Dundalk IT Athletics Club hosts University Cross Country Championships for the first time

Article by Ciara Reilly

A first for Dundalk IT, the Athletics Club hosted the Irish Universities Athletics Association (IUAA) Cross Country Championships on the 10th October.

The event brought university athletes from across Ireland together for a day of competitive racing, featuring three races: a men’s 8km, a women’s 5km and a mixed 4x1000m relay.

The championships marked a fantastic milestone for DKIT Athletics Club, with club coordinator Ciara Reilly leading the event alongside her brother Tadg Reilly, chairperson of the club and a scholarship student at Dundalk Institute of Technology. It was a fantastic team effort, ensuring the course and facilities were ready for the competing universities.

Race Results

In the men’s 8km, Tadhg Donnelly of Maynooth University took first place, followed by Oisín Davis of the University of Galway in second and Cathal O’Reilly of Dublin City University (DCU) in third. The race attracted an impressive field of 118 participants.

The women’s 5km saw Neasa Ní Ainifein of the University of Galway claim first place. Claire O’Grady of the University of Limerick finishing second and Saoirse Twomey of University College Cork taking the third position.

In the mixed 4x1000m relay, Dublin City University secured first place, followed by the University of Galway in second and Munster Technological University in third.

Representation from DKIT Athletes

There was great representation by DKIT athletes in the men’s 8km, with Sam O’Neill finishing 48th, John Hanley 55th, Bernard Joyce 94th, Rhys Clarke 100th and Shane Fahey 109th. Other competing athletes included Órán McArdle and Chamidu Dilshan Wickramarachige.

DKIT Athletics Club was also represented in the women’s 5km race by Paige Flood.

Speaking after the event, club coordinator Ciara Reilly highlighted the important contribution of the fantastic team behind the event in bringing the championships together.

“I want to thank Tadg Reilly for his wonderful support throughout the event, from the initial organising right through to helping out on the day.

“Also, to Simon Allen and Jim Gonnelly did a fantastic job designing the course and creating a challenging route for the athletes. Having everyone’s support was invaluable in making the event happen.”

A special thank you goes to Kyle Witter and Anastasia Drakoulaki from DKIT Athletics Club for their help on the day.

Sincere thanks are also extended to Christian Maas, Oisín Hughes, Liam Cooney, Liam Reilly, Niall Gorham and Aonghus O’Connor for their time and hard work in designing, setting up and taking down the course.

The club would also like to acknowledge the support of Sports and Societies Officer Brian Óg Corr and Derek Crilly, Senior Staff Officer of Student Services, whose support helped make the event possible.

We would also like to express our gratitude to the event sponsors Avonmore Protein Milk, whose support contributed to the championships.

Thank you also to Last Lap who provided teas and coffees for athletes, supporters and organisers throughout the day.”

Hosting the championships for the first time was a fantastic achievement for DKIT Athletics Club and a proud day for everyone involved.

The event brought university athletes from across Ireland to DKIT and showcased the dedication, teamwork and support behind university sport.