River Moy Half Marathon to bring hundreds of runners to north Mayo

Ballina prides itself on being among the best sporting towns on the planet and that will be emphasised again on Saturday, May 17, when the River Moy Half Marathon takes runners along the banks of the river through beautiful Belleek Woods, starting and finishing at Heffernan Park, home of Ballina Rugby Club, where a festival atmosphere awaits athletes.

Hundreds of runners will race through the Moyside town and continue a great tradition of athletic endeavour.

The River Moy Half Marathon has attracted crowds to Ballina for more than a decade and the 2025 version promises to be the best yet as the entire community gets ready to welcome runners to north Mayo.

This year's event is being hosted and run by Ballina Rugby Club in conjunction with race founders Alan and Liz Murphy and Mary Horkan, who are working with a new committee.

“The event is one of the special days in sport all across the region and further afield,” Ballina RFC's senior captain Gary Kavanagh explains. “We're absolutely delighted to be promoting and driving the River Moy Half Marathon alongside the organising committee. Over the years the event has always been promoted as a sport-tourism event which involved many aspects of our great community as locals and visitors took part, and that's why we're so excited about it.”

Gary continued: “People come from all across Ireland and as far afield as Italy, Belgium, France, Britain and the United States to run here, and they come back year after year because they enjoy it so much.

“We live in a great town where everyone is made welcome. This is also a wonderful opportunity for local charities to raise much-needed funds, and that's a huge part of the event too.”

The community co-operation is highlighted by the enthusiastic support the event is receiving from Ballina Chamber of Commerce and Mayo North Tourism.

Mairead Melody Carr from Mayo North says the event continues to grow every year, attracting more visitors to the region and further strengthening Ballina’s reputation as a hub for sport and community-driven initiatives.

“We are all about celebrating and promoting our incredible region, and community-led events like this are exactly what we love to support. We work closely with local businesses, clubs, groups, and the wider community to showcase north Mayo as a fantastic place to visit, stay and experience.

“The River Moy Half Marathon is a perfect example of how events can highlight the beauty, hospitality, and vibrant atmosphere of the area. It’s a huge positive for Ballina and beyond, bringing runners, spectators and their families into town, boosting the local economy and benefiting businesses from accommodation providers to cafés, restaurants, bars and retailers.

“Many visitors even turn it into a weekend getaway, exploring the wider region while they’re here.”

Ballina Chamber of Commerce are equally excited about the event. President Mary Moyles said the River Moy Half Marathon is a wonderful example of everyone working together for the benefit of all.

She added: “It’s always fantastic to see the community coming together to make events like this a success, and we’re proud to be involved in something that benefits so many. We encourage everyone to get involved, whether by running, supporting or simply soaking up the atmosphere. Ballina is a wonderful town for business and sport, and when everyone works together we're unbeateable.”

President of Ballina RFC, Ed Gunning, said the River Moy Half Marathon highlights all that's good in the town and surrounding area.

“This is a wonderful community where sport is central to everything that goes on,” he noted. “The River Moy Half Marathon shows all that's good in Ballina. There will be more than 100 volunteers stewarding the event and we're absolutely delighted to have the Ballina Community Clean-up Group working with us too.

“The rugby club is thriving, with huge numbers of boys and girls taking up the game and exciting teams representing the club every weekend. We have players on Connacht and international squads across the male and female game, and of course we have our senior internationals Dave Heffernan and Irish team captain Caelan Doris.

“The club is thriving, and we're absolutely delighted to be hosting the River Moy Half Marathon. Over the years it has been established as one of the most exciting events on the athletics calendar and we're expecting a huge crowd to take part, with locals and visitors just itching to run along the Moy, one of the finest rivers in the country. We're all looking forward to a wonderful day and a great weekend.”

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