Israel Olatunde

Diamond League (Rabat), European Championship event (European 10,000m Cup), Continental Tour Gold (Zagreb), Continental Tour Silver (Track Fest), the largest Continental Tour Bronze event on the calendar (IFAM), NCAA Championships (Division II), Irish Olympians, champions and record holders competing, season openers for some athletes... If you like athletics, you're going to love this weekend.

Sarah Healy (3000m) and Cathal Doyle (1500m) will be competing at the Rabat Diamond League on Sunday. The event will be shown on Virgin Media 2 from 7-9pm.

Efrem Gidey is among the favourites for the men's title at the European 10,000m Cup in Pacé, France on Saturday. He will be joined by ÓisIn Ó Gailín, who will be making his Irish senior debut. The men's A race is due off at 20:30 and the event will be shown on the European Athletics Youtube channel.

After opening her season in Italy on Wednesday, Sharlene Mawdsley heads to Croatia for the Boris Hanžeković Memorial, a Continental Tour Gold meeting. Her 400m is scheduled for 15:30 on Saturday. There will be a free livestream.

Mark English (800m) and Andrew Coscoran (5000m) will be looking for fast times at the Sound Running Track Fest (Continental Tour Silver) in California. Their races will take place during the early hours of Sunday morning (04:05 and 04:50, respectively). However, you'll need a Flotrack subscription to watch them.

Almost 200 Irish athletes are entered for the IFAM meeting in Brussels, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday. The main programme races here carry Continental Tour Bronze points, and look set to feature, among others, Sarah Lavin, Sophie Becker, Kelly McGrory, Lauren Cadden, Rachel McCann, Sarah Leahy, Bori Akinola, Cillín Greene, Roisin Flanagan, Íde Nic Dhomhnaill, Cormac Dalton, Darragh McElhinney and Seán Tobin.

Nicola Tuthill is on a couple of startlists this weekend. She's entered, along with some of Ireland's top underage athletes, for the big throws meeting in Halle, Germany on Saturday and Meeting Forbach in France on Sunday. Both are Continental Tour Bronze events.

Israel Olatunde will race over 100m at the PURE Athletics Global Invitational in Florida.

Ava O'Connor is among the Irish athletes competing at the NCAA Div II Nationals this weekend. She qualified comfortably last night for Friday's 3000m steeplechase final.

A number of Irish U20 and U23 athletes are on the startlist for the British Milers Club Grand Prix in Bury. They will, no doubt, be chasing qualification standards for their respective European Championships later this summer.

At home, the Munster Senior, Master and U20 athletes will compete for provincial titles.

And, no doubt, there'll be a few athletes popping up elsewhere.

One thing is for sure; it'll be a busy weekend for the athletics fan.

Those who have been around the sport for three decades or more will have fond memories of the intimate nature of competing at Nenagh’s Indoor Athletics Track, which was until 2000 the only indoor stadium on the island of Ireland.

Spectators and teammates banging on the metal advertising hoarding that circled the track provided the ultimate climax to hotly contested races. Encounters with styrofoam cups, chicken soup and the smell of Deep Heat may still conjure up nostalgic feelings. But the thing you’ll remember the most is the cold.

Indoor facilities have come a long way since then, and both the National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Abbotstown and the arena on the Athlone Campus of the Technological University of the Shannonside (TUS) provide pleasant experiences for athletes and spectators alike.

Indoor athletics is special. The audience is closer to the action and the shorter 200m track means that athletes pass by more often. And spectators no longer need to pack a duvet and a hot water bottle. If you want to experience athletics at its most intense, get yourself to the NIA or TUS Athlone for one of the events on the domestic calendar. Here’s what to expect.

200m and 400m

Races of 200m and longer take place on the outer 200m circuit, which has banked curves. The banks are added to make it easier for athletes to maintain speed while negotiating the tight indoor bends. Drawing an outer lane therefore holds a greater advantage, and athletes racing over 200m or 400m will be particularly hopeful of being allocated lane 5 or lane 6.

