Clonliffe on track for Christmas cracker

A NORTHSIDE athletics club has announced details of a
special race that will take place the week before Christmas.

The inaugural Clonliffe Harriers Christmas Cracker 5k
will be held in Santry on Sunday, December 18 at 10am.

This is a road race aimed at everyone, from joggers
and indeed walkers right through to elite athletes.

As the race takes place on the last Sunday before
Christmas, a festive atmosphere is guaranteed in Morton Stadium.

The event sees the return of road racing to Santry
after a long absence. Throughout the 1970s,

’80s and early 1990s there were
road races held on a number of occasions throughout the year in the area.

However, with increasing traffic volumes these races
to a large degree disappeared.

The M1 and M50 motorways have, of course, improved
traffic conditions dramatically in and around Santry and thanks to the
assistance of the local gardaí December 18 will once again see Dublin’s
athletes on the roads around Morton Stadium.

The race will start on the track in the stadium. The
runners will complete a lap of the track before proceeding onto the Swords
Road, turning left and heading northwards and then turning left immediately
into Northwood down Northwood Road, left again onto Ballymun Road and then left
again back down Santry Avenue before eventually finishing back on the track in
the stadium.

A road race starting and finishing on the track is
unique in Dublin.

Clonliffe Harriers have teamed up with the European
Recycling Platform (ERP) for the event.

ERP is a not-for-profit organisation that is involved
in recycling.

On December 18 ERP is offering participants in the
race the chance to win a Samsung LCD TV, a Sony MP3 player or a portable DVD
player.

To be in with a chance of winning simply bring along a
used battery operated/electrical toy or 10 used batteries which will be
recycled.

Entrants will be put into a draw and the winners will
take home one of these exciting prizes.

It is fitting that a company involved in ensuring a
green environment is involved with an athletics event. Running and a green
environment are not only mutually compatible but indeed are essential.

Fergal Murray of ERP, race director Tom Griffin of
Clonliffe Harriers and Clonliffe athletes Becky Woods and Conor McGuinness
attended the race launch. Both Conor and Becky will be participating in the
race.

There are prizes for the first six men and women,
juniors and masters as well as team prizes.

Entry to the race costs e15, and entries are now open
through www.runireland.com or through a link on www.clonliffeharriers.com.

This promises to be a great way to kick off the
Christmas festivities and bring the curtain down on the 125th anniversary
celebrations of this hugely successful athletics club, which was formed way
back in 1886.