Each year on St. Stephen’s Day, when the last of the Christmas wrapping is cleared away, Athenry shakes off the quiet and the Fields of Athenry 10K fills the town with runners, walkers, families, and friends. Now in its 23rd year, the race is as much tradition as competition—PB chasers line up beside first-timers, and everyone covets the now-famous Fields 10K hat, its colour kept secret until the final week.

In 2024, we added a new layer of friendly rivalry: the Corporate Cup, a team award celebrating workplace camaraderie as much as speed. The inaugural champions were SmartBear, whose quartet stitched together a terrific combined time of 2:52:29. Individually, Shane Begley (35:46) and Damien Sharry (36:46, his second-fastest 10K) led the line, with Alan Campbell (48:28, PB) and Damien Belton (50:14, PB) closing it out.

The story behind that win captures what the Cup is all about. Shane and Damien had been meeting once or twice a month for runs and were already in for the Fields. When they heard there’d be a Corporate Cup, they rallied two colleagues to form a team—first time entering as a unit, first time racing together, and straight onto the top step. The reaction back at the office was electric: “the company was buzzing with the result”.

As seasons change, teams change, too. Two of the SmartBear lads have since moved on, and Shane (an Athenry AC member) is working to assemble a new quartet to defend the trophy and keep the Cup in the fold. That’s the spirit of the Corporate Cup: build a team, pin on a number, and share a morning that feels bigger than the sum of four finishers.

Whether you’re racing for the podium, walking it off with friends, or just chasing that coveted hat, the Corporate Cup adds a simple challenge: bring your colleagues, make a memory, and see where your combined effort takes you. See you on St. Stephen’s Day in the Fields.