Athletics Ireland & Dublin Marathon widening their Marathon Mission...

A few years ago, the Dublin Marathon and Athletics Ireland launched the Marathon Mission programme with the aim of improving the standard of competitive Marathon running in Ireland. Previous post HERE

Now they are opening up the programme to include more people. See below..

Marathon Mission Spreading It’s Wings...Friday, August 3rd, 2012
In an effort to drive on with the progressive rise in elite Marathon standards in Ireland, Marathon Mission are opening their doors wider to those athletes interested and ambitious to get to elite levels.

A series of 1 Day Training Advice Initiatives are planned for the provinces as follows :-
August 18th Ulster - Belfast – Mary Peters Track
August 25th Munster - Cork – CIT
September 2nd Connacht - Athenry – After Nat Half Marathon
September 8th Leinster - Dublin – Donore Harriers

Who is Invited ?
- Male athletes who have run sub 34.00 (10K), sub 56 (10 miles), Sub 75.00 ( Half Marathon) or sub 2.35 (Marathon)
- Female athletes who have run sub 39.00 (10K) Sub 63.00 (10 miles), Sub 85.00 ( Half marathon) or Sub 2.55 ( Marathon).
- Coaches interested in developing and assisting Marathon runners.

Format
- Meet 11am for Initial Briefing.( 15 mins)
- Marathon based Training Session on Road ( approx 2 hours)
- 1.15pm Lunch
- 2.00pm – Marathon Mission Briefing
- 3.00pm Approx – Dispersal

In Attendance
- Officers from Marathon Mission
- Existing Marathon Mission Qualified Athletes
- Coaching and event specific expertise

The story so far
This London Olympiad sees 4 Irish Marathoners qualified to take their places on the greatest stage of all. Mark Kenneally, Linda Byrne, Ava Hutchinson and Caitriona Jennings are testimony to the rising standards in Irish Marathon running. All four are there by virtue of achieving the A standard. Another one who got the A standard, Maria McCambridge and 5 B standard bearers Sean Connolly, Barry Minnock, Gladys Ganiel, Breege Connolly and Barbara Sanchez can be mighty proud of how close they came

It is more than co-incidence that when Marathon Mission was founded in 2009 it was off a background of 1 A qualifier (Martin Fagan) and 1 B (Pauline Curley) for Beijing 2008 and a complete famine of no Marathoners in the Olympiads between 1996 and 2004.

Marathon Missions aims are simple. To Nurture an environment for Irish Marathoners that will lead them to compete with distinction in major championships and be competitive in the Dublin Marathon in the years ahead. To improve the competitive depth in quality of times being run by Irish Marathoners.

Who To contact ?
Anyone seeking more information should contact :- Dick Hooper 087-2271940, Eugene Coppinger 087-2327412, Jim Aughney 087-7600485, Jim Davis 087-9537637, Teresa McDaid 087-1203284
or talk to Breege Connolly ( Ulster). Donie Walsh (Munster), Paul McNamara (Connacht)