Tullamore Harriers report – 20th July 2026

Duffy Finishes Top Eight in Rieti.

Congratulations to Ally Duffy on a superb performance at the European U18 Track & Field Championships at Rieti, Italy. Having just celebrated her sixteenth birthday before the championships, Ally was one of the youngest athletes to line up in the heats of the 2000m Steeplechase on the 16th of July, but the Castledaly woman was up to the challenge. Despite soaring temperatures in the Guidobaldi Stadium, Ally eased through to the final in a time of 6:52.32.

Ally was back on track for the final on the two days later and right from the starter's pistol, she put herself in contention. Lucie Jílková of Czechia set out at a fast pace, but ten of the fourteen starters were packed tightly around her for the first kilometre, which they passed in 3:18.

With two laps to go, the lead pack had been reduced to eight, with Ally right in the middle of the battle for places. The pace, however, was relentless and, after a push and a fall at the penultimate water jump by an athlete in front of her, Ally lost a few metres on the leading group. With 300 metres remaining, she responded with a strong surge, passing three competitors. However, in the searing heat of Rieti, Ally could not quite bridge the gap to the leaders, who were now sprinting for the finish. She fought all the way to the line, finishing in 6:45.28, just 0.28 seconds outside her personal best. A top eight finish in Europe at just sixteen years of age is a remarkable achievement and underlines the bright future that lies ahead for the Tullamore Harriers athlete.

 National 10 Mile Championship success for Tullamore Harriers

Congratulations to the five athletes who proudly represented Tullamore Harriers at the National 10 Mile Championships, held in conjunction with the Irish Runner 10 Mile in the Phoenix Park on Sunday the 19th of July

Warm conditions added to the challenge of an already demanding ten-mile course, which featured a testing mix of climbs, rolling roads, and faster sections.

Barry Minnock had a super run to claim the individual bronze medal in the O50 category, just one week after another demanding 10-mile effort at the Frank Kilrane 10 Mile in Edenderry.

Our ladies' team of Evelyn Herlihy, Sarah Flanagan, Rita Daly Ravenhill, and Una Mullen, also put in great efforts over the 10 miles, and were delighted to win the O35 Team bronze medals.

Barry Minnock 58.59

Evelyn Herlihy 1.10.59

Sarah Flanagan 1.12.36

Rita Daly Ravenhill 1.18.37

Una Mullen 1.22.21

 Gold for James

James Saunders had a very successful day at the National Para Athletics Championships in SETU Carlow on Saturday the 18th of July.

James claimed gold in the discus, producing his second-best throw ever, and earned a silver medal in the shot put.

It has been a busy and successful year for James, who has also just completed his Leaving Certificate at Tullamore College.

We would like to wish Jame’s father, John Saunders, every success on the launch of his book, "Waiting for James" at the Esker Arts Centre in Tullamore on Wednesday 22nd of July.  

The book tells the story of John's family's journey after James sustained a life-changing acquired brain injury in a road traffic accident in 2019

James has been a valued member of Tullamore Harriers for many years, and his determination and resilience, along with the unwavering strength of his family, continue to inspire all.

 AAI Games at Morton Stadium

A few Tullamore Harriers athletes competed at the AAI Games in Morton Stadium over the weekend (18th and 19th of July). With almost ideal conditions for sprinting the favourable weather attracted large fields and produced some excellent competition across all events.

In the women's 100m, both Rachel Keane and Halimat Balogun lined out. Rachel competed in two rounds of the 100m, clocking 12.61 seconds in her opening race before improving to a season's best of 12.55 seconds in her second race.

Halimat, who is relatively new to athletics, continued her excellent progress by testing herself in both the 100m and 200m, recording personal bests in all races. She ran 13.75 seconds in her first 100m before improving again to 13.68 seconds in her second race. She then lined up for only her second-ever 200m and clocked 28.87 seconds which is an improvement of almost a second and a half on her previous best.

In the men's 100m, Dean Power competed despite carrying a slight back injury. Although not at his very best, he still produced a solid performance, recording 11.22 seconds.

 National Track & Field Championships.

On the 12th of July at Tullamore Harriers Stadium, we had some great performances from the Sprint Group.

Róisín Cotter competed in the Girls U.17 Long Jump in a very competitive field and with swirling winds it made for difficult conditions. But Roisin still produced a great jump of 4.59m. Róisín had another leap that would have secured a place in the final eight, but unfortunately it was ruled a marginal foul. She has shown great consistency all season and will no doubt be back even stronger next year.

On Day 4, Maddie Deverell competed in the Girls U16 100m, finishing 4th in her heat. It was fantastic to see Maddie back competing after a season impacted by injury, and she has made excellent progress since returning to training and competition.

In the afternoon, our Girls U17 4x100m Relay Team took to the track for the straight final and produced an impressive performance to finish 6th - and just outside their personal best time. The ladies finished 8th at last year's National Championships, so this result is a fantastic step forward and a credit to the girls' hard work and commitment. They will now focus on the National Community Games in August.

 Connacht Masters Track & Field Championships

Congratulations to Olive Mannion, who continued her excellent season with another successful outing at the Connacht Masters Track & Field Championships in Claremorris on the 15th of July.

Olive won her age category in the 400m, crossing the line in 1:35.55.

She then added two more medals in the field events, claiming silver in the javelin with a best throw of 9.72m and silver in the shot put with a throw of 6.35m.