LOCATION REVEALED FOR NEXT YEARS WOMEN'S MINI MARATHON !!
Date: 19-12-2024
LOCATION REVEALED FOR NEXT YEARS WOMEN'S MINI MARATHON
The Mayo.ie Western People West of Ireland Women’s Mini-Marathon is to be shared between Castlebar and Ballina over the next two years.
Mayo Sports Partnership, which organises the mini-marathon in conjunction with the Western People and Mayo.ie, had sought expressions of interest from the four municipal districts in Mayo for the popular event, which attracts thousands of female participants each May Bank Holiday Sunday and has raised hundreds of thousands of euro for charity since it was established in 2010. Applications were received from Ballina and Castlebar municipal districts and a sub-committee was established to judge both submissions. The sub-committee reported back to the Sports Partnership this week and recommended that the event be held in Castlebar in 2025 and Ballina in 2026.
“The three members of the sub-committee were hugely impressed with both applicants and simply could not separate them after a detailed assessment process,” explained Charlie Lambert, Head of the Mayo Sports Partnership. “Consequently, they suggested that the event be shared between the two towns over the next two years. I think it is a recommendation that reflects the outstanding quality of the two applications and the interest there is in both towns to host the event.”
The Mayo.ie Western People West of Ireland Women’s Mini-Marathon was held in Castlebar from 2010 to 2022, apart from 2020 and 2021 when it had to be held virtually due to the Covid-19 lockdown. It moved to Ballina in 2023 as part of the town’s 300th-anniversary celebrations and remained in the North Mayo capital last May. Aidan McNulty, Commercial Manager of the Western People, said the decision to share the next two mini-marathons between Ballina and Castlebar was an excellent outcome for both towns.
“It is great to see this level of interest in the Mini-Marathon, which has gone from strength to strength since it was first founded 15 years ago. Ballina has done a fantastic job in hosting it over the last two years and I think everyone will be delighted to learn that it is returning in 2026. Similarly, there will be great delight in Castlebar that the Mini-Marathon is back for 2025 as the town contributed greatly to building up the event from 2010 to 2022.
“From the Western People’s perspective, we are very pleased with this outcome, and we want to thank the sub-committee who had the difficult task of adjudicating on both applications. It is great to see this reasonable compromise being reached.”
The 2025 Mayo.ie Western People West of Ireland Women’s Mini-Marathon, in association with Mayo Sports Partnership, Western People and Mayo.ie, will be formally launched in Castlebar early in the New Year. Check out the Western People online and in print for regular updates.