Alannah to take on Mini-Marathon from Melbourne

Alannah Nolan moved to Melbourne in Australia in August 2025 to take on a new adventure. The former Midwest Radio broadcast journalist completed the West of Ireland Women’s Mini Marathon in Castlebar in 2025, and having moved half way round the world, the Ballyhaunis native will be the first person to complete the Mini-Marathon virtually from the land down under.

The 2025 mini-marathon was Alannah’s first. Like a lot of women, Alannah fell away from sport but decided she wanted to get back into it and she found running.

“I was trying to push myself out of my comfort zone last year so it is not really something that I ever would have done when I was younger. I would have played sports when I was younger, kind of a little bit throughout college.

“And then I think it was just to try and get back into doing something, just to have to have an end goal I suppose that’s how I initially decided to do the Westport 10k.” 

As she was signed up for the Westport 10km, Alannah’s mother suggested the Mayo.ie Western People Women's Mini-Marathon in Castlebar to her.

“I said if I'm doing the 10k in Westport the month before, sure I might as well sign up for the Mini-Marathon in Castlebar the month after.” 

Alannah and her mother had a special reason to complete the Mini-Marathon - they wanted to remember a friend who sadly passed away following a car accident in September 2024.

“The two of us decided that we'd raise funds for the Irish Road Victims Association.

“We raised just over €3,000, and we kind of recruited a few to do with us. There was two of my friends and two of my Mam's friends as well. It was kind of a nice thing to do.”

Having moved to Australia and not being able to come home for the 2026 event, Alannah reached out to the Mini-Marathon Facebook page to see about completing the race virtually.

“With it coming around this year, obviously, because I'm living in Australia and I'm not going to get home for it this year, I said I'd see if I could get a race pack sent over and I can just do it from here.

“I got in touch with the page, and they were more than happy to be able to send one over here, and obviously delighted, because they haven't had somebody in Australia doing the Mini-Marathon virtually before.” 

While we are heading into the summer here, it will be wintertime over in Australia. The weather in Melbourne is more akin to Irish weather than other parts of Australia so Alannah hopes that on the day when she completes the marathon virtually the weather will be on her side.

"The Mini-Marathon is a great event, especially for first timers. It does not matter if you are a runner, jogger or a walker, this event is built for all, but the atmosphere created can give the participants the added push needed especially when coming up to the final kilometre.

“When you're in the environment, such as what the Mini-Marathon is, you don't have to do massive amounts of training.

“There's enough of a crowd, and the people around you are enough to keep driving you on towards the finish. And, I remember that last big hill as you come back in, you're around nine kilometres in, and that's when it can get quite tough on the legs and tough on the brain. But, the volunteers and the stewards and the people around you are phenomenal for trying to push you on and make sure that you do get over the line.” 

The Mini-Marathon will be a stepping stone in Alannah’s training as she prepares to undertake the Syndey Marathon in August.

“I signed myself up to Sydney Marathon at the end of August. The Mini-Marathon will help me towards my training for that as well. I think that's another way to try and keep motivated while I'm doing the Mini-Marathon, knowing that I have the end goal of the long marathon at the end of August.” 

This year's Mayo.ie Western People West of Ireland Women's Mini-Marathon will be held in Ballina on Sunday, May 3rd. The early bird registration is now open at www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com.