Because of the disparity of the lanes, 200m is no longer an event at European or World Indoor Championships. But it is still raced at National level, and some of Ireland’s best 200m and 400m athletes often test their speed at this distance at National Championships. Sharlene Mawdsley won the women’s title in 2023, while Mark Smyth just missed the National Record in the men’s race the same year.

While they stay in their lanes the whole way around outdoors, 400m runners break to the inside after 150m indoors. Athletes used to having a whole lane to themselves learn quickly what it is like to be an 800m runner. Because of the physical nature of the event, the first 200m can be pretty fierce, and spectators have a clearer picture of positions throughout the race. However, there’s an advantage to being out front at the bell, and races are sometimes decided a lot earlier than they are outdoors.

Because there are fewer lanes indoors – usually only six, compared to the regular eight outdoors - and because of the advantage of outside lanes, the battle for final places and favourable lane draws is pretty cut-throat. Semi-finals are definitely worth watching. With no 200m or 400m hurdle contested indoors at European or World level, the 400m indoors can also make it a particularly competitive event at championships.

800m, 1500m and 3000m

Middle-distance athletes get to race 800m, 1500m and 3000m indoors (5000m is sometimes held, particularly in the US, but it is not a championship distance, and the steeplechase is very rarely raced indoors).

Because they go by twice as often, the middle distance races are particularly engaging. There is an advantage to being out front, and unlike racing into the wind outdoors, little disadvantage, so athletes often make their move earlier. The ‘sit and kick’ approach doesn’t always work indoors, and athletes who plan to make their move off the last bend often find that they’ve left it too late. That’s not to say that home-straight dramas don’t happen, but they look a bit different indoors.

The 3000m in particular attracts an interesting mix of 1500m runners looking to gain some strength over the winter, 5000m runners working on their speed, steeplechasers not wanting to be forgotten, and those who not-so-secretly wish that 3000m was a championship event outdoors.

Fifteen laps may sound like a long way, but if an athlete lapses in concentration for just one moment, they’re gone. And sometimes ‘gone’ involves unexpected contact between skin and track. Sharp elbows, sustained attention, and a pinch of luck are essential race kit items.

60m and 60m hurdles

The limited space indoors means that the sprinters and hurdlers race just 60 metres. The short sprints and hurdles take place on the infield, allowing for at least eight lanes. But the short distance between the end of the race and the edge of the outer track is rarely enough for the speedsters to stop, so the final act of their performance tends to involve a crash with the padding that lines the outer track barriers.

The start plays a big part in all sprints, but never more so than over 60 metres. Some athletes are more suited to the shorter distance, and those who dominate indoors are not always the same ones who win the medals outdoors.

The Irish men’s 60m record is just 6.57 seconds (Israel Olatunde, 2023), while Derval O'Rourke's women’s 60m hurdles record is 7.84, so the short sprints are the ultimate event for those with short attention spans. But don't be surprised if there's a false start or two - the unwanted consequence of athletes trying to get every advantage out of the blocks.

Field events

There’s no visible difference between the high jump, pole vault, long jump and triple jump indoors and out, though athletes don’t have to deal with the weather. Shot put, too, is similar to outdoors, though the shot usually lands on mats rather than grass or grit. All the field events take place in the centre of the track, so there’s no excuse for not paying attention.

There is no Javelin, Discus, or Hammer indoors, for obvious reasons, and the long throwers will instead brave the spring weather for some dedicated outdoor throwing meets, including, for the international athletes, the European Throws Cup.

Relays

While both 4x200m and 4x400m relays feature on the domestic calendar, the 4x400m is the only relay raced at European and World Championship level. And if you thought those events got messy outdoors, wait until you see the drama that unfolds indoors!

Some of the more technical stuff

Indoor performances, particularly from 200m upwards, are generally slower than those achieved outdoors. In addition to most athletes still being in winter training, so not yet in peak form, the tighter and more regular bends and the increased bumping and barging, means that an athlete’s indoor personal best tends to be slower than their best time outdoors.

