Jenna Bromell

This is a big weekend for student-athletes on both sides of the Atlantic. The IUAA Track and Field and Multi-Events Championships draws a close to the Intervarsity schedule for the academic year and raises the curtain on the domestic track and field season.

The US season warms up ahead of championship events, with Irish collegiate and professional athletes competing at a number of big meetings, including some on the Continental Tour calendar.

Some athletes will open their outdoor seasons at home and abroad over the coming days, while a few, including Israel Olatunde, may even register their first result of 2026.

Intervarsities

Working out who will actually compete at IUAA events is not an exact science, but if the entry list is anything to go by, there could be some exciting match-ups in the men’s sprints, the women’s 5000m, and even some of the field events at this weekend's IUAA Track & Field Championships.

The chaos and unpredictability is part of the fun, and this year’s edition marks the 10th anniversary of the ‘From the Depths of Hell’ women’s 4x400m relay, which achieved worldwide recognition for Phil Healy’s maiden 400m run, and Cathal Dennehy and Ronan Duggan’s colourful commentary.

Three of the competitors in that race (Healy, Michelle Finn and Louise Shanahan) are now Olympians, and others, including Jenna Bromell, Ellie Hartnett and Kate Doherty, have won national senior medals. For a race not obviously big on quality (the winning time was outside 4 minutes), it was sure packed with potential.

Relive the drama here!

More recently, an epic tussle for last year’s women’s 1500m title heralded bigger things to come for its two main players. Eimear Maher, the eventual victor, went on to win bronze at the European U23 Championships last July, while Lucy Holmes, the race’s runner-up, won her first national senior title earlier this year.

Many on this year's entry list are likely to have been added in hope rather than anticipation, but among the emerging stars potentially looking to add themselves to the album of memorable Intervarsity moments are Michael Farrelly, Max O’Reilly, Craig Duffy and Colin Doyle in the sprints, Adam Nolan in the 110m hurdles, Fintan Dewhirst in the 400m hurdles and Conor Callinan in the Pole Vault.

The women’s field events could be of a very high standard. Nicola Tuthill is entered in the hammer while Anna Gavigan, who last weekend extended her personal best, is expected to compete in the women’s discus. The national indoor weight for distance winner, Kotryna Pacerinskaite, could compete in the shot put, hammer and weight for distance.

Greek triple-jumper Daphni Doulaptsi-Teeuwen will look to add further silverware in the horizontal jumps, Aoife O’Sullivan may be the clear favourite for the high jump, while Laura Frawley will be looking for further multi-event honours.

Ireland’s top two male javelin throwers are both entered. Conor Cusack was due to compete at the Spring Throws last weekend, but didn’t, and Oisin Joyce has been out with injury for more than a year, but an exciting battle between the UL and Lake District AC teammates could be on the cards if both make it to the startline. The two have won the last five national senior titles between them, but World Athletics lists no meeting between them. Even if it doesn’t happen this weekend, memorable Cusack-Joyce head-to-heads can’t be far off.

Others to look out for include Róise Roberts in the women’s 5000m and Aisling Lane and Oisin Lane in the walks.

Dublin City University have won the last seventeen overall team titles. University of Limerick, who finished second on 15 of those occasions, will be among those looking to end that streak.

The event is being hosted by MTU in Cork and those who can't make it in person can follow the action on the Athletics Ireland YouTube channel.

US Track and Field meetings

Diarmuid O’Connor is competing in the Mt. SAC Relays Combined Events, which started on Wednesday. O’Connor’s overnight score after five events is 3907, 162 points down on the same point in his personal best performance last April. He is lying in 13th place, in an event that holds World Combined Events Tour Silver (Cat B) status.

The Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, CA has become one of the leading distance meetings for college and emerging professional athletes. The extensive startlists include Ronan McMahon-Staggs, Oisín Ó Gailín, Mark Milner, Susie Nestor, Sarah Hosey, Eimear McCarroll and Claire Crowley in the 1500m. Ryan McCarthy, Roisin Treacy and Ailish Hawkins are entered for the 5000m, and Abdel Laadjel, Shay McEvoy, Dean Casey and Claragh Keane are due to race over 10,000m.

There will also be a strong distance representation at the Wake Forest Invitational in Winston-Salem, NC. Conall Rogers and Nathan Cremin are entered for the 800m, Emer McGlynn for the 1500m and Noah Harris, Grace Richardson and Heather Murphy over 5000m.

