It’s been a fantastic week for Letterkenny Athletics Club, capped by outstanding performances and historic success at the 2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, Portugal.
We were especially proud this week to see Club coach Teresa McDaid represent Ireland as Team Manager, leading the Irish squad at one of Europe’s premier distance running events. Teresa’s leadership and contribution are a huge honour for her and a real inspiration to everyone at Letterkenny AC.
At the championships, Irish athletes delivered one of their strongest medal hauls in history, securing four medals overall and finishing fourth on the medals table. Nick Griggs stormed to victory in the U23 men’s race. The Irish senior men’s squad earned a historic team silver while Emma Hickey claimed bronze in the U20 women’s race.
Everyone at Letterkenny AC congratulates Teresa McDaid on her outstanding role as Team Manager, and we extend warm applause to all Irish medalists.
Tir Chonaill A.C Jingle Bells 5k.
It was a busy and festive week for Letterkenny Athletics Club, with members swapping Santa hats for racing flats and spreading a bit of Christmas cheer on the roads.
Club athletes were in action at the Tír Chonaill A.C. Jingle Bells 5k, a seasonal favourite that lived up to its name with a lively atmosphere and plenty of festive spirit and possibly a few jingling bells along the route!. Letterkenny AC was well represented and produced some fine performances.
Michael Donaghey led the club home in style, clocking an excellent 17:12 to secure 7th place overall proving that Christmas treats haven’t slowed everyone down just yet. Noel Lynch followed with a solid run in 23:23, while his daughter Noelle Lynch completed the festive family trio, finishing strongly in 30:06. After performances like that, it’s safe to say the Lynch household can expect all Christmas presents this year to come in the form of running shoes, socks, and accessories that will have them race ready for the LAC annual Christmas morning run.
Burkes Brilliant at Killyclogher
Nakita Burke continued her excellent form with a standout performance at the Killyclogher 5k, finishing as first female and an impressive second overall in a highly competitive field. Nakita powered home in a superb time of 16:46, showing both strength and consistency throughout the race. This result highlights her current strong fitness and reflects the hard work being put in at training returning from an injury that seen her sidelined for most of the year. This 16:46 adds another fine performance to a growing list of achievements for Letterkenny Athletics Club.
As we wrap up another successful year, Letterkenny Athletics Club would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our athletes, coaches, committee members, club and race sponsors, An Garda Síochána, our incredible volunteers, and everyone who supported and helped out at our races throughout the year. Your time, commitment, and generosity are the backbone of everything we do, from weekly training sessions to race day success. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Letterkenny Ac’s success in 2025 simply wouldn’t be possible without the continued support of our fantastic athletics community.
