In-form Offaly woman adds Cork half marathon to USA national double
Offaly athlete gets big award in USA
A VERY much in-form Offaly woman continued her recent great form when she raced to victory in the Cork half marathon at the weekend.
Heather Murphy, from the Gracefield side of Portarlington, was the first woman across the line in an excellent time of 1.15.11.
A member of St Michael's Athletics Club in Portarlington, Murphy has made vast improvements in recent years.
She is now on an athletics scholarship in Montreat College in North Carolina and she had a great double win in the NAIA Championships in the USA recently.
She won the 10,000 metres in 34.49 and was over thirty seconds of the field. She was also a decisive winner of the 5,000 metres in a gun to tape charge, finishing over 40 seconds clear of her nearest challenger.
Her achievements were recognised as she was recently named as the 2026 USTFCCCA NAIA Womens' Track Athlete of the year, the first for a Montreat College athlete – she was their first athlete to win a national title.