Couch to 5K Event in Naas

Couch to 5K Event in Naas

The County Kildare 'Couch to 5k' event took place on Sunday 15th April with 600 participants walking and running on the day

The event was the centrepiece of the Kildare Active Communities Programme which aims to increase physical activity and sports participation throughout the County.

Weeks of background work went into staging this event including promotional work, processing online applications, liaising with multiple agencies and co-ordinating emergency services. 30 volunteers provided essential support services on the day.

The event started at 11 am at Aras Chill Dara in Naas. The skies were somewhat overcast but that didn't dampen anyone's spirits. There was great excitement in the air as participants of all ages gathered at the start line for the countdown.

The first person home was Eoin O'Connor from Kildare Athletics Club in a phenomenal time of 16:59:67. Eoin trains six days a week to achieve results at that level. The first female finisher was Josephine Killeen from Dublin whose time was 21:08:17. Josephine races most weekends over distances up to 21 km.

Fast finishes were not a concern for most participants; they were just happy to be out in the fresh April air, having fun with family and friends. Some participants were completing their first organised walk or run and there was one blind runner on the day – Karen Kealy completed the course with the help of her guide Deborah McArdle. Individual goals were very different but the sense of achievement at the finish line was shared by all.

Very well done to everyone involved. We hope that taking part in a quality event like this will encourage you to take on more physical challenges in the future. We look forward to seeing you at other sports events like this throughout Kildare. 

The County Kildare 'Couch to 5k' event was facilitated by Healthy Ireland, Kildare Sports Partnership, County Kildare Leader Partnership, the Children and Young People's Services Committee and the Local Community Development Committee. Many thanks to Popup Races for event management and to Tony Keane for photography. 


Couch to 5K Event in Naas

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