Teenage girls encouraged to take part in Mini-Marathon

The West of Ireland Women’s Mini Marathon will take place in Ballina on Sunday, May 3, which is seven weeks away and this week the focus is on schools’ participation.

The Its4Girls Teenage Event is open for secondary school girls aged between 12-18 who would like to run, jog or walk in the 2026 event.

The first 1,900 participants who register for the Mini Marathon will receive an exclusive event t-shirt. Over 1,200 people have registered to date so don’t miss out, register for the Its4Girls today. All Teen Girls participants will get a race number, downloadable record chart and a medal and all for just €10.

There are two ways to register for the event. Teenage girls can register through their schools (see instructions below) or can register individually via the West of Ireland Mini Marathon website.

Want to register as a school group. Firstly, round up your school friends. Next, someone designated by your school can sign the group up online, which helps ensure the information and t-shirt sizes are collected accurately. Schools must get their group registrations in by the deadline date of Monday April 6.

Full details can be found on the www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com/its4girls-teen-event-secondary-schools.html link.

In preparation for the event, get your friends together for 30 minutes of walking, jogging or running per day. If it is your first time entering an event like this start off with a walk and if you feel like you would like to try running, run for a minute then walk for a minute to build up your running stamina.

To help you track your progress and stay motivated, there is a downloadable Teen Target 30 tracker available on our website which is perfect for setting goals and making the journey more fun with friends.

In an effort to reduce the drop-off rate of teenage girls in physical activity, the Mayo Sports Partnership are delighted to partner with Athletics Ireland to expand the hugely successful Girls Squad programme into secondary schools across the county.

The Girl Squad programme is designed to support teenage girls to remain active and confident in sport by offering fun, inclusive and motivating sessions within the school setting.

It is the perfect programme for any student looking to kick-start their fitness journey, especially for those preparing for the Women’s Mini Marathon or any other upcoming events.

With its focus on gradual progress, teamwork and enjoyable movement, Girls Squad gives a great foundation to train safely and confidently.

The Girl Squad programme combines participation, mental health, wellbeing and education alongside leadership skills and confidence building and has a unique ability to cater for self-proclaimed ‘sport’ and ‘non-sporty’ girls.

The aim of the programme is to introduce athletics and general fitness through a physical and educational athletics programme to young girls.

Rhasidat Adeleke, Sarah Lavin, Ciara Mageean, Sarah Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley are leading the way for female runners in Ireland, with Kate O’Connor showcasing the heptathlon - which is a multiple discipline sport - while Nicola Tuthill is leading the way in the hammer throw.

Athletics is more than running and opens the door to many disciplines and offers the opportunity for girls to try different elements within athletics in a hope that they might find something they love and what to keep taking part in.

Between September and November 2024 over 3,500 teenage girls took part in the programme. The programme is teacher led and included is a journal the girls can you to explore and document their athletics journey. There are also resources for teachers as well as Girls Squad merchandise for teens.

This is a Her Moves programme that has been endorsed by Sport Ireland and designed to spark teacher and students’ imaginations while bringing athletics to schools around the country in an empowering and meaningful way.

If any teachers or schools are interested in getting involved with The Girls Squad, they can check out the details on www.thegirlssquad.ie.

For anyone who wishes to partake in the West of Ireland Women’s Mini Marathon the early bird registration has been extended to Monday April 6 and for all adults who have registered by the early bird deadline will be in a draw for two-night stay at the Great National Hotel Ballina which includes bed and breakfast and one evening meal. Early bird entry is €25 until April 6 and will increase to €30 after that date. Over 1,200 people have registered for the event to date so if you want to take part in this year’s mini marathon make sure to book your spot and bring some friends along with you for what will be a great event.