National record holder Israel Olatunde could open his 2026 account at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational (Continental Tour Challenger) in Gainesville, FL where he is among the entries in the 100m. He hasn’t raced since running 10.08 in London at the end of August 2025. Conor Kelly (200m, 400m), Elizabeth Ndudi (Long Jump) and Daire Mahon (High Jump) are also among the entries.

Sean Aigboboh has had an incredible start to 2026, running 20.54 over 200m last weekend, and will race again over that distance at the Tom Tellez Invitational in Houston, TX. Fellow in-form sprinter Lauren Roy is entered for the 100m and 200m at the Joe Gillespie Invitational in Stephenville, TX.

Charlie O’Donovan (Mile) and David Davitt (400m) are on the startlist for the Paul Donahue Invite in Chester, PA, while Victoria Amiadamen (400m Hurdles) and Aoife Hernon (400m) are among the entries for the Mt. SAC Relays (Continental Tour Bronze).

A sprinkling of athletes will be competing at other meetings, most of which are not on the World Athletics calendar. You can find links to results for these meetings, and details of who is competing, on the TrackAthletes calendar.

Boston Marathon

Barry Keane is among the elite entries for Monday’s Boston Marathon. The Waterford AC athlete has completed two marathons to date, with his best performance of 2:11:31 coming at The Marathon Project in Arizona in December. Keane's half marathon PB of 1:01:22 hints at faster times to come at the longer distance.

With Irish athletes in flying form over every distance, there were numerous magical moments throughout the 2025 track season.

World Championship silver for Kate O'Connor, record-breaking runs from Cian McPhillips in Tokyo, and Sarah Healy’s European Indoor title are obvious highlights, but we’ve delved a little deeper to bring you ten races well worth a re-watch.

From cracking indoor battles to record-breaking relay runs, here are some of our favourite noteworthy track performances by Irish athletes, at home and overseas, during the past year.

1. Everyone wanted the national 5000m title

They were all there, with their feet, and their necks, on the start line. Ok, so Darragh McElhinney and Nick Griggs were in the 1500m instead, arguably a tougher race for athletes who would one week later run 13:02 and 13:05 respectively, but there was still depth we’re not accustomed to seeing at this level. Nobody was dodging a challenge this particular weekend.

Efrem Gidey had become Ireland’s first European 10,000m Cup medallist (and champion) in May. Brian Fay is the Irish record holder at the distance. Andrew Coscoran had spent the indoor season breaking national records.

Cormac Dalton, in finishing eighth in Brussels in 2023, was Ireland’s highest finishing senior man at European Cross Country Championships since Joe Sweeney’s 4th place in 2011. Jack O’Leary had showed a return to form when running 13:22 at the Morton Games a few weeks previously. John Travers, Michael Murphy, Mark Hanrahan and Niall Murphy might well have been battling for a medal any other year.

And here they all were, ready to battle it out for a title.

There were still seven athletes in contention with four laps to go, before it was whittled down to five 3800m in. Then, with 350m remaining, it became a battle between the two fastest athletes in the field (both over 5000m and in their typical last-lap speed). But who would it be? Fay, looking for a third consecutive title, or Coscoran seeking a tough double?

Watch the closing stages here!

2. Morton magic from McPhillips

After a mediocre start to a redemption year, Cian McPhillips announced his return to the Irish consciousness when he dropped 1:45.33 at an indoor meeting in Boston on 14th February. A fall at European Indoors, and another injury, halted the progress, and despite having the Athletics Ireland B standard, the route to Tokyo looked a steep one for the Longford man.

McPhillips was back by European Team Champs, where he finished third, and he left it late when getting up for second place at the Cork City Sports. But it was at the Morton Games just two days later that he announced himself in emphatic style: win, personal best, meeting record, stadium record, and, most crucially, the automatic qualification standard for Tokyo.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Watch the race here!

3. Blanket finish to National Senior 800m final

While the men were going head-to-head over 1500m and the 5000m, it was over 800m that the best of Irish female middle distance running were tearing strips off each other at this year's national seniors. And that was just the heats.

Two athletes – Jenna Bromell and Sarah Healy – had already run 2:00 earlier in the summer, Alex O’Neill was making steady progress and had run 2:01.70 to finish third at the Morton Games, and Maeve O’Neill had been sublimely consistent all summer, running a PB 2:02.66 and just missing out on the final at the European U23 Championships.

It was those four at the front of a tightly packed and talent-filled field through 200m and 400m. As the pace quickened, Maddison Mooney (the bronze medallist over 1500m in 2024) and Hannah Seagrave (fourth at the British Championships over this distance in 2024), put themselves in contention; there were still six in it with 100m to run.

