each entry will go directly to a charity of your choice.
The official event website will also have helpful tips and advice on training for the 10k.
Organisers are particularly keen to reach out to the Mayo diaspora for this year’s event. We are conscious that travel restrictions have prevented some Mayo natives from returning home to see family and friends in over a year but we hope that by coming together to take part in the Mini-Marathon, Mayo people in Australia, the US, Canada, Dubai and all over the world can feel a little bit closer to home.
To find out more about the 2021 West of Ireland Mini-Marathon visit
www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com.
It's For Girls 2020 !!!
With registration in full flow for the Mayo.ie Western People's Women's Mini Marathon, the Mayo Sports Partnership in conjunction with the event partners are encouraging secondary schools and ladies sports clubs from around the county and further afield to get their young girls involved with this year's event through the 'Its For Girls' initiative.
The Mini Marathon, one of the premier sporting events in the West of Ireland is now in its 11th year and this time sees two exciting developments with the involvement of Mayo.ie as an event and a brand new route for 2020, which will start at The Mall on Sunday, May 3.
The 'It's for Girls' initiative is now in its 5th year and sets schools a challenge to get the most girls to take part in the Mayo.ie Western People of Ireland Women's Mini Marathon. The initiative is all about encouraging participation, and entrants are free to take the 10k road race at their own pace, whether they want to walk, jog or run. The more girls each school enters, the better the chance of winning the It's for Girls trophy. It represents a great opportunity for schools across the West of Ireland to encourage their girls to increase fitness levels by training to take on the Mini Marathon, getting healthier and more active in the process.
It's for Girls is a project that has received national recognition by winning the best health and wellbeing project in the 2018 Local Authority Awards and built on that success in 2019 and is hoping to do the same in 2020. This year, the Mayo Sports Partnership, who plays a leading role in promoting an active lifestyle within communities across County Mayo, is aiming for participation in the Mini Marathon by students from every corner of the county.
All participating schools are in with a chance of walking away with the coveted Mayo Sports Partnership Secondary Schools Mini Marathon Its for Girls Trophy, with winners being decided on a percentage basis of girls over the age of 12. The entry fee per student is only €10 (the normal cost of entry is €20). Teachers, coaches or mentors from the school can also enter as part of the team for only €10. All participants will also receive a t-shirt and a medal for their entry fee.
Interested schools should register with Mayo Sports Partnership. Once registered, they will automatically be listed on the Mini Marathon website www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com. For further information, contact Deirdre Donnelly at Mayo Sports Partnership on 0949064360
****************************************************
The Western People 24th February 2020
The Women's Mini-Marathon, widely regarded as the premier sporting occasions and road races for women in the west of Ireland, is back for its eleventh year of running, with a slight twist. Previously known as the Western People West of Ireland Women's Mini-Marathon, it is still being sponsored by the regions leading newspaper but a new sponsor has come on board, Mayo.ie.
The event will be known as the Mayo.ie Western People Women's Mini-Marathon, held in conjunction with the Mayo Sports Partnership. To mark the new era for the legendary road race, a new route will be in place for the event, taking place on Sunday, May 3, 2020, although it will begin as always, on The Mall.
It once again promises to be one of the exciting and fantastic events in both the Mayo and road racing calendar, with plenty of entertainment at The Mall. This year also marks the return once again of the Mini-Mini, a 2K fun run for school boys and girls of all ages. Last year, the Mini-Marathon took place on the May Bank Holiday weekend, a weekend which came with much joy for Mayo people the world over, as it coincided with the celebration of Mayo Day and with the 'Green & Red' takeover of Times Square, as Mayo beat New York in the Connacht Championship.
In 2019, the Mini-Marathon had over 1,600 participants in the main race, with 700 kids taking part in the Mini-Mini. The first one to pass the finishing line was Norah Pieterse from Ballina, who crossed in an impressive 37 minutes and 38 seconds. Over the past decade, the race has had over 25,000 participants and has raised €1.5 million for local charities.
