Ian O’Riordan: Relentless pace of the running boom shows no sign of slowing

If there were certain news events which caught you by surprise this week, rest assured the announcement by Athletics Ireland that its club membership has reached another record high is continuing along entirely predicted lines.

Indeed, when set against some of those unlikely headlines from around the world – Trump’s Republican downfall in the US, Bob Dylan meeting the Pope in Rome – this may not even be much of a story. Except that it does further reflect not only the healthy growth of athletics in this country, but also the relentless pace of the global running boom.