Streets of Sligo 5km 2025 Race Report
Date: 21st of June 2025, Summer Solstice
Event: Streets of Sligo 5km
Organisers: Sligo AC
Timing Partner: CORE TIMING
Overview
The Streets of Sligo 5km 2025 marked a triumphant return of the event, last held in 2019. It was a resounding success, drawing a fantastic crowd of 427 participants to the streets of Sligo. The event showcased both competitive excellence and a vibrant community spirit, with runners of all ages and abilities taking part. The course highlighted the beauty of Sligo City, starting from Hyde Bridge beside the Yeats statue, racing around Markievicz Road, Bridge Street, Castle Street, Sligo’s main thoroughfare O’Connell Street, Stephens Street, Cranmore, and Gaol Road before finishing at Queen Maeve’s Square.
Race Highlights
Men’s Race: The men’s race was a thrilling contest, with Conán Mc Caughey of North Belfast Harriers taking a commanding victory in an impressive gun and nett time of 00:14:50. He was closely followed by Lucas Lyons of North Leitrim A.C., who secured second place with a gun and nett time of 00:15:04. Matthew Mc Meekin of Sligo A.C. rounded out the top three male finishers, crossing the line in 00:15:33.
Women’s Race: The women’s race also provided exciting competition. Alexandra Joyce of Tuam A.C. was the first female finisher, demonstrating exceptional form with a gun and nett time of 00:16:31, placing her remarkably high in the overall rankings. Niamh Mc Walter of Tuam A.C. was another strong female performer, finishing with a time of 00:18:36.
Category Winners:
- JM (Junior Male): Cormac Dillon (North Sligo A.C.) – 00:17:06
- JF (Junior Female): Shauna Mc Gowan – 00:23:42
- M40: Connor Mc Cullagh – 00:16:33
- F40: Helen Beirne (Boyle A.C.) – 00:20:08
- M50: Seamus Somers (Sligo A.C.) – 00:15:42
- The Joe Davey Perpetual Cup was proudly presented to Seamus Somers by Aisling Davey, wife of Joe Davey, in memory of the popular Sligo AC club member and event organiser, Joe Davey.
- F50: Jo Hughes (Mayo A.C.) – 00:18:53
- M60: Derek Hunter (Sligo A.C.) – 00:18:41
- F60: Liz King – 00:28:26
Sligo AC Athletes
A special mention goes to the our own athletes from Sligo AC who participated in the event:
- Matthew Mc Meekin (Rank 3) – 00:15:33
- Seamus Somers (Rank 4) – 00:15:42
- Ethan Melvin (Rank 15) – 00:16:48
- Mark Flanagan (Rank 23) – 00:17:33
- Kevin Mc Glone (Rank 40) – 00:18:21
- Philip Mc Donald (Rank 42) – 00:18:33
- Derek Hunter (Rank 46) – 00:18:41
- Gerry Gilmartin (Rank 54) – 00:18:56
- Barry Gallagher (Rank 64) – 00:19:25
- Mari Johnston (Rank 72) – 00:19:41
- Kevin Doyle (Rank 112) – 00:21:12
- Helen Kelly (Rank 176) – 00:23:30
- Brian Kilgallon (Rank 150) – 00:22:33
- Martin Feeney (Rank 158) – 00:22:58
- Tony Freeley (Rank 374) – 00:30:10
- Josephine Higgins (Rank 339) – 00:28:58
- Stephen Gilgan (Rank 343) – 00:29:05
Participation and Demographics
The event saw a diverse field of runners. A total of 427 finishers were recorded, indicating strong participation. The age categories ranged from Junior Male (JM) and Junior Female (JF) to various senior and master categories (SM, SF, M40, F40, M50, F50, M60, F60, M70), highlighting the inclusive nature of the race.
Notable club representation included North Belfast Harriers, North Leitrim A.C., Sligo A.C., Tuam A.C., Tir Chonaill A.C., West Sligo A.C., Corran A.C., Mayo A.C., South Sligo A.C., Killybegs A.C., Dublin City Harriers A.C., Boyle A.C., Carrick-on-Shannon A.C., Enniskillen RC, Sligo Tri Club, Drumshanbo A.C., Mount Hillary A.C., Sports Specific Performance, and Finn Valley A.C., showcasing strong regional athletic engagement.
Race Statistics
- Total Finishers: 427
- Number of Sub-20 Minute Finishers: 79
- Average Finishing Time (Nett): 00:26:11
- Male Finishers: 271
- Female Finishers: 156
- Smallest Winning Gap (Nett Time): 0:00:00 (for multiple ties in nett time)
- Largest Age Category (by participants): SM (Senior Male) with 126 finishers
- Most Represented Club: Sligo A.C. with 13 listed finishers
Timing and Results
CORE TIMING provided excellent and efficient timing services, ensuring accurate gun and nett times for all participants. The provisional results were promptly made available and will be updated once confirmed, ensuring transparency and reliability. Full results are available on Core Timing.
Sponsors
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the following sponsors for their generous support, which was crucial to the success of the Streets of Sligo 5km 2025:
- RunPod
- Irish Marquee Hire
- Sligo BID
- Sligo County Council
- Dept of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Overall Success
The Streets of Sligo 5km 2025 reinforced its status as a premier event in the local running calendar. The smooth organisation, coupled with the enthusiastic participation of runners and the strong support from various clubs, contributed to a highly successful and enjoyable day for everyone involved.
We are also delighted to announce the RunPod spot prize winners who crossed the finish line at key milestones:
- 100th Finisher: Kieran Dowd (Bib 118)
- 200th Finisher: Darren Gilroy (Bib 243)
- 300th Finisher: Tomas Little (Bib 1332)
- 400th Finisher: Dolores Debie (Bib 598)
Congratulations to all our spot prize winners! All prizes were presented by Sligo Cathaoirleach Declan Bree and Sligo AC Chairperson Shane Hayes.
We extend our sincere thanks to all participants, our incredible sponsors, the Gardai Siochana for all their invaluable support, and the local community for their unwavering dedication, which was instrumental in making this event a memorable one. A special thank you to our dedicated marshals and volunteers from Sligo AC, Sligo Triathlon Club, Ballisodare Cycling Club, Sligo Volunteer Centre and Medb’s Dragon Warriors for their tireless efforts in ensuring the safety and smooth running of the event. We look forward to building on this success for future editions of the Streets of Sligo 5km.