The Mini-Marathon is open to all girls and women of all ages and abilities who wish to run, walk or jog the 10k route. Competitive runners can be sure of a high standard of racing - with Irish Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan a regular entrant at the event - but fun runners and those who just want to be part of what promises to be an exciting day are also more than welcome to take part.
The Mayo Sports Partnership, a community leader in promoting active lifestyles, are encouraging entries from all girls and women interested in taking part and hope to see as many as possible taking to the track to undergo the 10K at their pace.
The registration period for the event opens today, Monday, February 24, and there is a special early bird fee of €20 for all entries before April 1, 2020. Entries thereafter will cost €25. All entries include an online booking fee. For this fee, all entrants will get a t-shirt and a medal in recognition of their participation. For teenagers and school-going girls, they can register for the Mini-Marathon through their school for €10. Registration for the Mini-Mini is free. All registrations can be made by contacting the Mayo Sports Partnership office on 094 9064360 or online at http://www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com/ or by emailing minimarathon2020@gmail.com
Be sure to keep an eye on the social media channels of the Western People and of the Mini-Marathon for exciting competitions with some fabulous prizes as we build-up to the Mayo.ie Western People Women's Mini-Marathon.
With registration in full flow for the Mayo.ie Western People's Women's Mini Marathon, the Mayo Sports Partnership in conjunction with the event partners are encouraging secondary schools and ladies sports clubs from around the county and further afield to get their young girls involved with this year's event through the 'Its For Girls' initiative.
The Mini Marathon, one of the premier sporting events in the West of Ireland is now in its 11th year and this time sees two exciting developments with the involvement of Mayo.ie as an event and a brand new route for 2020, which will start at The Mall on Sunday, May 3.
The 'It's for Girls' initiative is now in its 5th year and sets schools a challenge to get the most girls to take part in the Mayo.ie Western People of Ireland Women's Mini Marathon. The initiative is all about encouraging participation, and entrants are free to take the 10k road race at their own pace, whether they want to walk, jog or run. The more girls each school enters, the better the chance of winning the It's for Girls trophy. It represents a great opportunity for schools across the West of Ireland to encourage their girls to increase fitness levels by training to take on the Mini Marathon, getting healthier and more active in the process.
It's for Girls is a project that has received national recognition by winning the best health and wellbeing project in the 2018 Local Authority Awards and built on that success in 2019 and is hoping to do the same in 2020. This year, the Mayo Sports Partnership, who plays a leading role in promoting an active lifestyle within communities across County Mayo, is aiming for participation in the Mini Marathon by students from every corner of the county.
All participating schools are in with a chance of walking away with the coveted Mayo Sports Partnership Secondary Schools Mini Marathon Its for Girls Trophy, with winners being decided on a percentage basis of girls over the age of 12. The entry fee per student is only €10 (the normal cost of entry is €20). Teachers, coaches or mentors from the school can also enter as part of the team for only €10. All participants will also receive a t-shirt and a medal for their entry fee.
Interested schools should register with Mayo Sports Partnership. Once registered, they will automatically be listed on the Mini Marathon website www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com. For further information, contact Deirdre Donnelly at Mayo Sports Partnership on 0949064360
****************************************************
The Western People 24th February 2020
The Women's Mini-Marathon, widely regarded as the premier sporting occasions and road races for women in the west of Ireland, is back for its eleventh year of running, with a slight twist. Previously known as the Western People West of Ireland Women's Mini-Marathon, it is still being sponsored by the regions leading newspaper but a new sponsor has come on board, Mayo.ie.
The event will be known as the Mayo.ie Western People Women's Mini-Marathon, held in conjunction with the Mayo Sports Partnership. To mark the new era for the legendary road race, a new route will be in place for the event, taking place on Sunday, May 3, 2020, although it will begin as always, on The Mall.
