Race Report: SPAR Omagh Half Marathon – Sunday 6th April 2025
After last year’s blustery conditions, participants were delighted to be greeted with clear blue skies and sunshine for the 2025 SPAR Omagh Half Marathon. Who’d have thought that sunscreen would be one of the essential kit items this year? Sunday morning west of the Bann came alive bright and early, as runners, walkers, and supporters soaked up the buzzing atmosphere and spring warmth.
This year marked the 35th edition of the hugely popular Half Marathon and 5K event, and what a celebration it was. With a record-breaking 4000 participants taking part across the Half Marathon run, Wheelchair race, 5K run and Half Marathon walk, the streets of Omagh were packed with energy, determination, and community spirit.
Running in Tyrone is rarely a flat experience(!), and the Omagh Half Marathon is no exception. With around 160m of elevation gain, runners were wise to heed the advice to respect the opening miles and build their pace steadily. Key testing points came at mile 4 up Arvalee, the climb at mile 8 towards TC Autos, and the well-known mile 12 drag by Strathroy, all of which were made that bit trickier by a stiff breeze.
Despite the undulating course, the racing was fierce at the front. In the men’s Half Marathon, Eoin Mullan of Omagh Harriers thrilled the home crowd by storming to victory in 1:07:16, ahead of Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers (1:10:13) and Allan Bogle of City of Derry Spartans (1:12:36).
The women’s field saw a top-class performance from Victoria Atkinson of Victoria Park & Connswater AC, who broke the tape in 1:18:28. Hot on her heels were Catherine Whoriskey of City of Derry Spartans (1:19:14) and Clare McGuigan of Letterkenny AC (1:19:32).
In the team competition, the host club Omagh Harriers (Eoin Mullan, Sean Diamond, and Phil Adams) proudly took first place in the men’s event, while Tafelta AC (Jennifer Martin, Nicola Sargent, and Lindsey Shaw) emerged victorious in the women’s category.
The Wheelchair race also delivered an impressive contest, with Karol Doherty taking the win in 1:39:28, followed by Nigel Bonar and Jack Dorrity (Ballymena Runners) in 1:50:56. Omagh was especially honoured to welcome Sandra, David, and Aaron of the inspirational Team Kerr, who received an outpouring of cheers and encouragement along the route.
In the rapid 5km race, Harry McKenzie of Enniskillen RC blazed to the finish in 15:40, followed by Ciaran McCarroll of CBS Omagh (16:06) and Paul Callaghan from Knockmany RC (16:59). In the women’s race, it was Denise Toner of Clones Athletic Club who claimed top spot in 17:57, with Cora Scullion of Omagh Harriers (18:16) and Annabelle McKenzie from Enniskillen RC (19:26) rounding off the podium.
The schools’ team events continued to showcase young local talent. CBS Omagh (Ciaran McCarroll, Rory Dolan, and Cillian Lynch) once again claimed the boys’ 5K team prize, while Loreto Grammar School (Cora Scullion, Muireann Donnelly, and Meabh Donnelly) were deserving winners in the girls’ team event.
Adding an exciting twist to the 5K this year, the committee introduced new U19 non-athletic club categories to crown Omagh’s fastest sports clubs. Omagh Town FC (boys) and Omagh Accies U16 (girls) took home the honours in what will surely become a hotly contested tradition in future years.
A full set of results can be found at www.myrunresults.com.
Enormous thanks are due to Mr Michael Ward and the Omagh Half Committee, whose planning and precision ensured another smooth and successful event. As always, they are quick to share the credit – and rightly so. Events of this scale rely on the time, goodwill, and hard work of countless volunteers, generous sponsors including SPAR, local businesses, and the wider Omagh community. A special thanks also goes to Omagh Harriers, who continue to play a central role in bringing the event to life each year.
The committee is proud to announce that a donation of £11,000 has been made to this year’s nominated charity, Care for Cancer, continuing the tradition of giving back to the community.
For anyone in and around Omagh who has been inspired by this year’s race, why not get involved? Omagh Harriers meet every Tuesday and Thursday evening, and all abilities are welcome. More details are available at www.omaghharriers.wordpress.com.
Here’s to 2026 – see you on the start line!