With Northern Ireland still facing a significant shortage of indoor athletics facilities, this year’s NI & Ulster Indoor Championships were once again staged away from home at the National Indoor Arena in Dublin. Despite the long journey south, Newcastle AC racewalkers Aoife Grant and Paddy Sherrard made the trip to open their 2026 indoor racewalking season in style.
Harry blows field apart in Ulster Schools Final.
Harry McVeigh wins the Ulster Schools Final
A few days of good drying weather had prepared the City of Belfast Playing Fields for the Ulster Schools Cross Country Championship Final. However, as fate would have it, sleet and some snow made a timely appearance, transforming an already bitterly cold Mallusk into a sub-zero winter wonderland as it welcomed the very best cross-country runners Ulster Schools had to offer.
Dundalk Half Marathon and 10k 2026
In addition to the folks running at Trim 5 members also travelled to Dundalk to take part in the Dundalk Half Marathon and 10k.
The half marathon was two laps of the 10k course through the streets of Dundalk. Conditions in the morning were windy with steady rain. Thankfully the rain stopped just after the half marathon kicked off a 10am. Newcastle AC had 3 runners taking on the half. First home was Sinead Murtagh in 1:26:51 (73rd overall, 6th female, 1st F40), closely followed by Frank Cunningham in 1:26:54 (74th overall) and Anthony Young in 1:38:33 (312th).
The 10k started at 10.20am. First home for the club was 10k Sam McNeilly ran a time of 41:32 (51st and 6th female) and Ciara Savage completed the course in 46:51 (133rd and 21st female). There were 1,576 finishers in the half marathon and 972 finishers in the 10k.
From All Poised to Not Present: Newcastle AC Still Board the Bus for the Trim 10-Miler
By The Head Chef – Trim, Co. Meath | 1 February 2026
According to Bogboy, during a very early start at Drumiskin Applegreen Services while sipping his double-shot flat white, there are exactly 140 days to the longest day of the year. The days are on the turn, yes — but the long summer evenings still feel a fair bit off yet.
On Friday 7 November 2025, at exactly 10:00am, forty Newcastle AC members were poised and glued to computer screens, fingers twitching, caffeine levels high — all determined to secure a coveted place in the famously sold-out Trim 10 Mile.
Newcastle Crew at Trim
Newcastle 3rd in the NI Masters XC
Despite a small turnout, the quality was high at the NI Masters XC in Lurgan Park on Saturday 24th January.
After a week of rain, conditions were extremely soggy underfoot, making the 2k undulating lap particularly challenging, with a strong headwind on the opening half of each lap. Continue reading
Castlewellan Christmas Cracker 2025 Report, Results and Photos
Report by Newcastle AC
The Christmas Cracker pairs running event has become a beloved fixture in the local sporting calendar, drawing runners from near and far to celebrate both competition and festive cheer. Established many decades back, this annual race is renowned for its spirited atmosphere and inclusivity, welcoming seasoned athletes and enthusiastic fun runners alike. Its reputation for excellent organisation and memorable moments means places sell out quickly, with this year’s 1,500 entries snapped up in a record 12 hours. Continue reading