Eoin Hughes and Sarah Fitzpatrick ran the quickest parkrun times in Ireland yesterday (May 18).

Eoin Hughes ran a parkrun PB to lead the Irish parkrun times this weekend. Acorn AC man Hughes ran 15:17 on the MUSA Cookstown course – where we often see some of the fastest times run. Hughes has had a great year so far running a 31:32 10km PB Termoneeney 10K recently and 15:04 at Armagh 5km.

Regular top 10 performer Sarah Fitzpatrick ran 19:29 on the Bushy course in Dublin to be this weeks leading woman. Fitzpatrick who has a 5,000m PB of 18:01 was a little way off her best of parkrun PB 19:10 but well clear of the second place finisher. Niamh Hughes with 19:35 was this week’s second faster female and there was a tie for 3rd with Orla Byrne and Leann Gibson both clocking 19:38.

Stephen Kelly was nearly 4 minutes clear of the second place man at Oldbridge as be clocked 16:13. Kelly who was a  competitor in the recent European Masters Championships has a parkrun best of 15:50. Kevin O’Grady had yet another impressive performance. Under 17 O’Grady has a parkrun PB of 16:16 and finished over a minute ahead of the second placed runner.

The post 10 fastest Irish parkrun times on Saturday 18th May (2019) appeared first on Fast Running.

Athletics Ireland has named a team of six athletes for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark on Saturday, March 30.

Two-time European Cross Country champion Fionnuala McCormack headlines the team that will be competing in Denmark later this month.

At the 2013 World Cross in Poland, McCormack was the highest placed European finisher in 14th place.

Sara Treacy, who recently finished third on the roads at the Trafford 10k, joins McCormack in the women’s selection.

For Treacy, it will be her first World Cross Country Championships as a senior athlete having previously competed as a junior.

Kevin Dooney and Sean Tobin will represent Ireland in the senior men’s event.

At the 2018 European Cross Country Championships, Tobin was the highest placed Irish finisher in 10th place.

Photo: Andy Peat

In Tilburg, Irish national champion Dooney was next across the finish line for Ireland in 26th place, vastly improving on his 51st placing at the 2017 event.

Darragh McElhinney, who recently broke the Irish junior 5000m indoor record, and Jamie Battle have been named in the under-20 men’s selection and complete the team.

Irish team for the World Cross Country Championships

Senior women: Fionnuala McCormack and Sara Treacy

Senior men: Kevin Dooney and Sean Tobin

Junior men: Darragh McElhinney and Jamie Battle

Meanwhile, Great Britain also named its team on Tuesday (March 12) and it can be found here.

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Athletics Ireland has named a team of 16 athletes for the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow from March 1-3.

Ciara Mageean, Mark English, Thomas Barr, Phil Healy and Sean Tobin are among the team that has a strong blend of experience and championship debuts.

Healy is ranked fourth in the women’s 400m with Mageean and English (1500m and 800m) both ranked fifth on the European Indoor lists.

English, who won European indoor silver four years ago in Prague, has been in excellent form winning his sixth national indoor title at the weekend.

Mageean has also showed her class in recent weeks and won the women’s national 3000m title on Saturday after setting an Irish indoor mile record last week.

Photo: Athletics Ireland / Sportsfile

Olympian Barr and Cillin Greene have been selected for the 400m, while Tobin, who features in the Fast 10: class of 2019, will race in the 3000m alongside Irish champion John Travers.

There are senior debuts on the women’s side for Molly Scott and Lauren Roy in the 60m, Sophie Becker in the 400m and world U20 silver medallist Sommer Lecky in the high jump.

It’s a good step up for the U20 athletes with three members of the women’s world 4x100m silver medal-winning team running in the 60m with Ciara Neville also an individual qualifier.

Joseph Ojewumi in the 60m and Conall Kirk in the 800m make track debuts, while Siofra Cleirigh Buttner has been selected for the women’s 800m.

“This is a strong Irish team that is primed to put in a performance at this championship,” said High Performance Director Paul McNamara. “Our more high profile athletes have had stellar seasons to date with Ciara, Phil, Mark, Siofra and Thomas very well placed on the European ranking lists.

