The SPAR Omagh Half Marathon and 5K Run is set to return on Sunday 6 April 2025, with the town and local retailer SPAR NI showing full support for the event for the 17th consecutive year.
This year will mark the Omagh Half Marathon’s 35th birthday, which has grown to be a major fixture in the Athletics road running calendar, with many runners returning year on year to participate and enjoy the festival atmosphere.
This year, Omagh Harriers have increased their entry numbers to over 3500 half marathon runners, which will be their largest participant field to date, with a further 1000 running and walking the 5K route.
Darcey Wilson, corporate marketing executive at Henderson Group, which owns the SPAR brand in Northern Ireland, said that SPAR NI is thrilled to be back on board as title sponsor for the event.
“We’re so proud to be playing a part in delivering such a great event which is one of the key events in our calendar every year and an extra special one this year celebrating the Omagh Half’s 35th birthday. At SPAR NI, we are passionate about supporting events like this and promoting health and fitness initiatives throughout the country,” Wilson commented.
“Look out for us in Omagh on the day, as we’ll be cheering on the runners and walkers, and handing out some exciting prizes and goodies from SPAR NI.”
This year’s Half Marathon Walk commences at 08:30am, with the Half Marathon Run setting off at 09:30am, followed by the 5K at 09:45am. All participants start and end at Omagh Leisure Complex on the Old Mountfield Road and it is anticipated that there will be a total field of 4500 runners, joggers and walkers.
“On behalf of all the organisers, I’d like to pay tribute to our title sponsor SPAR NI, who have worked closely with us to grow and develop the race into the popular event which exists today,” Michael Ward, race director, said.
“We have witnessed this event grow enormously over the past 35 years. There is a growth in the amount of people pursuing a healthier lifestyle and with the pace and stresses of everyday living, running is a great release and also a way of meeting new friends.”
“The Omagh Half isn’t just for competitive runners”, Ward continued. “Our annual 5K run also attracts huge numbers, right through from primary school children to the more experienced. This year’s race also welcomes a new and exciting element for the 5K runners. There is a team prize up for grabs for the winning non-running sports club, this can be any sports club from rugby, Gaelic or football to badminton, table tennis and darts.
“For those who aren’t registered for this year, we would invite them to come down and enjoy the magical atmosphere on Sunday 6th April, it might even encourage you to register to walk, jog or run the course next year”.
The half marathon event for 2025 is sold out; however, registrations are still open at sientries.co.uk for the 5k Run.
This year’s beneficiary charity is Care for Cancer, a local charity that provides support to individuals and their families who have been affected by cancer in Omagh and surrounding areas, providing a drop-in service, transport to hospital appointments, reflexology sessions and much more. This year, Omagh Harriers will donate £3 from every half marathon entry to Care for Cancer. Participants are welcome to raise additional funds, to find out more about the charity, visit https://careforcancer.co.uk/