The title, and the medals, were only decided in the final stride.

What a race.

Watch the race here!

4. Another National Indoor battle too close to call

Every now and again we’re treated to two well-matched athletes equally determined to clinch a national title, neither willing to give an inch. And the result is enthralling to watch.

Indoors this year, over 15 laps, it was the turn of Seán Tobin - not a stranger to the tight domestic head-to-head - and James Gormley, who was bound for World Indoors.

Just 0.01 in it in the end.

Watch the full race here!

5. Olatunde at the season’s death

Bori Akinola had been the Irish sprinter in form all season. He took the indoor 60m title in February ahead of national record holder Israel Olatunde and won a first outdoor title over 100m after his more accomplished counterpart missed the final through injury. He even ran the fastest all-conditions 100m by an Irish man when he clocked a windy 10.10 (+2.9) in London in June.

But even after the domestic season had wound down, and with little but Tokyo left on the calendar, there was still time for a final twist in the Irish sprinting storyline. Recovered from the abdominal muscle tear which had halted his season, Olatunde appeared on the startlist for the final Be Fast Today Track Academy (BFTTA) Outdoor Series at Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London on 30th August.

This doesn’t sound like one of the more glamorous meetings on the circuit – and it isn’t – but sprint meetings in London attract many top British athletes and usually return fast times.

Olatunde clocked 10.27 (+1.3) in the first round. Nothing to write home about, but a solid performance none the less.

Then, with a perfect 2.0 m/s following wind, the magic happened.

Irish sprinting had just taken another leap towards world class.

Olatunde was now a 10.08 sprinter.

Watch Olatunde run 10.08 here!

6. Raftery’s breakthrough run

You could see what it meant to him. Forty-four-point-nine-eight. His first time under 45 seconds. Not the win that the team might have appreciated, but the fourth place finish by Jack Raftery in the 400m at the European Team Championships was probably the most celebrated performance of the weekend.

Raftery battled for every place beside the 2024 World Indoor and European Champion Alexander Doom (BEL), Balkan Champion Rok Ferlan (SLO) and 2023 World University Games bronze medallist Mihai Sorin Dringo (ROU), as he became only the second Irish athlete to run under 45 seconds for the distance.

Next stop? David Gillick’s Irish record, perhaps?

Watch Raftery break 45 seconds 3:57:14 into this recording!

7. You wait 25 years for a bus…

Marcus Lawler was just five years old when an Irish team – through John McAdorey, Gary Ryan, Tom Comyns and Paul Brizzel - last broke the national 4x100m record. None of his relay teammates were even born.

On 21 June in Geneva, Lawler, together with Michael Farrelly, Bori Akinola and Israel Olatunde, however, broke an almost 25-year deadlock when they clocked 38.92, and just six days later, with Sean Aigboboh standing in for Bori Akinola sustained a niggle in the warm-up, they went even faster, winning their heat at the European Team Championships.

Watch the men's 4x100m relay team run 38.88 at 5:14:20 into this recording!

8. Thompson’s 10,000m triumph

European U23 titles don’t come around very often for Irish athletes. In fact, in the 14 editions of the event prior to 2025, there has been just one: Sophie O’Sullivan (1500m, 2023). But the Irish athletics tide is rising, and on 18th July, Anika Thompson added a second when she took victory over 25 laps in Bergen, Norway.

Two Germans – Kira Weis and Carolina Shäfer made a break on the first lap, and Thompson quickly covered the gap and joined them 400m in. These three gradually pulled away, with Thompson tucked in conserving as much energy as possible.

Before halfway it was down to just two, with Weis setting a metronomic pace, and Thompson keeping cool and keeping her cool just behind her. With two laps to go Thompson took the lead for the first time, and tried to break Weis.

Both were trying to muster a sprint, and with 250m to go, there was still very little between them. The harder Thompson tried to pull away, the harder Weis tried to stick with her.

Finally, with just half a lap remaining, the German cracked, and Thompson pulled away for a dogged victory in 32:31.47, just over 23 seconds faster than she’d ever run before.

Watch the entire race from 4:22:10 or the final 1200m from 4:53:12

9. Maher's Masterclass

Thompson and Nicola Tuthill – who won silver in the hammer while Thompson was racing her 10,000m –  set the ball rolling for the Irish team. But there was still more to come, as athlete after athlete stepped up and performed, none more so than Eimear Maher.

