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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Longford AC under-12 relay team of Adam Mulleady, Andrew Fitzpatrick, El' Nathan Okoh and Donncha Farrell on top of the podium at the National Indoors in Athlone
There was double cause for celebration for local athletes on Saturday with All-Ireland indoor success for the Longford Athletics Club under-12 boys relay team in Athlone and cross-country bronze for Emma Brennan and her Irish teammates in Liverpool.
Hopes were high for the under-12 quartet of El’ Nathan Okoh, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Adam Mulleady and Donncha Farrell following a championship best-ever time set at the Connacht Indoors in February and on Saturday they truly delivered with a superb performance to claim National glory.
Lining up in the third and final heat, the boys dominated their 4 x 200-metre race to win convincingly in a time of 1:57.47. When all results were combined, the boys’ time was almost 3 seconds faster than the next quickest team to clinch the top spot on the podium.
It was an all-county effort as Stonepark’s El’ Nathan set a blistering pace in the opening leg before a perfect baton changeover to Melview’s Andrew who, running one year up in age, ran a very strong second leg. He handed the baton to Drumlish sprinter Adam who further stretched the lead before Fermoyle’s Donncha brought it home with a fantastic anchor leg to cross the line a clear winner.
Running two seconds faster than the Connachts was a further measure of the great preparation done by the boys with club coaches in recent months and it was a team performance that drew plenty of praise from those present on Saturday.
Longford AC was also represented in Athlone by the under-14 girls team of Darcey Brady, Alisha Manning, Sinéad Fitzsimons and Sophia Carey who each ran very well to place third in their 4 x 200m heat. Katie Duignan, Holly Rogers, Amy Jordan and Sian Gallagher all ran strongly for a fast time in a competitive under-18 heat on a top-class day of relays.
Conditions were breezy in Liverpool as Emma Brennan had her first run in the Irish singlet as part of the 4 x 1500-metre junior mixed relay at the Schools International Cross Country.
Running the final leg, Emma was in fourth place starting her lap and showed great strength to catch and then sprint clear of the Welsh athlete to claim team bronze.
A fantastic experience for the young Drumlish athlete to represent Ireland and Emma is among a number of Longford athletes in action next weekend at the National Indoor Championships in Athlone.
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