World Athletics, European Athletics and National Federations therefore have separate records for indoor and outdoor competitions. Or at least they used to.

Athletics Ireland continues to have separate records and all-time lists for indoor and outdoor performances. World Athletics, however, have started to view things a bit differently. Since 2024, competitions held on a 200m track are know as short track, irrespective of whether they’re held indoors or out. These events (200m and above, pentathlon for women, heptathlon for men, and the indoor relays) have separate short track records.

For a few years now, field events have a combined world record, irrespective of whether it was achieved indoors or out (depending on what sort of a season Mondo Duplantis has had, the pole vault record may have been achieved indoors). There is now also just a combined 60m and 60m hurdles recorded, which can be broken indoors or out.

While the distance of regular indoor tracks is 200m, indoor competitions are sometimes held on 300m and 400m tracks, often without banked bends. These tracks are not considered ‘short track’, and don’t count for short track or indoor records or qualification purposes. Indoor performances on tracks that are longer than 200m are often recorded as being held on an oversized track.

Because racing indoors (i.e. on a 200m track) is usually a bit slower, the points available for ranking purposes are more generous. Performances achieved on oversized indoor tracks are scored as if they were achieved outdoors.

Domestic calendar

The indoor season is much shorter than the outdoor season, with most of the senior events held between mid-January and late February. The Athletics Ireland Indoor Games, two rounds of the national league, the Indoor Combined Events Championships, and the action-packed IUAA Intervarsities provide the warm-up for the main event, the National Senior Indoor Championships.

Track and Field Live provides graded open competitions, across all the age groups, between November and February. National Masters Championships, National U20 and U23 Championships, National Juvenile Championships – of which the relays provide all the passionate and chaotic entertainment you’ll ever need – and provincial championships across the various age groups complete the calendar.

Irish athletics fans are spoilt for opportunities to meet current and future stars of the sport across the country, and throughout the year.

Here we highlight 10 of the top events for spectators, including a mix of indoor, outdoor, cross country and road events.

Irish Senior Indoor Championships, NIA, Dublin, 22-23 February

The National indoor championships are rarely without at least one standout performance or moment of drama. In 2024, the closing stages of the men’s 1500m final, with both Cathal Doyle and Nick Griggs falling over the line, was a battle worthy of any stage.

The 2023 Championships, the year of the last European Indoors, was a particularly exciting one. Israel Olatunde smashed the national 60 metre record. Elizabeth Ndudi won the Long Jump on countback from Ruby Millett. Jack Raftery, in a last-dash effort to make European Indoors, set a new Championship Best Performance in the 400m. Mark Smyth (200m) and Saragh Buggy (Triple Jump) were both just outside the respective national records.

While some athletes, including Rhasidat Adeleki, have said that they’re foregoing the European and World Indoors this season and are therefore likely to skip nationals, there will be no shortage of athletes looking to step into the limelight.

The intensity of the indoor setting, together with the proximity of the action, gives indoor competition a particularly electric atmosphere. The short season means that many will still be chasing qualifying standards, B standards, and ranking points, and with two major championships in the calendar, and places on a couple of relay squads on the line, there’s sure to be more NIA drama in 2025.

Athletics Ireland normally do a two-day ticket at a reduced price, and those under 16 go free, but spectator seating is limited, so you are advised to secure your ticket early. Most of the track finals will be on the second day, but with half the field events and the sprint hurdles finals on the Saturday, there’s sure to be drama right across the weekend.

Belfast Irish Milers Meet, Mary Peter’s Track, Belfast, 10 May

Ten years since the first edition, the season-opening Belfast Irish Milers Meet has seen national records, Olympic and World Championships qualifying times, breakout performances and hundreds of personal bests.