The DSD athlete came into 2025 with a PB of 4:22.01 over 1500m, and had already enjoyed a breakthrough season with a win at the Irish U23 Championships, and a PB 4:08.67 at the Morton Games. But the composure with which she ran the final in Bergen demonstrated that she doesn’t just have speed, but a great racing brain too.

Watch the entire race here

10. Efrem’s European Cup win

Ireland had never before won a medal at the European 10,000m Cup, but with the fastest time in the field, Efrem Gidey stood on the start line with a shot. He’d run 27:26.95 in California in March, a performance which earned him enough world ranking points to eventually make the quota for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, and a time which saw him fastest European on the track in 2025.

Gidey had just missed out on a medal in the half marathon at the European Road Running championships earlier in the spring. He had the speed, he now just needed to get the tactics right.

And that he did in style, making a decisive move with 650m to go, and never looking like he was going to be beaten from that point.

Watch the entire race here

Watch last 700m here

Five bonus watches

Niamh Allen versus Anika Thompson, 5000m at National Senior Championships: Watch here

Sarah Healy’s European Indoor 3000m win: Watch here

Conor Kelly becoming the European U20 400m champion: Watch here

Another classic Morton Mile: Watch here

Sophie O'Sullivan winning the NCAA 1500m title: Watch here

The focus here has been on track events; we’ll cover momentous field event moments in a separate upcoming article.

Registration will be needed to watch the Eurovision Sport recordings above.

Whether this will be a National Championships of the ages, only time will tell. But it’s certainly shaping up that way.

There are absences. That’s for sure. And a giant Thomas Barr-sized hole in the men’s 400m hurdles field. The timing, too, has made it difficult for U20 athletes, focusing on European U20s, and the US-based college athletes, who’ve been racing all season, to compete.

Despite some last-minute withdrawals, most of the recent championship medallists are expected to be there. The entry list also boasts nine current national senior outdoor record holders, and others who have their eyes firmly set on that particular prize. Indeed, a national record this weekend would not be completely beyond expectations.

And beyond the stars, there’s plenty else to interest casual and diehard athletics fans, including guaranteed first-time champions and others looking to extend their run of titles. Here is just some of what might grab your attention across two fierce days of competition.

The clash in the dash

Last year, the men’s 100m saw one of the closest finishes of the weekend. That Bori Akinola finished just 0.02 behind national record holder Israel Olatunde was then somewhat of a surprise. Even more so considering that Olatunde further reduced his record to 10.12 a few weeks later.

This year, not only would a close finish be much less of a surprise, but it is absolutely expected. The two met over 60 metres at the National Indoor Championships in February, and while Akinola was the clear winner on that occasion, Olatunde has found some form of late.

They haven’t raced each other since then, but their performances couldn’t be more closely matched. In Geneva, on the same day they joined forces to break the long-standing national 4x100m relay record, they raced in separate heats of the 100m. Both ran their wind-legal season’s bests that day: Olatunde 10.23 (+0.9) and Akinola 10.25 (-0.4).

Akinola ran the fastest 100m ever by an Irish man in Stratford in June, a wind-assisted 10.10 (+2.9), on the same track as Olatunde ran the Irish record (10.12) last season. More recently, Olatunde took the win at the Morton Games in 10.20w (+2.3), and Akinola ran 10.17w (+2.5) in Stratford a few days later.

There’s very little to separate them on paper, and with a national title on the line – it would be Akinola’s first outdoors; Olatunde is going for five in a row – there may be even less to separate them when they cross the line on Sunday.

The battle for bronze may be even fiercer. Don’t miss one of the greatest sights in Irish athletics at 6:10pm on Sunday evening as 10 of Ireland’s fastest men, and everything they represent, hurtle down the Santry home straight, potentially with the wind in their backs.

Blink and you’ll miss it. Experience it and you’ll be coming back for more!

Pride and Tokyo places at stake in the women’s middle-distance events

With a number of possible subplots, the women’s 800m and 1500m could be particularly exciting.

Having the season of her life, Sarah Healy might look like the nailed-on favourite for the 800m, but the event also includes another athlete who has run 2:00 this season.

Jenna Bromell is actually the fastest Irish woman over the distance this season, having run 2:00.53 in Belfast in early May, a time inside the Athletics Ireland B standard for Tokyo. While she is unlikely to rack up enough ranking points to be invited, a fast time here would boost her chances of making the European Championships in Birmingham next year.

Alex O’Neill, who recently ran 2:01.70 and Maeve O’Neill, who has been incredibly consistent this season, add further spice to a potentially exciting showdown.