“This event will provide an excellent transitioning opportunity for our talented crop of 2018 U20s such as Molly, Ciara, Lauren and Sommer while emerging athletes like Joseph Ojewumi, Cillin Greene and Sophie Becker have shown exciting form this season to earn their spots. This will be a good championships for Irish athletics.”

RELATED: Ciara Mageean and Phil Healy among winners at Irish indoors

Women’s selection

60m: Molly Scott (SLOT), Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn), Ciara Neville (Emerald)
400m: Phil Healy (Bandon), Sophie Becker (St Joseph’s)
800m: Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD)
1500m: Ciara Mageean (UCD)
High jump: Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley)

Men’s selection

60m: Joseph Ojewumi (Tallaght)
400m: Thomas Barr (Ferrybank), Cillin Greene (Galway City Harriers)
800m: Mark English (UCD), Zak Curran (DSD), Conall Kirk (Annadale Striders)
3000m: John Travers (Donore Harriers), Sean Tobin (Clonmel)

Meanwhile, the British team of 48 athletes for Glasgow was also named and can be found here.

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Ciara Mageean, Mark English, Phil Healy and Thomas Barr are among the top Irish athletes set to compete at the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Championships this weekend (February 16/17).

Mageean is the outstanding distance runner on the women’s side this season having rewritten her own national indoor 1500m and mile records with 4:06.76 and 4:28.31 respectively. She is set to compete over 3000m and will prove difficult to stop.

Raheny Shamrock’s Kieran Kelly will bid for his third national indoor title in-a-row as he bids to defend the 1500m title he won last year.

Kilkenny City Harriers’ Eoin Everard looks like one of his chief competitors should he run the metric mile at Sport Ireland’s National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown.

Mark English is back on song having won the 800m at the Athlone International Grand Prix in 1:46.94 and will be a tough nut to crack.

Photo: Kieran Carlin

DSD’s Zak Curran and Annadale Striders’ Conal Kirk both secured European indoor standards behind him in Athlone and will be there to pounce if there is a slip-up.

There is a big entry for the men’s 3000m with Donore Harriers’ John Travers looking to continue his good form fresh from his sub four-minute mile clocking in Athlone.

Siofra Cleirigh Buttner looks like the favourite in the women’s 800m heading the entries on 2:03.30 with UCD’s Claire Mooney and Templeogue’s Nadia Power also in contention for medals.

Sarah Healy is entered for both the 1500m and 3000m, however it is unclear what event the Blackrock youngster will tackle on the weekend. St Coca’s Claire Tarplee and Emerald’s Amy O’Donoghue will be among the contenders.

In the race walks, Kate Veale (West Waterford AC) will be favourite to retain her senior women’s 3,000m title with Alex Wright (Leevale A.C.) also the hot favourite in the men’s 5,000m walk.

Healy and Barr to feature in 400m races with exciting sprints in store

Phil Healy continues her ascent in the women’s 400m leading the rankings with 52.31 but St Joseph’s Sophie Becker has made significant progress and also holds a European Indoor qualifying time with 53.66.

The men’s 400m sees Thomas Barr continue his indoor campaign where he hopes to compete in his first major indoor championships in Glasgow. Barr will target a sub 47-second clocking.

Tallaght’s Joseph Ojewumi and Galway City Harriers’ Cillin Greene head the men’s 60m and 200m rankings (6.77 and 21.47) respectively, but will face stiff competition from last year’s double winner Leon Reid of Menapians and St Laurence O’Toole’s Marcus Lawler.

Ojewumi will look to win his first national senior title along with copper-fastening his place to the European Indoors – his first major championship.

Molly Scott has had an excellent indoor season and heads the rankings in the women’s 60m with 7.36 seconds. City of Lisburn’s Lauren Roy is another who has impressed with 7.39 – both times are under the European indoor standard of 7.40.

Leevale’s Joan Healy, Emerald’s Ciara Neville and Patience Jumbo-Gula of St Gerard’s Dundalk will be among those looking to compete.

