from Athletic Northern Ireland Hail, rain or snow will not prevent local runners of all abilities heading to the high Sperrins for the Greencastle “5” Road Race on St Stephen’s Day.
Race Director Oliver McCullagh promises that the 23rd edition of the Boxing Day classic will be the best ever with the introduction of microchip timing for all the competitors.
The tiny chip is attached to the runners’ shoes and their time is automatically logged as they cross the finish line guaranteeing 100% accuracy for all the participants.
And that is not the only innovation this year as the Tyrone race rapidly establishes itself as the top running event in the country during the festive season.
To avoid the rush of last minute entries, Oliver has stolen a lead over rival promotions by introducing online registration at the race website www.greencastle5.com.
The Greencastle “5” was established in 1985 and started off as a small gathering for the local community. Now despite being well into its third decade, it continues to grow and regularly attracts the top runners from all over Ireland as well as abroad. any past competitors have gone on to represent Ireland or Britain at World Championships and Olympic Games.
Last year over 500 runners finished the race and almost the same number of walkers, joggers and fun runners participated, so this year over 1000 entries are expected.
The event has also raised tens of thousands of pounds for deserving local charities with Cystic Fibrosis being this the nominated recipient this year.
“This is a charity which does amazing work with all those affected by Cystic Fibrosis and I would call on everyone to be as generous as ever with their support,” said Oliver.
“We have made it even easier this year for everyone to enter, so why don’t you simply log onto the website, www.greencastle5.com where you can go to the links to enter on line which we are encouraging as many people as possible to do.
“You will still also be able to enter in the usual ways by getting an entry form and participating yourself or simply make a difference by sponsoring someone who is doing the run.
“Of course, the success of this race over the years is not only down to all those who participate on the day but also the army of workers who give up their bank holiday each year to make the event the resounding success that it is.
“I am also indebted to all the sponsors who annually give so willingly to this event. I would encourage everyone to get on their running shoes for these last few weeks of training and come to Greencastle on Boxing Day for a 1:00pm start,” concluded the Race Director.
So if you want to burn off all those unwanted calories consumed in the run up to Christmas why not take up Oliver’s invitation and help a worthy charity at the same time. Full details including entry forms are available at the website www.greencastle5.com. See you all at the Start Line!
For more information please visit www.greencastle5.com or contact Oliver Mc Cullagh on 028 816 48783
