Welcome to Sligo Coast to Coast 2024

This is a Road Race Event; therefore, all participants must understand that
rules of the road apply to this event, and all participants are responsible for
their own safety and road usage.
Clear signage and course marshals will be implemented to ensure participants are directed to the finish line. Please follow the marshal’s instructions at all times!


Registration/Number Collection

Registration and number collection will be held in Sligo Rugby Club on:
Saturday, 21st September, 4 pm until 7 pm.
Sunday 22nd September from 8.30 am until 10 am. We will not be accepting registrations after 10am. We will also not be issuing race numbers after 10am.

This year, we can accept debit/credit cards for those who wish to register in person. Currently, our allocation of t-shirts has sold out.

Water stations:

  1. Mile 3 – Either Gibraltar Point or Duncan’s Island – To be confirmed
  2. Mile 6.5
  3. Finish Line – Mile 10

Bag drop:

Available at Sligo Rugby Club on Sunday from 8.30 a.m. until 10 am – bags will not be accepted after this time – Small items only, which must be placed in bags
provided with your race number clearly labelled on the bag. You are fully responsible for all your own items. The bags will be brought to the finish line, where they can be collected from the tent.

Transport options

We recommend parking in Rosses Point or Sligo Town and taking the S2 bus. Bus Eireann’s S2 bus service leaves Rosses Point (Yeats Country Hotel) at 7.15 a.m., 8.15 a.m., and 9.15 a.m. and stops at the railway station at 07:31, 08:31, and 09:33, respectively.
Buses returning from Rosses Point to Strandhill are at 11:45 am, 12:15 pm, 12:45 pm, 13:15 pm and 13:45 pm. The bus fare is €2.00 each way.
For full schedule see https://www.buseireann.ie/routes-and-timetables/s2

Sligo Coast to Coast

Date: 22nd of September 2023

Start time: 9.30 am for walkers, 10.30am for runners

Start location: Sligo Rugby Club

Entry Fee: €35

Online Registration:  https://raceregistered.com/event/sligo-ac-coast-2-coast-2024/

Any registration after 15th of September will not receive a T-shirt as they are in limited supply.

Sligo Coast to Coast | 16.0 km Running Route on Strava

Sligo A C 5 Mile Challenge

Running from Strandhill to Sligo town, you will have stunning views across Sligo Bay of Oyster Island, Coney Island, and Benbulben on your way to a PB!

The Sligo AC 5 mile challenge is the fastest 5 mile road race on Wild Atlantic Way all in aid of Autism Friendly Sligo.

Autism Friendly Sligo has helped to make Sligo an autism-friendly town, including recently working with the Radisson on opening a sensory trial.

The race will take place on the 21st of July at 10.30 am. It will start from Sligo Rugby Club and head downhill to finish at Ballast Quay.

You can enter online at https://eventmaster.ie/event/lAO5cV8HPO

Race number collection will be available from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. on the 21st of July from Sligo Rugby Club. We recommend that you park in one of the numerous free Sunday car parks in Sligo and take the S2 bus to Strandhill. Fare from ATU Sligo is €1.90 and Sunday timetable is below.

Thanks to our sponsors: Grange Pharmacy & Power House Pilates

For up-to-date information on the race, please follow our social media channels – https://www.facebook.com/SligoAthleticClub and https://www.instagram.com/sligoac/

Route Map

sligo ac 5 miler | 8.0 km Running Route on Strava

S2 Bus Timetable

S2-1702305816.pdf (buseireann.ie)

Queen Meave 5k Training Plans

To help with training for our Queen Meave Ladies 5k, we have put together the following 6-week training plans with the help of Sligo Sport and Recreation. All the training plans are based on 30-minute sessions three times per week. Each weekly plan can be downloaded and is accessible to all!

Beginner Plan

This plan is for those new to running and who don’t have a specific time in mind for their 5k race.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Intermediate Plan

This plan is for those wishing to break 30 minutes in a 5k race.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Advanced Plan (Under 25 minutes)

This plan is for all those who are aiming for under 25 minutes in a 5k race.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Sligo AC April Time Trail Series

Thursday evenings…630pm.

3km fast flat course.

All are free, and all are welcome, including beginners, especially those training for the Queen Meave Ladies 5k.

Training Plans are available on www.sligoac.com

Finishing clock at the finish line

Dates and Times:

Thursday 11th April 6.30pm

Thursday 18th April 6.30pm

Thursday 25th April 6.30pm

Route Map: https://www.strava.com/routes/3210620806383336960

Start and Finish at car park beside Doorly Park Playground.

Connaught Indoor Championships 2024 Day 1

Forty of our juvenile club members (u12-u14) had some fantastic results at the Connaught Indoor Championships today. A great experience for all kids competing at the super indoor arena at TUS, Athlone.

All athletes gave it their very best today – with some competing for the first time at Connaught level, many getting pbs and many gold, silver and bronze medals. There are too many great performances to single anyone out …. but we have to give a special mention to the u12 relay quartet, who not only won gold today but did so in style, achieving a championship record.

So take a bow – Sally Rene McEnroe, Aoife Cullinan, Leah McManus and Grace Foley. Thanks to all parents who travelled and helped out today, to Anne McHugh, Ronan O Hart and all the officials and the Connaught Athletics Board.

Sligo Spring Championships 2024

Congratulations to all our juvenile athletes who competed in the Spring Championships in Skreen today in windy conditions!