St Joseph’s Sophie Becker heads the 200m rankings with 24.07 followed by Sharlene Mawdsley on 24.21. With Becker likely to focus on the 400m it will be an interesting event with Rhasidat Adeleke of Tallaght also on the entry list.

Molly Scott (SLOT) and Kate Doherty (DSD) could have an exciting duel in the women’s 60m hurdles with only one-hundredth of a second separating them on the season’s times – 8.34 to 8.35.

Matthew Behan (Crusaders) will be aiming for gold in the men’s 60m hurdles – the only man to run under 8 seconds this season.

Jumping and throwing for podium positions

Ruby Millet and Shane Howard lead the long jump entries, while Saragh Buggy and Mark Burton are the leading triple jumpers.

Sommer Lecky and Pippa Rogan look set to have a close battle in the women’s high jump having both cleared 1.84m. The men’s high jump is open this year with Shane Aston, Ciaran Connolly and Ryan Carthy Walshe among the contenders.

Clodagh Walsh and Matthew Callinan Keenan are the leading entries in the men’s pole vault, while Michaela Walsh and Sean Breathnach will look to impress once more in their respective shot put competitions.

The action will be streamed live on Athletics Ireland’s Facebook page and the full timetable can be found here.

Athletes with European Indoor qualifiers

Women

60m: Molly Scott (SLOT), Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn)
400m: Phil Healy (Bandon), Sophie Becker (St Joseph’s)
800m: Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD)
1500m: Ciara Mageean (UCD)
Men
60m: Joseph Ojewumi (Tallaght)
400m: Thomas Barr (Ferrybank)
800m: Mark English (UCD), Zak Curran (DSD), Conall Kirk (Annadale Striders)
1500m: John Travers (Donore Harriers)
3000m: John Travers (Donore Harriers), Sean Tobin (Clonmel)

*does not guarantee selection

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The post Irish athletes ready for national indoors appeared first on Fast Running.

Ciara Mageean set a new Irish 1500m Indoor record of 4:06:76 to take the win at the AIT Grand Prix on Wednesday night (February 13).

The 26 year-old improved on her previous best and record of 4:08:66 – set in 2016 – by nearly two seconds.

Mageean switched a gear with 100m to go to move past Claudia Bobocea of Romania who finished in 4:07.05, with Mageean’s training partner Anna Silvander of Sweden third in 4:13.80.

Rás den scoth ag @ciaramageean anseo in @AthloneIT! 1500m PB faighte aici leis an bua!

What a race from @TeamIreland Ciara Mageean at the Grand Prix in Athlone! Its a track record & a PB for Ciara herself! pic.twitter.com/gZMU5ZklSP

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 13, 2019

The Olympian will race in the Irish Life Health National Indoor Championships this weekend before lining up at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March.

This was also a significantly quicker time that she ran at the IAAF World Indoor Tour, in Madrid on Friday (8th March) when she placed second in a top class field in the 1500m with a time of 4:10.12.

A night to remember!

Ciara Mageean tonight set a new indoor Irish record in the TG4 Women's 1500m of 4:06.78sec during the AIT International Grand Prix 2019 at the Athlone Institute of Technology.

@sportsfilebren https://t.co/AZMjHHvBH6 pic.twitter.com/dRn10pv14g

— Sportsfile (@sportsfile) February 13, 2019

This is Mageean’s second Irish record of the indoor season. On Saturday, January 26, she set a new Irish indoor mile record of 4:28.31 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston.

This improved on Mageean’s previous record of 4:28.40 which she set three years ago.

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Athletics Ireland has announced that six high profile athletics events will be streamed live in 2019.

Over 250,000 viewers watched last year’s athletics coverage, and the first event to be broadcast live in 2019 is the Junior and Under-23 Indoor Championships, which takes place on Sunday, January 27.

Hamish Adams, CEO of Athletics Ireland: “This is the fifth year in which Athletics Ireland has live streamed our Irish Life Health events and we are delighted to once again partner up to promote our great sport to a growing audience.”

Athletics Ireland – working closely with multimedia firm nTrai – has been streaming events since 2013 and this combined with a strong social media presence has created an ideal platform with which to broadcast the action.

