The 2026 Medtronic Streets of Galway 8km, organised by local club Galway City Harriers, took place this year on Sat 8th August at 7pm. The race was first run in 1986 so was celebrating its 40th Birthday just a touch older than myself.. ahem
The race route takes in many of the sights of Galway City, including the Spanish Arch, Eyre Square, the landmark Galway Cathedral and the University of Galway, and routes out towards Salthill, past Pearse Stadium and then back in the ‘Prom’ along Galway Bay for a fast section into the finish at the historic Claddagh.
It’s a lovely course but offers its challenges and this being my fourth tour would consider that I’m familiar at this point. The current girlfriend & I trekked out West leaving the capital bathed in sunshine to arrive in a fairly overcast breezy city of Tribes. A good gang of Sportsworlders had made the journey so we left our digs expectant of coming across them on our warmup.
Low and behold as we arrived at the Claddagh and the not entirely unwanted showers started to fall we bumped into the laid back triumvirate of Neil Purdy, Tom Kinsella and Padraig Looby and not long after a completely locked in Karol who would later storm to 17th overall and an age grade title in 26.18.
On a personal note having been training fairly well recently but not delivering on race day I was determined to beat last year’s time of 31 minutes so the plan was to go out in 3.50’s & hopefully have something in the tank to finish strong on the salthill prom.
We were honoured at the start by the presence of An Uachtaran na hEireann who ran the event in 1996 while 5 months pregnant. Trev Sweeney in his usual devil may care approach arrived at the front of the start with only minutes to spare before the gun while myself, Padraig and local boy Gary Hobbart packed together to a cacophony of roars from the truly amazing support which continued throughout the length of the course. The streets truly are 5 rows deep of spectators as you head towards Eyre Square and I must admit a touch of envy as quite a number brandished refreshments.
At 3k I was comfortably holding pace but had been caught at the sharp steep hill at 4k previously but having negotiated it without dropping pace too significantly got a very welcome cheer from ex of this parish Gareth Murran stationed in the perfect spot at the roundabout. Surprisingly the final k was my fastest & I crossed the finish in a new pb of 30.40 and 3rd Sportsworlder home after the aforementioned Karol & the evergreen Trev who retained his age grade title with a fantastic 28.42.
Dee was first Sportsworld lady home without extending herself with bigger fish to fry over the longer distances followed closely by Maura Ginty who had taken time out from following Sam Maguire around Mayo.
Well deserved creamy pints/margaritas were the order of the day after and I’ll let “your names not down you’re not getting in” Trev and Looby’s Pat McDonagh Supermacs stories be told by themselves.
