Inaugural charity trail run in memory of former ear to the ground presenter

MAYO is ready and charged for the inaugural Ronan Clarke Trail Run, which is set to take place on Sunday, July 26, in aid of Mayo Roscommon Hospice and the Killala GAA Benevolent Fund.

A stunningly beautiful yet challenging 13k trail run will follow a course from the community centre in Killala to Ross Beach, along the shore and across the rocks to CBI, and back to the community centre again. A road-based 5k is also planned for families or those preferring a less demanding trail.

Mairead McGuiness, Member of the European Parliament and former co-presenter with Ronan on Ear To The Ground, will fire the pistol and signal the start of the run. Mairead will also present the winners with their prizes following the event.

Ronan was diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in 2013 and passed away a year later, on May 29, 2014, at the age of 41. The father-of-three was a weekly regular on television but returned to his native Killala to pursue a career in teaching before being diagnosed with cancer.

Well known for his involvement in GAA, Ronan played for Killala from the age of 14. He played midfield on the Killala Under 16 team that won a county title in 1988 and, in 2008, he was a member of the team that won the county and provincial junior championship titles.

Behind the scenes Ronan served as club secretary for five years and, in 2012, he held six positions in the club - vice-chairperson, registrar, divisional board officer, underage coach, assistant PRO and children’s officer. Ronan also coached a number of underage teams throughout the years.

Registration for the Ronan Clarke Trail Run will begin at 10.30 a.m. on July 26 at Killala Community Centre. The run will commence at 12 noon. Refreshments will be served afterwards.

Prizes will be awarded for the overall first, second and third place finishers in the 5k, as well as the top Under 14s and Under 16s, in both male and female categories. A cash prize of €50 will be awarded to the first male and first female in the 13k, with €30 for second-place finishers and €20 for those who finish third.

Attending the event will be Ronan’s close family, including his wife Sinead Quinn who, since his death, has taken it upon herself to raise awareness about rare types of cancer like sarcoma, appearing on The Late Late Show and various radio stations across Ireland.

For updates on the event, like the Killala GAA and Mayo North Facebook pages.