IF THERE is such a thing at the moment in sport, Arlene Crossan might well be entitled to regard herself as among the lucky ones.

The 20-year-old Finn Valley AC athlete has been absent from track since the Covid-19 lockdown in March, but her aims and goals haven’t altered.

DANIELLA Jansen should be on the countdown for a trip to Kenya in July.

The young Finn Valley AC star was set to compete for Ireland in the 4x400m relay at the World Under-20 Athletics Championships.

THE 2020 RunDonegal Women’s 5K will definitely go ahead in some form on Sunday, August 23rd, according to race organiser, Grace Boyle.

The event was due take place on Sunday, April 5.

FINN Valley AC middle-distance athlete Oisin Gallen has been selected on the University of West Alabama’s men’s track and field Team of the Decade, 2010-2019.

THE Donegal primary schools track and field athletics competition has been cancelled for 2020.

The event was due to celebrate its 50th anniversary next month.

The Finn Valley Centre in Stranorlar has been named as Sports Complex of the Year for 2020 by EU Business News.

FRONTLINE healthcare workers are to use the temporary accommodation facilities at the Finn Valley Centre during the Covid-19 emergency.

A DONEGAL brother and sister have launched Ireland’s first virtual 3k race and aim to raised funds for frontline health workers.

Shannon and Pauric McLaughlin from Convoy have set up Race Against Corona Virus.

PATSY McGonagle appeared on Off The Ball this week to recall some of his great memories as the Irish Athletics Team Manager.

BRENDAN Boyce’s place at the Olympic Games is safe after the International Olympic Committee clarified that all qualified athletes will retain their spots.

ORGANISERS have confirmed a new date for the 2020 RunDonegal Women’s 5k.

The popular race/run, which is held at the Finn Valley Centre, had been due to take place on April 5, but the event has been pushed back until Sunday, August 9.

THE 2020 Ballyliffin International Coastal Challenge has been pushed back to a new date in the summer - and Sonia O’Sullivan is still set to take part.

The popular race - which was expected to attract 1500 participants on Easter Saturday, April 11 - has been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

THREE-time European medallist Mark English has joined Finn Valley Athletics Club.

English has signed for Finn Valley AC ahead of the 2020 outdoor season with the 800m runner aiming to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

THE MEMORY of Brid Carr continues to inspire, six years after the Glencolmcille woman died from ovarian cancer in 2014.

BRENDAN Boyce settled for silver at the Irish Life Health National 20km race walk championships today.

FINN Valley AC’s Ben Carr finished fifth in his age category at the Punta Umbria ETU Duathlon European Championships this morning.

FINN Valley AC’s Kelly brothers, John and James, took the top two places in the men’s shot put at the National Senior Indoor Championships today.

SOMMER Lecky shared gold at the National Indoor Championships in Abbotstown today.

The Finn Valley AC woman was the joint gold medallist in the women’s high jump while there was silver for Finn Valley AC’s Brendan Boyce and bronze for Peter Glass of Letterkenny AC.

THE RACE medallion - commemorating the 20th anniversary of Sonia O’Sullivan’s silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games - for the 2020 Ballyliffin International Coastal Challenge has been revealed.

JAMES KELLY won gold at the Irish Universities Championships today in Athlone.

Competing for Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Kelly took gold in the shot putt final.

TERESA Doherty of Finn Valley AC won the National Masters Championship on Saturday in Rathdrum, County Wicklow.

IRELAND’S greatest ever athlete, Sonia O’Sullivan, will be among the competitors at the 2020 Ballyliffin International Coastal Challenge, in association with Specsavers, Letterkenny.

OHN Kelly set new Ulster, Donegal and club shot put records today at his season-opening event.

The Finn Valley AC man, competing for the first time in 2020, reached out to 18.15 metres.

Kelly was competing in Reykjavik, Iceland and finished second.

BRENDAN Boyce has been named as the 44th Donegal Sports Star of the Year.

The Finn Valley AC race walker was chosen as the 2019 recipient tonight’s awards ceremony in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny.

NOREEN Bonner was inducted into the Finn Valley Athletic Club Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

TWO of the founding fathers - Patsy McGonagle and Eamon Giles - have been inducted into the Donegal Athletics Board Hall of Fame.

Finn Valley AC’s Jon Jo Doherty will take part in the English Inter-County Championships after a good run today.

Have a listen from Eddie 

I´ve done a couple of podcasts recently with John O¨Regan. Here are the links just in case you want to have a listen.

The first one was for the I.A.U. and the second one was for John´s own No Finish Line podcast.

John is the manager of the Irish 24 h team and a representative of the I.A.U.

Take care Patsy.

Eddie.

Bosco Reid  from the Cross now reident in Buncrana was back in competitive athletics action Sunday after a short break from the sport winning the shot silver in the national masters indoor in Athlone .

The second fastest time ever by Valley athlete Brendan Boyce in St Annes Park Raheny on Saturday was enough to collect silver in the national 20k walk 1.24.45 behind a new exciting new kid on the block David Kenny who in the event went 4th fastest ever by an Irish athlete. Brendan is now targeting the World walks champ. in Belorussia next month all in preperation for the olympics . 

The countdown to the annual Rundonegal Womens 5k at Finn Valley Centre is on its April 5th at 11am with registration on the day until 10.30 . This event now being hosted for a number of years has beneffied various charities over the years and indeed raised 7513   euros in 2019 on behalf of Ovarian Cancer research in memory of Brid Carr a  young Glencolmcille  lady who sadly passed away some years ago  . Brid a nursing sister in Great Ormond Street hosp. was misdiagnosed on a number of occasions ,.