The women’s 800m never disappoints. Louise Shanahan and Ciara Mageean both broke two minutes in 2022, the former in a then Irish record of 1:59.42. Shanahan won again in 2022 in 1:59.53, to date her only other time under two minutes. Great Britain’s Phoebe Gill catapulted herself into the public consciousness when she front-ran 1:57.86 last year. The seventeen-year-old was one of several athletes in action to later compete at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Sophie Becker set the tone for the year ahead when she ran 51.13 seconds for the 400m last May, which, at the time of writing, is still good enough for fifth place on the Irish Alltime list. Cillín Green, Jack Raftery, Callum Baird and Sean Doggett were all well under 47 seconds in last year’s men’s 400m.

The meet is free to attend and in addition to invitational races over 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m and 3000m, has graded middle distance races for national-level athletes. When the weather plays ball, Mary Peters track is one of the most beautiful venues for spectators. Pack the picnic, and prepare yourself for surprises, drama, and maybe even a record or too.

Irish Schools Championships, Tullamore, 30-31 May

While the focus of TrackAthletes is on senior athletes, it would be remiss of us not to mention the greatest annual gathering of rising stars. The top juveniles rarely miss this one, and with limited age-groups, it’s an opportunity to see head-to-heads that don’t happen at other juvenile events.

The Irish Schools Championships is always slickly run, and while a small number of the events now take place on the Friday evening, the Saturday is non-stop action, with straight finals throughout.

Cork City Sports, MTU Track, Cork, 9 July

With National Seniors a bit later this year, the Cork City Sports is the first of the big trio of senior domestic events. The intimate venue makes for a lovely evening out, and the athletics action rarely disappoints, with Ireland’s top athletes, especially those from Cork, battling it out against some top athletes from Britain, the USA and further afield.

Last year saw wins for Sarah Lavin (100m Hurdles) and Reece Ademola (Long Jump), with Cathal Doyle second in a very competitive mile, Nick Griggs third behind a pair of Americans in the 3000m, and Nicola Tuthill third in the Hammer Throw, just missing the 70m mark.

The 2025 programme, like last year, will include 100m, 200m, 800m and 3000m races for both men and women, as well a women’s 100m hurdles and the men’s mile, which traditionally concludes the programme. On the field, the women will compete in the Hammer Throw and the High Jump, while there will be Long Jump and Shot Put competitions for the men. Junior and national events will bolster what is typically a strong international meeting.

Morton Games, Morton Stadium, Dublin, 11 July

Just two days after the Cork City Sports, the World Continental tour will head to Morton Stadium in Santry, for the Morton Games.

The Morton Mile, which concludes the programme, is one of the highlights, not just of the meeting, but of the annual domestic calendar. After a drought of 18 years, there have been Irish winners in two of the last three editions. Andrew Coscoran ’s dive just got the better of Cathal Doyle in 2022, the pair leading five Irish athletes under four minutes on that occasion. Doyle finally got his name on the trophy with a dominant display in 2024.

In addition to the Mile, the 2025 edition will have international races over 100m, 400m, 800m and 5000m and a Shot Put competition for the men. The women will compete in 400m, 800m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, High Jump and Discus.

National Senior Championships, Morton Stadium, Dublin, 2-3 August

This is the first fixture placed in any serious Irish athletics fan’s diary. Not only is it a great weekend of athletics, but it’s the best opportunity in the year to catch up with old competitors and friends from the world of athletics.

The 2024 Championships was one of the best attended in recent years, with children from across the country, along with their responsible adults, flocking to Morton Stadium to witness Ireland’s rising stars in action, and grab an autograph or two form current and past stars of the sport.

The highlight of the 2024 edition was, no doubt, Rashidat Adeleke breaking the Irish 100m record. Other stars from the European Championships in Rome, including Nicola Tuthill, Sophie Becker, and Phil Healy also competed. While Thomas Barr’s attempt to qualify for the 400m hurdles in Paris ultimately ended in heartbreak, Cathal Doyle (1500m) and Oisin Joyce (Javelin) demonstrated why they were athletes to look out for later in the summer. Jodie McCann did enough in her front-running 5000m victory to secure a place for Paris, while Jack Raftery’s surprise victory in the 400m sealed his place on the mixed relay.

