Shona Heaslip

Long Distance

Career Highlight to date: 

Winning back to back National Senior Cross Country titles in 2017 and 2018. 

Finishing 24th at the World Half Marathon Championships in Riga in 2023.

Running 1.10.35 in my first competitive half marathon after a 3.5 year layoff with an injury. 

Aims for the 2024 season: 

Win the National Senior 10km Road Championships in March 2024.

Represent Ireland at the European Track and Field Championships in the half marathon in June 2024. 

Retain my National Senior 10,000m title. 
Make my marathon debut in the Valencia marathon in December 2024, putting down a solid time. 

How will the Jerry Kiernan Foundation help you achieve these goals: 

The foundations funding which I am extremely grateful for will help me compete  more frequently in high quality races abroad, and will allow me to train abroad on a more regular basis. 

Receiving financial support form the Jerry Kiernan Foundation will allow me to reduce my work hours, therfore allowing me to focus more on my training and my recovery. This will be of huge importance as I look to progress up to the marathon distance in 2024. 

I opened my 2024 season by winning the Raheny 5 mile in January, and the National Senior 10km Road Championships in March where I set PB's over both distances. With the support from the Jerry Kiernan Foundation this year, I aim to continue progressing and setting PB's over the longer distances