Brendan Boyce and Ed McGroarty scoop national awards

Donegal athletes Brendan Boyce and Ed McGroarty were honoured with awards at the Irish Life Health National Athletics Awards.

The awards ceremony was held virtually across Friday and Saturday nights.

Finn Valley AC’s Boyce was named as the endurance athlete of the year while McGroarty, of Lifford-Strabane AC, was given the ultra runner of the year prize.

At the Olympic Games in August, Boyce delivered a superb performance to secure a tenth-place finish in the men’s 50k race walk.

Boyce finished in 3:53:40, making up two places over the final 5k of a gruelling, punishing event to finish inside the top ten.In May, Boyce was ninth in the men’s 50k at the European Race Walking Cup in Podebrady, Czech Republic.

Third-place finish for James Kelly helps Team Ireland to bronze in Glasgow

Ireland won bronze at the Dynamic New Athletics at the Emirates Arena

“It has been a phenomenal year,” Boyce said.

“I was delighted with the results I got in both competitions.”

Boyce’s favoured 50km distance has been replaced by a 35k event. Boyce, in his first race over the new distance, booked his spot at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

The Milford man is coached in Cork by former world champion Rob Heffernan.

“A lot of the training sessions we do would be really tough,” Boyce said. “99 per cent of the time you’re training for those races and there isn’t a lot of downtime to prep.

“A lot of athletes can go through rounds and seasons.  lot of times, I will come off and say that it was tougher than some races.

“That gives a confidence that you can replicate it in competition. The confidence for competition comes from training.

“If I know that I have done two or three months of good training, I know I can go on the start line with more confidence.

“I know that if anyone is going to beat me, they’re going to have to have worked just as hard as me.

“When I look at someone, I be like: ‘If you’re going to beat me, fair pay, but you’re going to suffer’.

Ed McGroarty

McGroarty set an astonishing new record in the Irish 24 Hour Championships of 256.57km in October.

Never before had 250km been broken by an Irish athlete in a 24 hour period.

“For me ultra running is exciting,” McGroartty said.

“I can look forward to a race. it’s an adventure to go on a race because, generally, I would be away from home for a few days to a new part of the world.

“You meet new people and get to experience something quite unique. I do see it as an adventure and I thoroughly enjoy it.”