In addition to the numerous stars on display, the national championships always has some spectacular head-to-heads, particularly in the middle distance events. Who can forget the epic 1500m battle in 2020 between Paul Robinson and Sean Tobin, or the one between Sarah Healy and Sophie O’Sullivan in 2023, just weeks after they finished second and first at the European U23 Championships.

The international element means that the Cork City Sports and Morton Games are a slightly higher standard across the board, but if you want to see what a national title means to Irish athletes, then get yourself to Morton Stadium for the best weekend of athletics on the island!

Autumn Open Cross Country, Abbotstown, Dublin, 19 October

This World Cross Country Tour meeting comes very early in the season, but that makes it all the more exciting. The dry ground and shorter distances hand a slight advantage to the track athletes, and it’s always interesting to see how athletes are fairing after the end of season break.

The inclusion of U20 athletes, who race a lap fewer than the seniors, the trials for the Masters Cross Country International, and a sprinkling of international runners, add extra spice to the event.

The main Men’s and Women’s races are preceded by the National Mixed Cross Country Relay Championships, which serves as the trial race for the European Clubs Cross Country Championships, and the national juvenile relays.

Mid-October sees the purpose-built Abbottstown course at its autumnal best, and the action-packed programme makes this a great afternoon out for all the family.

Dublin Marathon, Dublin, 26 October

The streets of Dublin come alive on the final Sunday of October, as the city’s population pours out onto the streets in support of those taking on the 26.2 miles for a variety of reasons.

While not known for fast times, those who made the effort last year will have witnessed Hiko Tonaso Haso break the Irish record, and AnnMarie McGlynn complete the first stage of a historic autumn double as she took the Irish Women’s title and added the Irish Cross Country title to her resume just three weeks later.

The atmosphere in the city centre, as hundreds of spectators line the final mile of the course, is definitely worth experiencing, but there are lots of other great points along the course to get a glimpse of international stars, loved ones, and friends, and maybe to run into a fellow spectator or two that you know.

Who knows, you may even be inspired to take on the distance yourself next year!

National Senior Cross Country Championships, TBC, 23 November

Castle Irving in Fermanagh provided a beautiful backdrop for last year’s well-attended and well-organised Championships, which provided its fair share of surprises.

The event incorporates not just the National U20, U23 and Senior Individual Championships, but also the National inter-club and inter-county team competition and the European Cross Country trials. The All-Ireland Even Age Juvenile Championships also form part of the programme.

An action-packed day is guaranteed, filled with ecstasy and heartbreak, and that’s just those at the back of the field. Kileen Kilreehill’s win in the Senior men’s race in 2024 showed just what winning a national title means to an athlete, while AnnMarie’s utter shock at taking the women’s title reminded onlookers how wonderfully unpredictable this sport is.

There have been nine different winners of the Senior men’s title in the past nine editions, while seven different athletes have won the Senior women’s title since 2017. Wherever in the country the championships head, be sure you go too, and see who adds their name to the role of honour. Just don’t forget to pack your wellies.

National Senior 35km Walks Championship, Raheny, 14 December

In addition to being a national championship event, this meeting has World Racewalking Tour Bronze status, and in 2024 many top international walkers flocked to Dublin to record a time over what is currently the longest walk on the international programme.

As a national championships event, it also carries valuable performance points for Irish athletes looking to secure qualification for international competitions in 2026.

St Anne’s Park is a beautiful place for a Sunday morning stroll, so why not pop along and see how Ireland’s fastest walkers take it on.

Other events worth a watch include the various IUAA Intervarsity championships (indoors in February, Track and Field in April, and Cross Country and Road Relays championships in the autumn), the All-Ireland School’s Cross Country Championships (early March), the National U20 and U23 Track and Field Championships (early July), and the National Track and Field League Final in July.

For a full list of senior competitions in Ireland, search the Fixtures Calendar using the ‘country’ filter.