Fitness fever grips Galway and the West as the public, business community and celebrities gear up for Galway Bay 10

Fitness fever grips Galway and the West as the public, business community and celebrities gear up for Galway Bay 10

galway.net , 19 August 2003

19 August 2003, In Galway, across the West and in many parts of Ireland teams from the business world, celebrities and many athletic and non-athletic people are training to run or walk Galway Bay 10 on Saturday, 13th of September at 18:00. The event aims to raise 250,000 euro in aid of Cancer Care Wests (CCW) latest project, the CCW Patient Care Centre. Galway will come alive that evening in the South Park area where the race will start and finish. A giant marquee will be erected at the finish line for the celebration night following the race. Tired runners and walkers can relax and wind down at the celebration where they can enjoy music, entertainment and light refreshments. A medical and physiotherapy team will also be on hand to look after anyone suffering from injuries.

The organisers are delighted with the support so far from the public and the many companies entering teams in the corporate challenge to compete for the Galway Irish Crystal Trophy. As numbers for the race are increasing, the organisers are encouraging people to submit their entry forms by the end of August, even if they have not collected their sponsorship money yet. Sponsorship money can be paid during registration for the race at the Galway Bay Hotel on Friday, 12th of September or Saturday 13th September. Galway Bay Hotel, the Promenade, Salthill is the main sponsor of the event.

President Iognaid Ó Muircheartaigh of NUI Galway is just one of the well-known figures who will participate in Galway Bay 10. He is a former Irish 400m national champion and also captained the Irish International Athletics team. With his athletic background, the President is one of the favourites to blaze ahead in a trail of dust that evening. Famous actress and novelist Pauline McLynn, whose latest work includes The Drunkard which she appeared in at the Galway Arts Festival, has committed to walking the ten-mile race. Tommy Tiernan is currently on stage at the Edinburgh festival but is taking time out between his stand-up comedy sessions to prepare for Galway Bay 10.

Prominent Galway businessman Padraig OCeidigh, managing director of Aer Arann, will also run the ten mile race with a corporate team from Aer Arann. Word of Galway Bay 10 and its goal has even spread to places like the Garda Training College in Templemore where 26 trainee gardai, many with Galway or West of Ireland connections, are undertaking to run the ten miles and raise money for the event. Also walking Galway Bay 10 will be Neville Maxwell. Neville is one of Irelands most successful oarsmen internationally and represented Ireland in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Chairperson of Galway Bay 10 Bernard Duffy has said: Support for Galway Bay 10 has been fantastic and I find it particularly heartening that a number of people undergoing treatment for cancer, have actually committed to walking the ten miles. We would like to reiterate that this is not just a Galway event. It is relevant to Western counties who will particularly benefit from the accommodation services and other facilties the new Patient Care Centre will offer when cancer patients travel here to receive treatment. We encourage as many people from the Western region as possible to come to Galway that evening to take part. This is your chance to contribute to a tremendous facility for cancer patients in the West.

Entries are now being accepted online at www.galwaybay10.com and there is also a novice training programme on the website that provides preparation guidelines for anyone doing the ten miles. Entry forms and information can also be obtained by emailing info@galwaybay10.com or calling 091 554118 /faxing 091 516442.

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