| Who can join the club? |
|---|
| Our club welcomes students of all ages and abilities, from complete beginners to experienced competitive athletes :) |
| Do I need to have athletics experience to join? |
| Not necessarily! Whether you have experience in athletics or not, we’d love to welcome you, and our coaches can help you develop your skills and fitness at your own pace. |
| What events does the club offer? |
| We offer training across a range of athletics disciplines, including track & field, middle- and long-distance running, cross-country, and road running. |
| Does the club take part in competitions? |
| Yes, we take part in national intervarsities every year, with 4 events planned this year: Cross-Country, Road Relays, Indoors Track & Field, Outdoors Track & Field. We’re always delighted to welcome new people to the team! You can find more info on the Fixtures page closer to the dates. |
| Do I have to compete if I join? |
| No, competition is encouraged, but not compulsory. You can always join simply to improve your fitness, running and athletics skills, or just for fun and socialising ;) |
| When and where do you train? |
| Training takes place in Mervue, O' Sullivan park, Athletic facility (1.5 km from ATU Dublin Road campus) on Tuesdays & Thursdays for all groups & events. Additional sessions may be available throughout the week depending on the group & event. |
| Can I try a session before joining? |
| Of course! You are welcome to attend any session before deciding whether our club is right for you, but for insurance reasons etc. you still have to register for a membership first. But don't worry - if it happens that you don’t like it, you can always cancel it. |
| Which training group should I join? |
| It's up to you! You can try out different events & groups to see what suits you best. And we’re always there to help you find what works best for you :) |
| Do I need to be fit before I start? |
| Not at all. Training can be adapted to your current fitness level, and you can gradually build up fitness over time. |
| What should I bring to training? |
| Wear comfortable sports clothing and suitable running shoes. Bring water, spare clothes, and check the weather forecast in advance to make sure you've got everything you need! |
| Posted | 11th Dec 2025 |
| Author | Laura Broderick (Super Admin) |
This year saw significant development in our training structure as we worked to better support athletes—particularly those aiming to compete indoors and outdoors. To meet the increasing commitment within the group, we expanded our weekly schedule beyond the traditional two sessions, ensuring all athletes had adequate opportunities to complete their full training programme.
Monday – Speed Development (Mervue)
Focus on acceleration, mechanics, and pure speed.
Tuesday – Speed Endurance (Mervue)
Longer reps targeting race-specific conditioning.
Wednesday – Rest Day / Make-Up Session (Mervue)
For athletes who missed Monday: Special speed and technique-focused work.
Thursday – Strength & Conditioning (Limitless Gym, Ballybane)
Newly introduced S&C block including:
• HIIT
• Explosive power development
• Injury-prevention work
This session provides variety, a change of environment, and valuable team building.
Thursday is also available as a track make-up session for athletes who miss earlier sessions.
Saturday – Open Training (3–5 PM)
Added to accommodate those balancing college, part-time work, or travel commitments.
Ideally, each athlete completes:
• 2–3 track sessions weekly
• 1 Strength & Conditioning session
Training includes acceleration, speed endurance, special speed, blocks, hurdles, and technical development.
Following the recent county board meeting, clubs have been advised to contact Des Ryan regarding the use of Dangan Track. This opens the door to potentially accessing a full 400m track again—an important step for athletes preparing for 100m, 200m, 400m, and hurdles, as Mervue is limited for competition-specific work.
We are also considering a trip to TUS to gain valuable practice time on an indoor track and access to field event facilities.
Strength & Conditioning Programme:
€15 for 6 weeks at Limitless Gym, excellent value and highly beneficial for performance and injury reduction.
Warm-Weather Training Camp:
Athletes have the option to join West Coast’s annual warm-weather training. Last year’s camp was extremely successful and helped keep motivation high during the winter months.
Student Club Membership:
At a reduced rate of €50 (€26.50 to Athletics Ireland, €23.50 to West Coast), membership gives students full access to competitions throughout the year and helps maintain a united training group.
Our goal moving forward is to be as competitive as possible for the upcoming indoor and outdoor seasons. With the expanded programme, strong attendance, and improved access to facilities, we are well positioned for continued progress.
To strengthen our team identity, we will also be encouraging a fundraising initiative, with the aim of providing half-zips for our athletes so they can present as a unified squad at competitions, matching the standards of other colleges.
| Posted | 10th Feb 2025 |
| Author | ATU Athletics |
With a small team at national indoor arena yesterday, we still had some good success with 1 gold, 3 x silvers and 1 x 4th (very unlucky). All three campuses contributed
Silvers for Claire Kennedy (ATU Sligo) 20kg weight, Caoimhe Mc Donagh (ATU Sligo) Triple jump, Oisin Thompson (ATU Donegal) Long Jump
| Posted | 6th Jan 2025 |
| Author | Athletics Club |
FREE Athletics Sessions for Staff and Students
When: ?Every Tuesday & Thursday
Where: Doughiska Park - Meet at the tennis courts
Time: 7pm
About: Open to all levels from beginning to experienced. All sessions will be lead by ATU Galway's athletics coaches who are all Athletics Ireland accredited coaches. A great way to either get into running for the first time or get back into it after a break away. Kicks off this Tuesday Jan 7th.
| Posted | 11th Dec 2024 |
| Author | Athletics Club |
ATU Galway Athletics
Training is in full flow for both our track and long distance runners. We are seeing record numbers at our training sessions and are still recruiting more athlete with experience.
While our track athletes are working hard and preparations are in full swing for both the Indoor and Outdoor IV's after Christmas our distance athletes have been busy competing. We were thrilled to have full squads from ATU competing at both the IUAA Cross Country in UCC and the Road Relays in Maynooth. With those two events behind us full focus turns to the indoors in February and Outdoor t&F in April.
| Posted | 20th Sep 2024 |
| Author | Kellieanne Folan (Super Admin) |
Don't forget, Clubs and Societies Day is happening on September 25th in the ATU Galway Sports Hall from 10 AM to 2 PM. It's the perfect opportunity to explore all the amazing clubs and societies on campus!
You'll also have the chance to chat with players and coaches to find out which club suits you best. Plus, enjoy some FREE pizza ? while you're there!
See you there! ?
| Posted | 6th Dec 2021 |
| Author | Tracy Moran |
The GMIT Falcons made their debut last evening at Indoor Arena Athlone where they competed at the Baseline Meet against the best in Sprints, Middle distance, long Jump and Shot Putt.
The mighty Falcons stepped out of the comforts zones to represent GMIT. For some athletes it was their first time ever to compete whilst others dusted off their spikes to pick up where they left off!!
Only training since October the athletes were delighted with their overall performances and the opportunity to be part of the athletic community. They are already looking forward to progressing their new found athletic abilities.
With plenty more opportunities to compete coming down the tracks. They will be back in training next Tuesday/ Thursday 6-8 at O’ Sullivan’s Athletic Track, Mervue.
If you would like to join us please don’t be shy, we welcome beginners, returning and progressive athletes , It’s never too late to start and join us on our next road trip to the Indoor Arena in January to compete for your college GMIT at the IUAA Indoors, Athlone.
To follow GMIT Athletes in Action!
| Posted | 20th Oct 2021 |
| Author | Kellieanne Folan (Super Admin) |
Hi everyone,
I've attached a image showing some of the athletic events taking place this year. So as everyone knows what to work towards and when you'll be competing.
Thanks,
Kellieanne Folan.
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