Last year's Mini-Marathon win was special for Norah

There will be a new winner of the Mayo.ie Western People West of Ireland Women’s Mini-Marathon in Ballina on Sunday, May 5.

Last year’s winner Norah Newcombe-Pieterse will not be taking part in this year’s event, but it is a decision she has not taken lightly.

The 2023 West of Ireland Women's Mini-Marathon was an emotional but special day for Norah, winning the race as her late father passed away a month prior. She trained for the event while he was receiving palliative care.

“I’m a completely different headspace to where I was at last year’s launch event, which took place a little earlier on February 12. The excitement was contagious here in the hall. Last year was dad was in palliative care and I just pulled my energy for this race and wanted to go one step further and win it for him,” Norah told Angelina Nugent at last Friday’s launch of the Mini-Marathon at St Mary’s Secondary School.

“It was huge for me, even speaking about it now I get emotional, sorry to the Western People but this got rebranded in my house as Dad’s Race. I needed something to keep me going, so trained early mornings and late at the night and I carried on.”

There was a purpose for Norah in last year’s race and it showed as she was the first runner home in a time of 36:57, a serious pace for a 10k.

“This race did for me than I did for the race. It was a dream for me because all my family were there, it was lovely. He was with me while I was running. I’d just like to tell all the girls here, if there’s anything going on in your life, even if it’s just studying or stress, find something and put your energy into it,” she said.

“I trained so hard for this race and it was such a special day, there was a great feeling around the town after President Biden’s visit. It was lovely.”

Norah will be giving up her crown this year, but she explains that it is for a good reason.

“During the two years of the virtual Mini-Marathon and one of the years I did the hero campaign and I matched with a young lad called Alfie who is part of the Down Syndrome Galway Branch and he is having his First Holy Communion, so it’s not to missed. I hope it’s a good excuse!”