WIT break world marathon record!

Students, lecturers and coaches held a fundraiser relay recently aimed at beating Gabreselassie’s world marathon record. Athletes turned out in huge numbers and the event was a huge success. Pics and report to follow!

W.I.T Athletics building for the future

A recent initiative by students and coaches affiliated to WIT athletics has seen the emergence of a fantastic athletics structure for WIT athletes. Several of the regions top coaches across all disciplines have come together with the committee of WIT athletics to produce a set up that aims in the long term to compete with that offered by sporting college giants UL and DCU.

WIT Athletics club has had great success in recent years establishing itself as one of the most successful clubs  in Waterford Institute of Technology and placing itself among the best clubs in the country. In the last two years they have won medals in various different events. The club made history in 2007/2008 year winning silver medals in the IUAA Cross country Championships. The club also had two athletes Dan Mulhare and Andrew Connick selected for international in that year. WIT also won 5 medals in the track and field with Barry Upton retained his gold 400m hurdles title, along with Dan Mulhare, Micheal Ryan, Andrew Connick, Allison Miller earning medals also.

Last year the club performed very well in all competitions with Barry Upton winning gold in the intervarsity 400m this time and Emma Farrell winning silver in the 2k walk. The club also performed well in the Indoors and finished a respectable 5^th in the road relays. Two of the clubs athletes earned international experience in Jason Fahy and Patrick Flynn who represented Ireland in the European cross country championships in Brussels.

This year with the introduction of a new committee, coaching system and the strongest team of athletes the college has ever seen, WIT is expected to have its strongest year to date. Among the Coaching team are former internationals Shane Mc Cormack and Pat Shannon (sprints/hurdles/jumps coaches), former National Cross Country Champion Gerry Deegan (middle Distance Coach) and Tom Prendergast (Throws Coach). The club has had its highest ever number of members signing up this year and the standard has risen considerably with a number of international athletes joining up. So together with the current and the other new additions to the team W.I.T athletics club expects to have its most successful year they’ve ever had. The first event this year is the IUAA Road Relays which will take place on the 14^th of November in NUI Maynooth the club expects to have 4 teams competing.

The athletes currently meet at the track at the regional sports center every Tuesday and Thursday and other sessions are organized around these in the gym at WIT and other venues. Hopefully this year with results on the track, field and road, WIT can raise its athletics profile and encourage more of Ireland’s athletes to the college and show them exactly what WIT has to offer in the line of top athletic facilities and coaching.

WIT athletes and coaches 2009