Huge turnout at Ashling Murphy 4 Mile road race in Tullamore

It was a fantastic morning in Tullamore for the highly successful Ashling Murphy 4 mile road race event on a most beautiful sunny Sunday, the 19th of May. From early morning, the town centre buzzed with activity as people prepared for the great event ahead.

The race was exceptionally well supported, with spectators lining almost every stretch of the route and filling the town centre, creating a vibrant atmosphere for both runners and walkers. Musicians from Ballyboy Ceoltas provided very poignant and uplifting entertainment along the course which was a lovely touch.

The Ashling Murphy 4 Mile Race is more than just a running event—it carries a special significance and holds a deeper meaning for the participants and the community around Tullamore and much further afield. While it serves as a platform for athletes to showcase their running abilities, it also acts as a heartfelt tribute in memory of Ashling Murphy. the strong community spirit, with many coming together to not only honour Ashling but also to support her family and friends.

Ashling’s parents Ray and Kathleen along with her siblings, Cathal and Amy joined the walkers on the 4 miler. It was a proud day for Tullamore and Offaly Athletics. Typically, gathering officials and marshals for various athletic events can be challenging, but for this race, the community's response was overwhelmingly positive. We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout or a more enthusiastic group of volunteers from our Offaly clubs and so many families and friends.

The race itself starts outside the Brewery Tap in the town centre, straight through the town all the way to the Arden Road and to Ben Scally Centra. Taking a left there all the way through the next roundabout and on to the Sragh Road. Left again back around towards the next roundabout and right onto Kilcruttin. At the Railway Station traffic lights taking a left back down the town to the finish line.

This year marked the 3rd edition of the race, and what a day it was! Nearly 800 participants gathered at the start line under perfect weather conditions, creating a spectacular sight. Race starter, Mr John Cronin, President of Athletics Ireland welcomed Ashling’s family and friends and on behalf of Offaly Athletics thanked our generous sponsor Centra Ireland, the team of Gardai, Offaly County Council Offaly Civil Defence , Camcor Cycles, Seamus Walsh Plant hire, Ballyboy Comhaltas, Bridge Shopping Centre, Ashling Murphy Foundation, Pop Up Races , Bridge House Tullamore, Bank of Ireland and last but not least, the wonderful participants of the race. This was Round 1 of the Offaly Endurance Series and Race 3 in the Peugeot Series and also serves and the Offaly Road Race championships.

Pierre Murchan of Dublin City Harriers was the first to cross the finish line, completing the race in a phenomenal time of 18:30. He finished a full minute ahead of the second-placed Colin Maher from Ballyfin AC, with Jamie Byrne of DSD coming in third at 19:51. Pierre's time shattered the previous race record of 19:22 set by Eoin Everard in 2023.

In the women's event, another record was broken by Ide Nic Dhomhnaill of West Limerick AC, who finished in 21:15, surpassing the previous record of 21:37 held by Courtney Maguire. Lauren Tinkler from Dublin City Harriers secured second place with a time of 21:40, while Heather Murphy from St. Michael’s AC came in third at 22:24.

Age group winners:

1st O40 – Paula Guinan Oughvale AC and Jonathan Dunne Tullamore Harriers AC.

1st O45 – Maria McCambridge DSD AC and Mick Fogarty Ferbane AC.

1st O50 – Maura Dervin Mullingar Harriers AC and Ruben Bartelink DSD.

1st O60 – Mary Galvin Tullamore Harriers AC and Sean Reynolds Tullamore Harriers AC.

1st O70 – Eileen Kenny Tullamore Harriers AC and Ger Woods Banagher AC.

Well done to everyone who competed.