Elizabeth Egan | Jul 08, 2026
All roads lead to the Munster Technological University (MTU) Campus in Bishopstown, Cork, on Wednesday, as elite athletes from across Europe, the USA and beyond take part in the 72nd running of the Cork City Sports.
Spectators in Cork can expect to see exciting action both on the track and the field, with the women’s Hammer and the men’s 100m among the likely highlights.
Irish stars confirmed for the meeting include Nicola Tuthill, who is edging ever closer to the 19- year-old national hammer record with every competition, speedsters Bori Akinola, Sean Aigboboh and Ciara Neville in the 100m races, 4x400m relay regulars Sophie Becker and Rachel McCann in the 200m, Sophie O'Sullivan (800m), Cathal Doyle (800m) and Fiona Everard (3000m).
World and Olympic Hammer Throwing champion Camryn Rogers brings genuine elite quality to the meeting. The Canadian athlete has a personal best of 81.13 metres, placing her second on the World All-Time list.
Tuthill has been in formidable form already this season, and is fast closing in on Eileen O’Keeffe’s National record. She got a win over the world record holder in Poland last week, and will be hoping that the stiff opposition helps inspire a big performance in front of her home crowd.
Two of Ireland’s top sprinters go head-to-head in the men’s 100m, but will face strong opposition from the assembled international field.
Akinola, who improved his best to 10.19 at the start of the season, is the reigning 100m and indoor 60m champion, and has been unbeatable on the domestic scene in recent months. Aigboboh, now based in the US, meanwhile, has made big improvements, lowering the Irish 200m record to 20.27 in April.
Among the Irish contingent are a number of under 20 athletes who have already achieved the selection criteria for the World U20 Championships, which will be held in Eugene, USA in early August.
Decathlete Eoin O’Callaghan, is down for the domestic pole vault and high jump after a busy weekend at the National U20 Championships in Tullamore. Dubem Amah hit the 200m twice on Sunday on his way to the Irish U20 title. Siun Quinn, with a PB of 1.85, is the leading Irish entry in a very competitive women’s high jump competition.
Mikey Kent (long jump) and Pia Langton (800m) have each achieved the qualification standards for Eugene in their respective events on one occasion, and will hope to add the required second mark tonight. Kent needs to jump in excess of 7.60 metres, while Langton will look to run 2:06.00 or faster.
Another under-20 athlete to look out for is Noah Harris. Harris finished 10th in the U20 race at the European Coss Country Championships in December and 38th at World Cross Country in January, suggesting that the 8:02.00 3000m qualification mark is within his capabilities. The deadline for Eugene qualifying is midnight on Sunday.
Emma Moore (800m) already has the Athletics Ireland B standard for Birmingham, but is currently sitting just outside the ranking spots. Laura Nicholson who is currently sitting just inside the European Championship quota spots for the 1500m, steps down to the 800m tonight before making another attack on the Athletics Ireland B standard over the longer distance at the Monton Games on Friday.
Fiona Everard, who has been trying to qualify for the 10,000m at European Championships, will race the 3000m tonight. With time and opportunities to achieve standards and pick up ranking points disappearing, the Bandon AC athlete will be hoping for considerable withdrawals ahead of her on the Road to Birmingham rankings, if she can add to a dream season which has already included a top 10 finish at Euro Cross, top 25 at World Cross, and a team silver with the Irish team at the recent European 10,000m Cup.
Sophie O'Sullivan, 2025 NCAA 1500m champion, already has the qualification standard in that event, and will get in some speed work over 800m tonight. Irish shot put record holder Eric Favors has both the Athletics Ireland B standard and a comfortable position on the Road to Birmingham rankings. Ava O'Connor has the Athletics Ireland B standard, and is currently within quota, for the 3000m steeplechase. She will race over the flat 3000m tonight.
Ciara Neville broke a seven-year-old 100m personal best last month. The Irish champion will likely need to boost her ranking points to secure her spot for Birmingham.
The event will be broadcast on the Cork City Sports YouTube channel, with timetable, startlists and live results available here. The women's hammer will open the international programme at 6.30pm.
Cormac Dalton (3000m), a member of the silver-medal-winning Irish senior men’s team at last December’s European Cross Country Championships, will be toeing the startline for the first time since sustaining a stress reaction in his femur.
Niall Murphy, also racing the 3000m, won team gold with the Irish U23 team at the European Cross Country Championships in December.
Shane Howard is the number 1 Irish long jumper this season, but both Kent and Ryan Onoh are fast-improving. Onoh got the better of Kent to take the Irish U20 title on Sunday, a taste of a potentially intriguing rivalry over the coming years.
Nathan Cremin (800m) and Liam Lyons (mile) have both had major breakthroughs in the US collegiate system already this year. Cremin has improved his 800m best from 1:50.25 to 1:46.45, while Lyons improved to 3:38.38 over 1500m and 3:54.98 in the mile.
Irish athletes are expected to compete a pair of other Continental Tour bronze meetings in Europe tomorrow. Jodie McCann and Ronan McMahon-Staggs (1500m) are on the startlists for Meeting Lignano, while Maddie Mooney (1500m) will compete at the Joensuu Motonet GP in Finland.
McCann will have another crack at the Athletics Ireland B standard for Birmingham, which she just missed when running a personal best of 4:07.47 at the Ordizia Meeting in Spain on Saturday.
McMahon-Staggs, the national indoor bronze medallist, will be looking to improve his 2025 personal best of 3:38.23.
Mooney was on pacing duties at the Diamond League in Eugene on Friday, where she took the 1500m women to 1000m. She ran a personal best of 4:11.32 In Portland last month.
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