A very positive return from Finn Valley ac athletes from the national senior indoor champs over the weekend in Dublin topping the list John Kelly with a new Ulster Donegal and club record 18.35m on his opening throw to seal the title a mark that moves him to second on the all time list  followed in second by brother James at 15.47m and training partner Gavin Mc Laughlin 4th 13m +

The search for Donegals fastest children came to an exciting conclusion tonight at Finn Valley ac with a packed out hall of teachers, Qualifiers from numerous trials throughout the county over the last 5 weeks ,parents came together  to witness an exciting event in which split seconds made the difference between the top positions 

A successful event once again damp conditions at times but an excellent Valley team delivered the event in great style . Well done all 

Finn Valley ac left in large numbers in the dark of Saturday morning from 5am  to compete national master, intermediate  underage national cross country undaunted by weather warnings targeting titles and rewards for a tough disciplined winter of hard work under various dedicated coaches and with tremendous parental support . Spirits high then the venue Rathdrum ,Wicklow and it was when all the tallies were made in the shadow of Avondale the home of Parnell the leaders will scratch this down as an eventful successful day

Topping the Valley and Donegal list was Teresa Doherty county x country champion now national masters champion but not just a champion a runaway  winner from the gun from the pursuing Kate Purcell Raheny  leading her Valley squad of Kay Byrne  ( 2nd in her category ) Bridgeen Murray and Kathleen Mc Nulty   to 3rd team . Donegal with the Valley girls plus Claire Mc Guigan ,Lifford /Strabane 3rd and Helen Mc Cready ,Rosses 9th took team gold . The other news in this race Noreen Bonner 3rd masters category . A solid return all round

The search to find Donegals fastest child is on once again trials being led out by teachers throughout the county and Finn Valley ac athletics development coaches on a daily basis .

Finn Valley ac travelled in large numbers over 2 days last weekend to the Ulster underage indoor champs in Dublin yes Dublin as no suitable venue in the province .

Finn Valley athlete John Kelly got his 2020 season off to a blistering start with a new Ulster ,Donegal and Finn Valley ac indoor record 18.15m  in Reykjavik ,Iceland at weekend . His form had been positive in training and consistently over 18m indeed he had 2 throws over 18 on this occasion 

The annual Donegal Sports star awards at the Mount Errigal Hotel once again justified itself with a sell out crowd and the interest was not only in the Athletics award for which Sommer Lecky and Brendan Boyce were nominated but for the announcement of the overall award an honour that previous Finn Valley ac had received namely Danea Herron , Hugo Duggan , Sean Carlin Bridie Lynch ,Sommer Lecky and on the back of an outstanding performance and excellent year Brendan Boyce surely was in with a serious shout . 

Finn valley ac at their annual dinner in the Athletic club centre in addition to acknowledging club coaches  athletes and committee  for their efforts over 2019 announced the most recent inductees into their Hall Of Fame Noreen Martin .

Finn valley ac had a successful outing at the Ulster intermediate and masters cross country at Armagh Saturday winning the masters men provincial title with a strong team return led by Patrick Brennan 3rd with additional scorers Drrmot mc Elchar Shane Mc Nulty and John Mc Elhill  a performance that will give this squad confidence approaching nationals Feb 8th

The grounds at the Finn Valley Centre Stranorlar proved an ideal venue for the annual district schools cross country champs on Tuesday . Donegal schools were joined by schools from Derry and Antrim to make a total entry list of 850 for what was the first ever staging of this event in Donegal . The fine weather and dry underfoot conditions added to the occasion and there were many exciting team and individual  battles . 

Finn Valley Boxing Day 5k 2019

Families ,athletes  local and world class ,walkers ,joggers have been coming together for 48 years plus for the annual St Stephens Day 5k at Finn Vallley Centre . Its a community event in the wider sense those home for the holiday period tend to meet up .

Brendan Boyce retained the national 30k walk title in St Annes Park Raheny Saturday in an international quality field .

Ireland had their most successful European Cross Country Championships winning four medals, two individual and two team, at Bela Vista Park in Lisbon today (December 8).

ATHLONE INDOOR ARENA

DECEMBER 28^th 2019

The legends of Donegal Athletics gathered in the Finn Valley Centre on Sunday night to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Donegal Athletics Board at gala dinner and presentations marking the achievements of the last fifty years. The four surviving members of the first County Board, Chairman John Carlin, Raphoe, Vice Chairman Eamon Giles, Cranford, Secretary Patsy Mc Gonagle, Ballybofey and Public Relations Officer Bernie O’ Callaghan, Killybegs were present while the late Ben O’ Donnell, Lifford who was treasurer on the first Board was represented by his son John.

Next Sunday is a red letter day for Donegal athletics as it reaches the first fifty years of its existence. Founded in 1969 by the four existing clubs Cranford, Killybegs, Lifford and Glenties at a meeting held in Logue’s of Cranford, the board has continued to grow many of the people who attended that meeting will be in the Finn Valley Centre on Sunday evening to reminisce about the past fifty and of course look forward to the next fifty. Georgina Drumm President of Athletics Ireland and Vice President John Cronin will both be in attendance.

Teresa Doherty combined with claire Mc Guigan Nikita Burke and Helen Mc Cready  to collect bronze team medals in national x country in Dublin .It Was Dublin Laois Donegal race won by Fionnuaal Mc Cormick