Caitlin on course to make big strides for club and country
Caitlin Hughes competing for Ireland at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships last December. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
If the success of previous Swinford Athletic Club winners of the Martin Sheridan Bursary is anything to by, then athletics star Caitlin Hughes has a very bright future ahead.
The 18-year-old joined clubmates Michaela Walsh and Maeve Gallagher as a Martin Sheridan Bursary winner, and her stock has continued to rise in cross-county, winning both of the U20 Irish Mountain Running Trials last April as well as representing her country at the European Cross Country Championships last December in Turkey.
“It was absolutely brilliant to get the bursary because funding is badly needed once you get to the higher level, especially in athletics,” Caitlin told the . “You need more shoes, you need the spikes, you're doing more mileage, you need more runners, you go through them a lot quicker. It’s great to get the Martin Bursary Award, I was extremely grateful to have it.”
Everything from race and training gear, race entries to strength and conditioning training was assisted by the bursary for Caitlin, who is currently studying Financial Maths and Economics in NUIG. Being a fresher in university and still training, travelling and competing can be a challenge but she is adapting as best she can, and is thankful to her coaches Matt Lockett and Peter Hynes. Matt is the national endurance co-ordinator at Athletics Ireland as well as a coach at NUIG Athletics Club, while Peter Hynes is well known in Swinford and Mayo athletic circles. Both have played a huge part in Caitlin’s ‘best year ever competing’, which have also included two track medals and a top five finish in the National Junior Cross Country Championships last November in Fermanagh.
Cross country was always going to be the chosen path for Caitlin, who loved the discipline since her earliest days at Swinford AC. Not just from an individual aspect, but the collective also.
“I've always loved it. It's been great getting to an All-Ireland level and then aspiring to get better and better each year and being able to look back and see my progress, so I've always done cross-country.
“The team aspect, it's something people I think forget when it comes to cross-country. Even though your individual performance is very important, you are working together as a team to get the team over the line as well.”
Her local club is close to her heart and even at a young age Caitlin is giving back, helping out future athletes.
“I do make an effort to always be at training when I'm home from university and even before, even after my Leaving Cert, I still did train. I was a juvenile rep for two years in my club, so I was kind of the bridge between the younger athletes and the committee to see what they want for training, their different ideas and bringing them to the committee. I did always like to mix with the younger kids and bring them on.”
The individual awards have continued to roll in, which include University of Galway individual performance of the year at the sports awards for her display with the Irish Under-20 European Cross Country team as well as Swinford Athlete of the Year, ending Michaela Walsh’s decade-long run as its holder.
“Michaela had had it for ten or twelve years before me and then I was very lucky. I had such a good year last year that I was fortunate enough to win it. That was a good highlight of the year as well. I'd been going to those award ceremonies for so many years and then to actually win it was incredible.
Caitlin added: “Seeing the likes of Michaela and Shane Bracken, who would have went to America om scholarship. it's showing what you can be when you put in the work. It really does drive you on because you want to be like these older people. They are such good role models and then you want yourself to be a role model for the younger people coming up to the club now.”
Her breakthrough on a national level was putting on the Irish jersey and representing her country at the European Cross Country Championships last December. Her U20 team finished sixth overall in Turkey and Caitlin hopes to make the team in the near future again.
“It was very surreal. You run for national senior cross country champs to qualify for that and then Turkey was two weeks later. It all happened very quick, but it was great travelling with the team. I was on the under-20 team but there was also an under-23 and senior team. Even getting to mix with those like older runners and more experienced, it was very enlightening.”
Caitlin has picked up where she left off from 2024. She competed at her first national senior championships where she finished in the top 10, and lowered her 3,000m time to 9.52, down from 10.15. She also won an intervarsity event two weeks ago and hopes the wins keep coming and her times keep tumbling.
“I'd be more efficient in the cross country but it's still important to run the track times because the quicker you are, that's always going to feed into cross country.
“It was a big focus to bring down my 3k and 1500m times so it's good that I've made such a big jump with the 3k time. It does indicate that there is still more to come. I have a couple more 3k races and a couple of 15s planned. That was a big aim so it's good to be hitting the targets especially so early in the season.”
Caitlin has a couple of meets planned before the cross-country season begins again and has targeted getting back on the Irish cross-country team for the European Championships in December. As for a long-term goal, ‘down the line’ she is looking to get an Olympic qualification.
“A bit of work to do before that, but it is definitely one.”