Jodie McCann or Laura Nicholson still have a chance of joining Healy and Sophie O’Sullivan in the 1500m in Tokyo. Indeed, in the unlikely but certainly possible event of Healy winning the Diamond League final, both could make it.

McCann is currently within quota, but doesn’t have the Athletics Ireland B standard (4:08.00). Nicholson has the B standard but isn’t currently within quota. European U23 bronze medallist Eimear Maher is also not far off either the B standard or the quota spaces.

McCann ran herself into an Olympic spot thanks to her front-running tactics in the 5000m last year, though she would hope to not have to do it all herself over the shorter distance. McCann, Nicholson and Maher potentially all benefit from a fast race on Sunday. Will any of them be willing to set the pace?

Another potential mouthwatering clash in the men’s 1500m

The men's 1500m is almost always guaranteed to be a close-fought race. This year should be no different.

National record holder Andrew Coscoran is entered for both the 1500m and the 5000m, and has indicated on Instagram on Thursday that he will be doing the shorter event. Even if he chooses to do the 5000m (where, unlike in the 1500m, he is still looking to secure his spot in Tokyo), it still promises to be a cracker of a race.

There’s never much to choose between himself and Cathal Doyle, both of whom have the Auto Q for Tokyo, but Nick Griggs would very much love to spring a surprise, if not a complete shock, and win his first National Senior title.

Darragh McElhinney, James Gormley, Shane Bracken, Seán Donoghue, Lughaidh Mallon, Callum Morgan and Ronan McMahon-Staggs have all run sub 3:40 this season, and each has the potential to make the podium on their day, especially if any of the big three don’t show.

Expect trepidation, elbows, and a final lap dust-up.

Throws talent on display

Ireland winning three medals at the European Throws Cup earlier this year may have come as a shock to many, but the truth is that Ireland is in a healthy position in the throwing events right now.

Eric Favors, a regular at major championships, will be looking for the Athletics Ireland B standard to secure his spot in Tokyo. Expect a big cheer if he surpasses 20.40 on Saturday.

Nicola Tuthill already has three championship medals under her belt this season – European Throws Cup U23 gold, European U23 silver, World University Games silver – and has almost certainly secured her spot in Tokyo. Already an Olympian, the only thing seemingly missing is the national record.

2021 and 2022 National javelin champion Conor Cusack threw 75.18 metres a few weeks ago, putting him 3rd on the Irish all-time list, and anything close to that on Saturday will make for spectacular viewing.

Niamh Fogarty broke the long-standing women’s discus record earlier this year, and while she will be favourite to win what would be an eighth national discus title, a mediocre day might open the door for European Throws Cup medallist Anna Gavigan.

All-in-all, implements of the throwing variety could be flying a long way over the two days.

Streaking away

Over the past decade, Saragh Buggy has been peerless. She has 23 national senior wins, including nine consecutive outdoor triple jump titles. On Saturday, she’ll be looking to make that 10 in a row, but will have to overcome Greek national Daphni Doulaptsi-Teeuwen, who has beaten her, albeit by very small margins, three times this season.

Others on a run include Kate Veale (5000m walk), who has five consecutive titles and 10 in total; Seán Mockler (hammer) looking for his fifth consecutive hammer title; Sarah Lavin going for five in a row (and 10 altogether) in the 100m hurdles; Sommer Lecky looking for her fourth consecutive high jump title, Michael Healy looking for four in a row in the Weight for Distance, and the aforementioned Israel Olatunde, going for a fifth 100m title, and Doyle, going for his fourth consecutive 1500m title.

If Mark English chooses to run the 800m, he’ll be looking for his 10th title. Brian Fay (5000m), Reece Ademola (Long Jump), Favors (Shot Put), Fogarty (Discus), and Tuthill (Hammer) could all extend their current streaks to three.

Changing of the guard

Thomas Barr won 12 of the last 14 Men’s 400m hurdles titles, including every edition since 2012. Following his retirement, a first-time winner in that event is guaranteed.

Michelle Finn has won 10 of the 18 women’s steeplechase titles ever contested, including the past seven. In her absence, somebody new will take the honours.

Both Barr’s and Finn’s shoes are big ones to fill, but expect those who benefit from their absence to cherish their moment on the top step of the podium.

No matter the year, the event, or the athlete’s prior accomplishments, Irish Senior titles always mean a lot. If you don’t believe us, get yourself there over the weekend and experience for yourselves just what winning a title means to the best of Irish athletics talent.

(article updated following the announcement of some high-profile withdrawals)