It once again promises to be one of the exciting and fantastic events in both the Mayo and road racing calendar, with plenty of entertainment at The Mall. This year also marks the return once again of the Mini-Mini, a 2K fun run for school boys and girls of all ages. Last year, the Mini-Marathon took place on the May Bank Holiday weekend, a weekend which came with much joy for Mayo people the world over, as it coincided with the celebration of Mayo Day and with the 'Green & Red' takeover of Times Square, as Mayo beat New York in the Connacht Championship.
In 2019, the Mini-Marathon had over 1,600 participants in the main race, with 700 kids taking part in the Mini-Mini. The first one to pass the finishing line was Norah Pieterse from Ballina, who crossed in an impressive 37 minutes and 38 seconds. Over the past decade, the race has had over 25,000 participants and has raised €1.5 million for local charities.
The Mini-Marathon is open to all girls and women of all ages and abilities who wish to run, walk or jog the 10k route. Competitive runners can be sure of a high standard of racing - with Irish Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan a regular entrant at the event - but fun runners and those who just want to be part of what promises to be an exciting day are also more than welcome to take part.
The Mayo Sports Partnership, a community leader in promoting active lifestyles, are encouraging entries from all girls and women interested in taking part and hope to see as many as possible taking to the track to undergo the 10K at their pace.
The registration period for the event opens today, Monday, February 24, and there is a special early bird fee of €20 for all entries before April 1, 2020. Entries thereafter will cost €25. All entries include an online booking fee. For this fee, all entrants will get a t-shirt and a medal in recognition of their participation. For teenagers and school-going girls, they can register for the Mini-Marathon through their school for €10. Registration for the Mini-Mini is free. All registrations can be made by contacting the Mayo Sports Partnership office on 094 9064360 or online at http://www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com/ or by emailing minimarathon2020@gmail.com
Be sure to keep an eye on the social media channels of the Western People and of the Mini-Marathon for exciting competitions with some fabulous prizes as we build-up to the Mayo.ie Western People Women's Mini-Marathon.
Girl's deserve support in their sporting dreams
Irish international athlete Jessie Barr was among the speakers at the recent Girls and Women in Sport seminar in GMIT Castlebar — at which the eighth annual Western People West of Ireland Mini-Marathon was officially launched.
Waterford-born Jessie Barr is a 400m hurdles specialist who competed in the 2012 Olympics in London as part of
the Irish 4x400m relay team. She is also a European Athletics Championship finalist and a World University Games
finalist. But she hasn’t raced competitively since 2013. She remains a full-time athlete, training daily at the University
of Limerick where she is currently studying for a PhD in Sports Psychology, but a string of injuries have curtailed
the last four years of her career. She is also the elder sister of Thomas Barr, who shot to national prominence last
summer when he finished fourth in the final of 400m hurdles at the Rio Olympic. Jessie Barr was in town to
speak to the crowd of hundreds, comprised primarily of female students from schools around Mayo, about girls in sport, the challenges they face and why, in stark comparison to their male counterparts, girls tend to drop out of sport in such numbers in their teenage years. Barr said that young girls were facing undue pressures — from society at large, and from their own peer groups —to turn their backs on sport. She told the story of her own teenage years, as a secondary school pupil, and how she often felt close to packing in her own sporting activities, especially when the friends and teammates she had grown up training and competing with began to drop away.
Barr described her younger self as a decent all-round athlete without ever being exceptional in one specific discipline
— she was 17 before she discovered the 400m hurdles, the sport that would eventually take her to international
competition — but emphasized how delighted and grateful she is as an adult that she stuck with sport in her teens.
She encouraged the members of the audience to do the same; sport, she said, can be as part of a team or, like
Barr herself, as an individual. The point is persevering, finding the sport that best suits the individual’s needs, and
reaping the benefits in terms of physical and mental health, pushing oneself to achieve and making friends along the way. Barr was talented enough, and fortunate enough, to progress all the way to the Olympic Games. And, despite her recent injury travails, it was easy to see how much she still enjoys training and competing as an elite athlete.
