Galway Trail Running AC: Ireland's Newest Official Athletics Club

Galway Trail Running A.C. proudly announced its official recognition as Ireland's newest athletics club on Thursday, July 11. This milestone marks the culmination of an 18-month journey from a small social running group to an official club affiliated with Athletics Ireland.

The club's beginnings were modest, starting with just two enthusiasts who shared a passion for trail running. Over roughly a one year span, this group expanded to over 100 members, highlighting a growing interest in the sport. Inspired by this momentum, Galway Trail Running A.C. decided to transition from a WhatsApp-based social running group to a fully-fledged athletics club. Remarkably, it becomes only the fourth trail running club affiliated with Athletics Ireland and the first outside of County Dublin.

Run Republic today spoke with Francis Kelly, the Chairperson and Founder of Galway Trail Running A.C., about this exciting announcement. Kelly shared, "We have only launched 24 hours ago, and we already have 35 people signed up. We welcome people from all clubs and encourage road runners from other clubs to try out trail running with Galway Trail Running A.C."

Kelly emphasised the club's inclusive philosophy, aiming to bridge the gap between road runners and trail runners. "We want to get over the 'them and us' aspect of running on the roads versus trails. It's one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and I encourage people around the country to open their own clubs in their areas."

A core value of Galway Trail Running A.C. is promoting safe and environmentally conscious trail running. "We want to get people out on the trails in a safe and positive way, following a 'leave no trace' policy," Kelly said. "We want to be at the forefront of the sport in this country."

Philip Madden, Chair of the Galway Athletics County Board, expressed his enthusiasm about the club's official status. 'I am delighted that Galway Trail Running A.C. is the first Athletics Ireland affiliated trail running club outside of Dublin. We look forward to working together with the club over the coming years to promote trail running and athletics in the county.'

The club's launch coincides with hosting the 2024 Connacht Backyard Ultra tomorrow, Saturday July 13th, as part of the All-Ireland Backyard Ultra Championships. This event, taking place at Kilcornan Trails and Walled Garden in Clarinbridge, promises to be a thrilling start to Galway Trail Running A.C.'s journey.

For those interested in joining or learning more about Galway Trail Running A.C., you can reach out to Francis Kelly at francis@galwaytrailrunning.ie. Find the club on Instagram @galwaytrailrunning