Newcastle & District AC athlete Siobhan Grant delivered a standout all-round performance at the Northern Ireland Masters Championships last week, leaving with four medals and a shattering her personal best in the 2000m walk.
Throwing her way to silver medal in Javelin
Grant entered the championships with a clear focus on the 2,000m race walk, an event she had identified as her key target for the season. Given the success of her daughter Aoife at the same discipline, the joint training sessions where clearly paying off for both ladies. Coming in off the back of a strong and slightly unexpected showing over 3,000m at the Senior Championships at the start of June where she claimed silver, she knew the shorter distance would require a sharper, more sustained pace. Months of structured training, however, proved decisive when it mattered most.
Her day began in the hammer cage, where she quickly settled into rhythm and completed her series of throws efficiently, conserving energy for a packed schedule ahead. A solid and controlled series earned her a silver medal, narrowly missing out on a lifetime best but confirming her consistency in the event which hasn’t had as much time carved out on the training schedule as previously .
The centrepiece of the day followed shortly after in the 2,000m walk. With support ringing out from fellow competitors, officials, and spectators each lap, Grant produced a commanding performance. She not only executed her pacing strategy with precision but also delivered a remarkable breakthrough, slicing more than three minutes off her previous personal best. The result marked the clear highlight of her championship and underlined the progress she has made throughout the season.
There was little time to recover before she returned to the field for the javelin. Despite the quick turnaround, Grant maintained her composure and technique, producing another steady series that secured a second silver medal. Her ability to switch between disciplines so seamlessly again highlighted her versatility as a Masters athlete.
She rounded off a demanding programme with the weight throw, where fatigue was beginning to show but her consistency remained. A measured final effort earned her a bronze medal, completing a full set of podium finishes across the day’s events.
By the end of competition, Grant had collected four medals across four disciplines, along with a standout personal best in her priority event—an outcome that reflected both her endurance and multi-event strength.
A hard days work at Master Championships- 3 silver and a bronze
Representing Newcastle & District AC, Grant also reflected positively on the atmosphere throughout the championships, highlighting the strong sense of camaraderie that defines Masters athletics, where competitors often celebrate each other’s performances as much as their own. She also paid tribute to the officials and volunteers whose efforts ensured the smooth running of the event.
Looking ahead, Grant now turns her attention to the next Masters fixture at Morton Stadium in August, where she will aim to build on this impressive momentum and continue her strong season form