Not every young girl considering taking up a sport, or thinking about leaving a sport behind, will go that far.
For most, sport is something to be embraced and enjoyed; girls should be allowed an encouraged to do just that.
Notes from the 2017 Launch of
Women's Mini Marathon
It was a star-studded line up of some of Ireland’s leading sportspeople that congregated in GMIT Castlebar on Thursday morning last the 8th February for the Girls and Women in Sport seminar, hosted by the Mayo Sports Partnership. The seminar was also the setting for the official launch of the 2017 western people West of Ireland Women’s Mini-Marathon. The Mini-Marathon, which this year takes place on Sunday, April 30 from The Mall in Castlebar, is now into it’s eighth year and has raised over €1.7million for local and national charities to date. This year’s event, which is being organised by the mayo Sports Partnership in partnership with the Western People and Mayo.ie, is expected to be the biggest and best yet. Over 3,500 runners, joggers and walkers took part in the race in 2016 and organizers are confident of that number rising yet again this year. The event follows a 10k route around the county town and participants are encouraged to take part at their own pace. Runners who have taken part in the mini-marathon in recent years include Irish athletic legend Sonia O’Sullivan, Irish Olympian Lizzie Lee and Belmullet native Sinead Diver, who returned mayo from her adoptive Melbourne to take part in the race. There was a similarly stellar cast of female sporting talent at the launch of the 2017 Mini-Marathon this week. Try this for a roll-call: Irish Olympic hurdler Jessie Barr, Irish Paralympic swimmer Ellen Keane, international canoeist Jenny Egan, Mayo ladies football great Cora Staunton and RTE Sport anchor Jacqui Hurley. They were all in town to take part in the Girls and Women in Sport seminar, which aimed to encourage more girls to play a more active role in all kinds of sport. Over 300 girls from schools around the county journeyed to GMIT to gain the insights of some of Ireland’s greatest female athletes, hearing their stories of success and listening to the difficulties they had to face along the way.
Women's Mini Marathon
It was a star-studded line up of some of Ireland’s leading sportspeople that congregated in GMIT Castlebar on Thursday morning last the 8th February for the Girls and Women in Sport seminar, hosted by the Mayo Sports Partnership. The seminar was also the setting for the official launch of the 2017 western people West of Ireland Women’s Mini-Marathon. The Mini-Marathon, which this year takes place on Sunday, April 30 from The Mall in Castlebar, is now into it’s eighth year and has raised over €1.7million for local and national charities to date. This year’s event, which is being organised by the mayo Sports Partnership in partnership with the Western People and Mayo.ie, is expected to be the biggest and best yet. Over 3,500 runners, joggers and walkers took part in the race in 2016 and organizers are confident of that number rising yet again this year. The event follows a 10k route around the county town and participants are encouraged to take part at their own pace. Runners who have taken part in the mini-marathon in recent years include Irish athletic legend Sonia O’Sullivan, Irish Olympian Lizzie Lee and Belmullet native Sinead Diver, who returned mayo from her adoptive Melbourne to take part in the race. There was a similarly stellar cast of female sporting talent at the launch of the 2017 Mini-Marathon this week. Try this for a roll-call: Irish Olympic hurdler Jessie Barr, Irish Paralympic swimmer Ellen Keane, international canoeist Jenny Egan, Mayo ladies football great Cora Staunton and RTE Sport anchor Jacqui Hurley. They were all in town to take part in the Girls and Women in Sport seminar, which aimed to encourage more girls to play a more active role in all kinds of sport. Over 300 girls from schools around the county journeyed to GMIT to gain the insights of some of Ireland’s greatest female athletes, hearing their stories of success and listening to the difficulties they had to face along the way.
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