Some fantastic relay runs got the day off to a great start. Sprints and middle distance followed with great performances by all age groups. All the while, jumps and throws took place – with opportunities for all to get involved. Thanks to the County Sligo Athletics Board, Tireragh AC and all volunteers who helped officiate today.

Michael Morgan wins Benbulben 5k

On a very wet course, Michael Morgan won first prize in the last race of the year in the Sligo AC Benbulben 5k.

The day started with some ominous weather, but luckily for all our 179 athletes who entered today, the rain stayed away and we had a great race to finish off the year.

Michael was nearly a minute ahead of fellow clubmate Matthew McMeekin. Michael took the victory in 14:51.

Michael Morgan winner of Benbulben 5k

Matthew McMeekin from Sligo AC came in second place in a time of 15:37

Francis ODonoghue rounded out the podium with a time of 15:55

In the junior category, Lucas Lyons won in a time of 16:02

Heather Foley from Sligo AC finished a fantastic year by winning the female trophy in a time of 18:13.

Sarah Kelly also from Sligo AC took 2nd female with a time of 18:52

Mari Johnston from Sligo AC rounded out the female podium with third place in a time of 18:56

Over 40 Female – Caroline Coulter

Over 40 Male – Eammon McAndrew

Over 50 Female – Trish Lee

Over 50 Male – Derek Hunter

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped run the event today.

Full results are available at Benbulben 5km 23 – Core Timing

Well done to all those who took part.

All finishing line photos are below

National Cross Country Championships (Uneven Ages)

,Navan Co. Meath – Sunday 3rd December. Over 1,000 athletes from all round the country descended on Navan Racecourse, on a beautiful frosty morning for the last cross country race of the season.

Huge congratulations to Grace Foley who ran a fantastic race right from the starting-gun and finished 4th in the u11 girls race – winning another national medal to add to her collection. Team mate Arwen Hunter was close behind in a fantastic 14th place (out of a field of 193 girls). These two great performances helped win valuable points for the u11 girls’ Connaught Team – who won bronze in the inter-provincial competition, ahead of Ulster and Dublin. Grace and Arwen also helped their Club Team mates – Sienne O’Sullivan, Saibh Prunty and Alex McDonald finish a fantastic 7th place overall out of 20 teams – so congratulation to all the u11 girls.

Next up was the u11 boys. Due to illness their anchor man – Moss Deasy was unable to run. In a fast, paced tightly packed race the team was lead home by a strong run from Oliver Foley followed closely by Timmy and Leo Brennan, Keelan Derrig and Rian Gallagher – all helping the Club Team finish 11th place overall out of 20 teams. Congratulation to all the u13 boys.

Niamh McNamara ran in the u13 girls’ race and had a great run and finished strongly to place in the top half of the finishers of a field of over 180 athletes.

In the u13 boys’ race,  Darragh Steels, fresh after his 4th place finish in the Even Ages National Cross Country Championship in Gowran – was ready for action again – running up an age. He showed his true grit and determination finishing in 15th place. Darragh was a scoring member of the Connacht Team who won gold in the inter-provincial competition. Great runs also from Lucas Ballantine, Fionn Prunty, Eamon Healy and Fionn McNasser all helped the Club Team finish 11th place overall out of 20 teams –  congratulation to all the u13 boys.

In the u15 girls Lucie Cawley continued her great performances this season, both on track and in cross country, finishing 40th in a field of 165 athletes. 

A huge thank you to all officials, coaches and parents over the past year for volunteering their time on the sidelines, travelling to venues and encouragement for all these juvenile athletes.

National Cross Country Championships (Even Ages) 2023

Massive congratulations to Darragh Steels (4th ) and Moss Deasy (10th), who both won national medals at the National Cross Country Championships (Even Ages) in the u12 boys race over 2000m in Gowran Park, Kilkenny on Sunday 19 November.

Brilliant running by both boys to make a podium finish in a field of 166 other boys.    

Both boys were scoring members (2nd and 3rd) of the Connacht team who won silver in the inter-provincial competition, ahead of Ulster, Dublin and Leinster.

Moss was competing one year in age, and the experience will undoubtedly benefit him for the National Cross Country Championships (Uneven Ages) in Navan next month.

Well done to Charlie McNamara who ran in the u16 boys race (6000m) and finished strongly to place in the top half of the finishers.  

Congratulations to all three boys represented themselves, their club, county and province.

All-Ireland Schools Combined Events 2023

 Eight juvenile Sligo athletes competed on Sunday at the All-Ireland Schools Combined Events,  in TUS Athlone. 

The athletes competed in 5 different track and field events – from sprint hurdles, 200m, long jump, high jump, shot put and 800m. The athletes earned points based on their performance in each event. 

Sean McCabe (Summerhill) had a fantastic day in the senior boys’ competition, winning silver after the end of a long, hard day. 

Finn Campbell (Summerhill – Intermediate Boys), Briain Cullinan (Summerhill – Junior Boys) and Mila Clancy (St Nathy’s – Junior Girls) put in super performances all finishing in 5th place – just one place shy of a call up to the Irish Schools’ Team. 

Nicole Flanagan (Mercy – Junior Girls) also finished in 5th place – another super performance in a very competitive field.  

Tom Rene-McEnroe (Summerhill – Junior Boys), Ruairi McLoughlin (Summerhill – Minor Boys) and Lucie Cawley (Mercy – Junior Girls) all put in strong performances and finished in top 10 positions. 

Thanks to Mary Barrett, Connaught Athletics and all officials on the day.

Thanks as ever to Coach Dermot McDermott.