The team that will represent Ireland at the IAU European 24-Hour Championships 2022 has been selected.
The race takes place on Saturday the 17th and Sunday the 18th of September in Verona, Italy.
The Irish team features a blend of experience and debutants who are confident about their chances of improving on the performance at the 2018 European Championships which were held in Timisoara, Romania.
On that occasion the Women’s team finished in 13th position while the Men’s team were 8th.
Ed McGroarty of Lifford Strabane AC will lead the Irish team as captain.
McGroarty, from Raphoe in Donegal has a wealth of experience under his belt. He most recently represented Ireland in April at the Anglo Celtic Plate 100k in Perth in Scotland.
Last October he won the Belfast 24-International in Victoria Park which doubled as the National Championships. He smashed the Irish record in that race running 256.57km, 155 laps of the course which is equivalent to over six marathons.
McGroarty also holds the record for running from Mizen Head to Malin Head which he set in July 2021. It took him three days, two hours, and fifty-two minutes, breaking the record by nearly an hour.
In February, McGroarty was announced as the Athletics Ireland Ultra Runner of the Year award, which he described as a “huge honour.”
Joining McGroarty on the team will be 2021 Women’s National Champion and 24hr record holder Aoife Mundow of Drogheda & District AC. Mundow will be making her International debut.
Another International debutant is Nichola Duffy of Navan AC. She has a Personal Best of 207.026km. Niall McGuigan of Atlas Running Club in Lisburn covered a distance of 222.930km at the 2021 Belfast 24-International. He will also be wearing the green singlet for the first time.
Keith Russell (Navan AC), who this week finished second at the Backyard Masters Ultra race in Germany is also named on the Men’s team. Russell’s performance was one of the best ever by an Irish ultra-athlete, running nearly 600km.
Aidan Hogan (Rising Sun AC), Alex O’Shea (St. Finbarr’s AC), Daragh O’Loughlin, Eoin Keith (Sportsworld Running Club), and Eddie Gallen (Finn Valley AC) make up the eight strong Men’s team.
Joining Mundow and Duffy on the Women’s team will be Lorraine McMahon (Wexford Marathon Club), Sinead Kane (Le Cheile AC), Anne Jennings (Lake District AC), and Amy Masner (Parnell AC).
The Irish team will be relishing the opportunity to put on the green singlet and perform well in Verona come September.