“We are delighted to be able to offer this service again in 2019 and we must thank our sponsor Irish Life Health for providing us with the platform to showcase our great sport to an ever-increasing audience,” said Athletics Ireland Marketing Manager Daragh Browne, who is confident this year’s viewership will top 300,000.

“Irish Life Health has been a fantastic supporter of Athletics from grassroots right up to masters level and we are looking forward to working with them again this year to promote athletics as a sport for life across the country.

“Our target this year is to stream six high-class national athletics events and to reach over 300,000 views. It’s an ambitious target but streaming of the 2018 Irish Life Health Senior Indoors attracted a viewership of over 90k alone and the feedback received from fans was overwhelmingly positive, so we see no reason we can’t build on this success.”

2019 Live streaming schedule

Jan 27 – Irish Life Health Junior and U23 Indoors AIT, Athlone
Feb 16 – Irish Life Health Senior Indoors National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown
Mar 30 – Irish Life Health Juvenile Indoors Day 1 AIT, Athlone
Jun 1 – Irish Life Health All Ireland Schools Track and Field Tullamore
Jul 6 – Irish Life Health Junior and U23 Outdoors Tullamore
Jul 27 – Irish Life Health National Seniors Morton Stadium, Santry

Exact streaming times to be announced in the days leading up to each event.

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After an unforgettable year of record breaking performances and gold medals, Irish runner Joe Gough is looking forward to many more years at the top of masters athletics.

Gough’s highlights in 2018 included winning double O65 middle-distance gold at the World Masters Athletic Championships in Malaga. In his preferred event, the 800m, he ran 2:16.37 to set a new European record, while in the 1500m he won his first world medal at the longer distance.

His achievements were duly noted, and in January, as well celebrating his 66th birthday, the European Masters Association awarded the West Waterford AC athlete with the honour of European Middle Distance Athlete of the year.

Cliona Foley spoke with Gough – at the announcement of Irish Life Health as an official partner to Athletics Ireland – to find out more about his career as a masters athlete.

Fast Running: Congratulations on winning the European Masters Distance Running Athlete of the Year award recently and being nominated for the same award at World Masters. Were you surprised?

Joe Gough: To be honest I didn’t even know there was such an award! I was only informed two weeks ago. The presentation will be at the European Outdoors in Venice next September where I’ll be competing.

Apparently as one of the continental winners you are also put forward for the World Masters Awards. Awards are not why you do the sport but of course they mean something.

It’s always nice to be acknowledged and also I feel it’s recognition for the Irish family of Masters Athletics which is a vast number of people, one of the biggest memberships in Athletics Ireland.

FR: Sum up your 2018. Did you achieve everything you had set to do?

JG: I broke an O65 world record in Dublin in March, the first world record on the indoor track in Abbotstown. I’d also broken the World O60 record in Athlone IT track in 2014 so it’s been nice to set two world records in two Irish stadia.

I’d won the 800m at World Championships before but never the 1500m. I took a decision to train for it and put it out there that I was going for gold in the 1500m, which was a big challenge because I’m not really a 1500m runner.

But I won it and broke the Irish record to win it, and also broke the European record to win the 800m so the World Championships were very satisfying.

They were the two highlights and winning European Masters Athlete of the Year in Middle Distance was another.

FR: What is your biggest challenge as a masters athlete?

JG: Probably to keep the motivation going. If you’re winning that helps! Being challenged helps too, they’re out to get me and that’s good.

I’ll be beaten on days and I’ll train harder and come back. That’s what brings you on. It’s never static which is great.

Staying focussed is the big thing. I plan every week and try to stick to that. I retired from work a year ago and it helps because I can probably recuperate now a bit better, but my training hasn’t changed that much. I couldn’t train any harder.

FR: How competitive is masters athletics?

JG: It’s very competitive right now. There are new people coming into it from other sports and they’re coming in fresh and really motivated so you have to be ready all the time.

There’s a fantastic buzz in it and of course it is social. I will make friends along the way but that’s not my purpose.

When you train hard and compete hard and are up on the podium, there’s no greater buzz. For me it’s always performance first.

FR: Which nations are your biggest rivals?

JG: All the big countries you’d expect really. America, Britain and Germany are all strong and masters runners are coming in bigger numbers from Kenya now.

