Martin Moore, Aoife O’Connor, Anne Kelliher and Paschal Boylan at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
YOU probably recognise them around town in their running gear, but on Friday night, members of Born To Run Tralee Marathon Club swapped their Lycra for their glad rags for their Christmas bash at The Ashe Hotel.
The event marked the end of another successful year for the club, which is dedicated to promoting running in a free, fun and friendly environment, from 5k all the way to marathon and ultra-marathon level.
Guests on the night enjoyed a “murder mystery” theme scripted by club members themselves, while the annual Born To Run awards were also presented, with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” going to O’Rahilly’s Villas man, Billy Lyons, who was one of the original trailblazers of the Tralee running scene.
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Paul and Fiona O’Connor at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Other titles presented on the night included “Spirit of Born To Run” to Louise Porter, “Fast & Furious” to Kathleen Jordan, “Born To Run SuperHero” to Geraldine O’Halloran, “Determin-ator” to Martin Moore and “Comeback Kid” to Ailish Hughes, as well as a range of more light-hearted accolades ranging from “Lovey dovey couple of the year” to the “Blessed amongst women” award.
Speeches on the night also reflected on the many highlights from the past year, including hosting a 40-mile ultramarathon during the summer, the start of a new trail running programme in Glanageenty, and the successful roll-out of a “Couch to 10k” programme, which has seen many members already progress to running half marathons.
Two club members- Jim McNeice and Patrick Mercier- also achieved the holy grail of running their 100th marathon in 2017, while many runners represented Born To Run with pride in prestigious events overseas including the Boston, Chicago and London marathons.
New members are always welcome, with training taking place from Monday to Thursday evenings at 6.30pm from the Aquadome carpark. For further information, visit www.borntorun.ie or follow Born To Run Tralee Marathon Club on Facebook. Scroll down for photos…
David Walsh, Marilyn O’Shea and Tom Foley at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Rita Ryan, Elma O’Brien, Fiona O’Connor, Bernadette Daly and Catherine O’Connor at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Colm and Catriona Griffin and Anna Sheehy at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Paul McPolin, Joan O’Keeffe, Martina Coffey and Liam Horan at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Kieran Nolan, Noreen Quirke, Louise Porter, Marilyn O’Shea and Catherine Dennehy at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Paul McPolin, Joan O’Keeffe, Martina Coffey and Liam Horan at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
Anna Stack, Anne O’Shea, Conor Cusack, Catriona O’Sullivan, Ashley O’Shea, Caroline McConnell, Brian O’Shea, Patrick Mercie at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Sinead Deutrom, Simon Hallissey, JJ O’Connell and William Brick at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
David Walsh, Tommy Horan, Catherine Costello, Maeve Horgan, Marie McKenna, McKenna, Billy Lyons, Fiona O’Connor, Anne Kelliher and Paul O’Connor at the Born To Run Christmas Party and awards night in The Ashe Hotel on Friday night. Photo by Dermot Crean
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