Cheetah Run races back
“There is something very special about running past giraffes, lions, tigers and cheetahs.”
Those were the words of athlete Hugh McSweeney as he recently launched the Eagle Athletic Club 2023 Cheetah Run at Fota Wildlife Park.
Hugh McSweeney of Eagle Athletic Club, who is one of Ireland’s most successful Masters athletes launched the annual 5km Cheetah Run which will take place in the 100 acre grounds in Fota Wildlife Park on Thursday 18 May.
The race which attracts nearly 1,000 participants is always a sell out and is a very family friendly race.
As part of the Cheetah Run, a juvenile 1 mile race for 11-15 year olds will also take place and Hugh McSweeney was joined at the launch by brothers Conor and Eoghan Looney from Blarney-Inniscarra AC who finished 1st and 2nd in the 2022 Cheetah Run 1 mile race.
Fota Wildlife Park hosts the annual event in conjunction with Eagle AC and each year the funds raised are used to support the Wildlife Park’s research and conservation projects.
Hugh McSweeney started his running career in 1982 and is a long-standing member of Eagle AC. Over the past 40 years he has won 30 national gold medals, 15 national silver medals, 2 national bronze medals, 2 World Indoor Games (1991), 2 World Masters Outdoors Championships medals (2022), and 2 European Indoor Championships medals (2022).
Hugh has held 10 national records over 60 metres, 200 metres and the long jump. In 2022 at the age of 77, Hugh won 3 national, 2 European and 2 World Championship medals.
Sean McKeown, Director of Fota Wildlife Park said: “We are delighted to host the annual Cheetah Run in Fota Wildlife Park. As a non-profit organisation, the race is a valuable source of funding for the conservation work we do. Funds raised from the race will be used to support conservation projects such as the Natterjack Toad Head Starter Programme, the Madagascan Pochard and in Vietnam, the Tonkin Snub-nosed monkey.”
Ruairi Egan and Karen Bevan, Race Directors with Eagle AC said: “Following the sell-out return to Fota Wildlife Park in 2022, we are looking forward to welcoming everyone again to our exciting and unique race. We are grateful to the OPW and to Fota house for their continued support in allowing us to use their property. It is a pleasure to work with everyone at the Wildlife Park and we are delighted to again support their wonderful conservation and research projects.”
Organised by Eagle Athletic Club (AC), the Cheetah Run is sponsored by John Buckley Sports and Brooks Running and registration is at Eventmaster.ie.