I spoke to the Kenyan team in Malaga and they said they get $10,000 dollars for every gold medal they bring home. And they are also financed – their entry, transport and accommodation are paid for.

This year Americans making the first six in World Masters were also guaranteed $3000 for transport and accommodation from their federation and Germany does similar.

We have lagged behind and Ireland could market its Masters Athletics much better, it’s so vast now and constantly growing.

FR: What’s a typical training week like?

JG: Always three quality sessions, either on track or hill sprints. The other days I do a tempo run (quality as well) and strength and conditioning and I always do one long run every Sunday, about 10 miles. It’s easy to run 10 miles ‘easy’.

You do 10x100m on the track, that’s a lot harder. My long runs are done in the woods or on grass.

It’s all hills around me and Portlaw is just across the river. I live on Owning Hill. a lovely spot. My neighbour is the horse trainer Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son. We both use the same hill for our gallops!

My last choice for training always is the road. There’s wear and tear anyway but when I see concrete my body wilts! A mile on the grass is a mile you can do again tomorrow.

I always train with someone who is younger and better than me which brings me on and they’re also learning from me. I do a lot of bounding and plyometrics before my track sessions.

That’s works for me, keeps the fast-twitch fibres primed. I still have my basic Casio watch and can easily judge my own heart-rate so I don’t have any of those fancy monitors. I’d probably only lose one.

FR: You came back to running at 35. With your ongoing success in masters athletics, what advice would you have given your 16-year-old self now?

JG: Get a good coach. I had talent but I was one of those athletes who was always second; second to Eamonn Coghlan and second to Jerry Kiernan. I remember coming second to Eamonn in Dublin, him going off to Villanova then and me back to Waterford. At the time there wasn’t a great coaching structure in Ireland with a few exceptions.

Now there are good coaches out there and there’s no excuse. Today I train twice as hard as I did then. I’m still slowing down but the focus is there.

Dick Murphy is my coach. I might only see him once every two months but I don’t think I’d have achieved what I have if I was self-coached. You tend to do foolish things on your own. Dick spots things I’m not even aware of.

FR: What’s next for you?

JG: The World Indoor Masters in Torun, Poland in March. Last year’s World Outdoors attracted 7000 athletes from 102 countries and Indoors will be pretty similar. Competition is very hot, they’re coming to win medals and break records.

Then I have Europeans Outdoors in Venice in September. It’s a long year but you come back down and start a second season. What I do as a master is exactly what any elite athlete does; your weights, circuits, quality sessions, sprints, hill runs, time-trials and races.

FR: What’s the key to your success?

JG: I love running just for running’s sake. There is a wildness and wilderness about it which is lovely. But, when you’re on the track, you’re there to perform and I like that.

The track is the least favourite place for athletes because you’ve nowhere to hide, unlike a mass road race. The track is a lonely place so you have to be completely prepared for it and that’s always my thing.

There are times when I’m not motivated and I’ll say “why the hell am I doing this?”. But after a few hours or a day, that passes and I come back to it. I’m on a journey for myself.

Everyone can run for life, it has so many health benefits. It’s all about your own mindset; how you talk to yourself, the phrases you use. There are European and world records for people over 100 years of age so I’ve got 35 years left!

Joe Gough was speaking at the announcement of Irish Life Health as an official partner to Athletics Ireland, backing a sport that delivers on health, wellness and lifelong activity.

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Sean Tobin ran a gutsy race to work his way through the field and finish 10th in the senior men’s race at the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg on Sunday (December 9).

After the earlier races, the muddy course became increasingly torn up in the rainy conditions, but Tobin, who finished 15th last year in Samorin, battled through to take the honours of the leading Irish senior athlete at the continental championships.

After the first 1500m lap, Tobin and Kevin Dooney were together in about 25th place with Kevin Maunsell not far off the pace.

As the race progressed and the soft underfoot took its toll, Tobin moved through the field, picking his way through the mud and staying out of trouble. By 3000m, he was lying in 17th, with Dooney 22nd and Maunsell 37th. At halfway, Tobin was 12th, with Dooney 25th and Maunsell 41st.

Tobin continued to pick off the runners in front of him and was in 11th place at the bell, with just 1300m to go.

The Clonmel athlete made up one further place on the final lap, finishing 10th – an improvement of five places on 2017. His time of 29:22 meant he was just over half a minute behind race winner Filip Ingebrigsten of Norway, who broke the four-year Turkish winning streak when he crossed the line for victory in 28:49.

Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli took silver and Turkey’s Aras Kaya bronze.

Irish national champion Dooney, who has been sharing his journey this year on Fast Running, was next across the line for Ireland in 26th place to vastly improve on his 51st placing 12 months ago.

Photo: Andy Peat

Maunsell finished 34th to complete the scoring three athletes and secure seventh place overall for the Irish team.

It is a good step forward,” said Tobin afterwards. “Coming off nationals I was quite tired and made the most of my recovery in the last two weeks.

“I came out and had a solid performance. I was always trying to be conservative and not push too hard of the bends or slow down too much. It was a solid performance, we’ll take it for now and keep moving forward.”

Kevin Batt was next in 55th place, followed by Irish marathon champion Mick Clohisey in 67th and Damien Landers in 78th place.

In the senior women’s race, Sara Treacy was the first Irish athlete across the finish line in 26th place as Kenyan-born Yasemin Can of Turkey clinched a third successive title ahead of Switzerland’s Fabienne Schlump and Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal of Norway.

Treacy, who was competing in her 10th European Cross Country Championships, was followed home by Irish champion Ciara Mageean in 43rd place, while Michelle Finn was 51st as the team finished 11th overall.

“I love being here I love being at this level of competition,” said Treacy. “It brings out the best in me. I race better with good competition. I just loved it out there, I really enjoy getting stuck in. There was a whole load of pain in the middle of the race but that is normal for cross country or any race.”

Ann-Marie McGlynn was the next finishing Irish athlete in 57th ahead of Fionnuala Ross in 61st and Kerry O’Flaherty in 64th.

The final event of the day was the mixed relay race with the Irish quartet of Paul Robinson, John Travers, Siofra Cleirigh Buttner and Claire Tarplee finishing ninth.

Earlier in the day, Ryan Forsyth ran an impressive race to just miss out on an individual medal, finishing fourth in the under-23 men’s event.

A report from the Sunday morning’s action, including Forsyth’s performance in the men’s under-23 race, can be found here.

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Finishing a strong fourth in the under-23 men’s race, Ryan Forsyth was the top performing Irish athlete in the morning racing at the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg on Sunday (December 9).

The Newcastle AC athlete, who grew up in America with his mother from Northern Ireland, took the race out from the gun and led the mass start before finding himself in a battle for the final medal position.

In the end, France’s Hugo Hay won the contest for bronze with Irish debutant Forsyth finishing just one second off.

Defending champion Jimmy Gressier successfully retained his title ahead of Germany’s Samual Fitwi and led France to team gold ahead of Great Britain and Spain.

Gressier did have an awkward finish though as he attempted to slide across the finish line with two French flags in hands.

How not to finish a cross country race. #Tilburg2018 pic.twitter.com/2kJ3I6WOFb

— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) December 9, 2018

The Irish team finishing sixth overall led by Forsyth in fourth, Brian Fay 29th, Paul O’Donnell 36th, Cathal Doyle 51st, Jack O’Leary 56th and Garry Campbell 80th.

“I like to race aggressively,” said Forsyth, who finished 11th last month at the NCAA Championships. “I believe I should be up there and so should the team. It’s an honour to wear the vest.”

The under-20 women’s race was the first event of the day over the testing Tilburg course, with Ireland’s Emma O’Brien and Sarah Healy claiming top 10 places, while the team finished sixth overall.

Photo: Andy Peat

Healy, the European U18 1500m and 3000m champion, had been pipped as the favourite by many, but a fall at the halfway point severely hampered any medal hopes for the youngster.

The Blackrock athlete will surely learn from the experience ahead of another two years at this level.

Bad news for one of the favourites.

European U18 1500m and 3000m champion Sarah Healy took a tumble in the U20 women's race. #Tilburg2018 pic.twitter.com/FJKRR7IIFH

— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) December 9, 2018

O’Brien finished eighth ahead of Healy in ninth, while Stephanie Cotter was the next counting athlete in 25th. Completing the team was Jodie McCann in 35th, Sophie O’Sullivan in 59th and Laura Nicholson in 60th.

Ireland’s under-20 men finished a strong fifth with Darragh McElhinney first across the finish line in 16th place.

Sean O’Leary was 18th ahead of Jamie Battle in 21st, Michael Power in 60th, Fintan Stewart in 75th and Daire Finn completed the team in 86th.

Ireland’s under-23 women’s team finished ninth overall with Eilish Flanagan and Aoibhe Richardson securing top 25 places in 16th and 25th respectively.

Roisin Flanagan was next in 41st ahead of Fian Sweeney in 43rd, while Siobhra O’Flaherty finished 54th and Sorcha McAllister was 66th.

In the senior races, Sean Tobin finished a strong 10th in the men’s event, while Sara Treacy was the first Irish woman in 26th place. A full report from the senior races can be found here.

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Thomas Barr was named as the Athlete of the Year at the Irish Life Health National Athletics Awards in Blanchardstown on Thursday (November 29).

Barr got the top honour with his superb bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the European Championships in Berlin over the summer.

The Ferrybank athlete also collected the Track and Field Athlete of the Year award holding off Phil Healy, who was named inspirational performance for her 100m and 200m record exploits, and European finalists Leon Reid and Ciara Mageean.

Sommer Lecky was named Junior Athlete of Year after her high jump silver medal winning performance – and an Irish U20 record – at the IAAF World U20 Athletics Championships in Tampere, Finland.

The relay squad of Molly Scott Gina Akpe-Moses, Ciara Neville and Patience Jumbo-Gula and Rhasidat Adeleke, who also won silver in Tampere, were named the team of the year.

Mary Purcell was inducted into the Hall of Fame for 2018. She was the dominant figure in women’s athletics in Ireland throughout the 1970s.

While the Irish Life Health National Athletics Awards is a celebration of the many successes of our international and national it also commemorates the association’s exceptional volunteer base. Paddy Marley was named as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient – the pinnacle volunteer award while Sean Callan won the Outstanding Official of the Year.

Both stalwarts of Clonliffe Harriers, they are very popular people on the athletics scene. Frank Greally, editor of the Irish Runner magazine for over 30 years was a very worthy recipient of a Special Recognition Award.

“The awards not only allow us to celebrate the great performances of our athletes over the course of the year, but it also gives Athletics Ireland the opportunity to formally acknowledge our coaches, officials and clubs for their enormous contribution to the success of our sport,” said CEO of Athletics Ireland, Hamish Adams.

“We wish all our athletes success at the forthcoming European Cross Country Championships, and we look forward to ensuring that we too deliver a world class experience for both athletes and spectators when we play host to the event in 2020.”

Irish Athletics Awards winners

Hall of Fame: Mary Purcell
Lifetime Services to Athletics: Paddy Marley
Athlete of the Year: Thomas Barr (Ferrybank)
Endurance Athlete of the Year: Alex Wright (Leevale)
U20 Athlete of the Year: Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley)
U23 Athlete of the Year: Matthew Behan (Crusaders)

Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Thomas Barr (Ferrybank)
Performance Club of the Year: Clonliffe Harriers
Services to Coaching: Eamon Harvey
Official of the Year: Sean Callan
Team of the Year: Women’s U20 4x100m Relay Team
Inspirational Performance of the Year on Irish Soil: Phil Healy

Development Club of the Year: West Waterford A.C.
Mountain Runner of the Year: Sarah McCormack (Clonliffe Harriers)
Master Athlete of the Year: Joe Gough (West Waterford)
Ultra-Athlete of the Year: Aidan Hogan (Rising Sun)
Schools Athlete of the Year: Sarah Healy (Holy Child Killiney/Blackrock), Aaron Sexton (Bangor Grammar/North Down)
University Athlete of the Year: Elizabeth Morland (DCU/Cushinstown)
Special Recognition Award: Frank Greally

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