The final countdown featuring Diamond League double-helping and top-drawer category F meetings
Elizabeth Egan | Aug 20, 2025
The final weekend. The last few days. After more than a year, The Road to Tokyo is coming to an end.
For many Irish athletes still competing at this point in the season, Tokyo spots have long ago been secured. Others are racing still for season’s bests and personal goals; the World Championships never was their main focus.
For a much smaller group, this weekend will be a nail-biting climax to the regular season, as they either make one last effort to secure a quota spot, or sit at home hoping that others don’t take theirs.
Being one of the designated national championship windows, there were never going to be many high-ranking meetings this weekend, but Diamond League meetings on Wednesday and Friday keep things interesting, and a number of athletes, maybe even a few Irish ones, are making a last-dash attempt to hit standards at Category F meetings in Tooting Bec and Pfungstadt.
The Scottish Championships provides an opportunity for some of the field eventers to end the season on a high. And the autumn road season is set to ignite in Larne.
Diamond Leagues in Lausanne and Brussels
Brian Fay, currently sitting precariously just inside the quota spots for Tokyo, is racing the Lausanne Diamond League this evening (Wednesday). Not only will he be hoping for a strong performance and a ranking improvement, but he’ll be hoping that none of his Road to Tokyo rivals run fast enough and finish high enough to overtake him.
The good news for Fay is that, apart from half a dozen national championship events on Sunday, this is the last opportunity before Sunday’s deadline for athletes to improve their 5000m ranking.
Lausanne will be shown live on Virgin Media Three from 7-9pm, Wed 20 Aug.
Andrew Coscoran, already qualified in the 1500m, and sitting a few places above Fay in the 5000m rankings, is on the startlist for the shorter distance at the Brussels Diamond League on Friday.
Concoran will be looking for a strong showing against a field that wouldn’t be too dissimilar to a World Championship semi-final.
Shauna Bocquet is due to race in the 400m wheelchair (T54).
Brussels will be shown live on Virgin Media Three from 7-9pm, Fri 22 Aug.
Last chance saloon in Tooting Bec
The British Milers Club (BMC) Record Breakers meeting in Tooting Bec, London, is but a Category F meeting. While lacking in potential World Ranking placing points, however, it offers fast-paced races and, for some, a final shot at the Tokyo automatic standard.
While some, particularly in the Men’s steeplechase, will be gung-ho for the Tokyo time, others are simply looking for a final blowout before the World Championships, ending the season with a personal best, or ticking off the European standard for next year before signing off for the season.
Among the Irish on the entry list are Sarah Healy and Alex O’Neill in the Women’s A 800m, Nick Griggs, Shane Bracken and James Gormley in the Men’s A 1500m, and Laura Nicholson in the Women’s A 1500m.
Kevin McGrath, Callum Morgan, Lughaidh Mallon, Seán Donoghue, Nadine Donegan and Amy O'Donoghue are also set to compete over 1500m, while John Travers is among the entries in the 3000m.
The event will be streamed on RunnerSpace+ Plus (subscription required) from 6.25pm, Wed 20 Aug
Final Call Tokyo
Final Call Tokyo by name, final call Tokyo by nature! Darragh McElhinney and Nick Griggs are among the athletes heading to Oslo on Saturday for a final crack at the 13.01 5000m Auto Q for Tokyo.
McElhinney is currently sitting one spot outside the quota spots, with a Diamond League wildcard still to be added, and no obvious withdrawals ahead of him. If he just misses the time (i.e. 13:02 or faster), but wins, there is still a chance that he would squeeze into a quota spot.
For Griggs, it is Auto Q or bust. Despite having the Athletics Ireland B standard in two events, if he doesn't run 13:01.00 or faster, he'll be watching Tokyo from home.
Another popular category F meeting
Similar to the BMC event in London, the Pfungstädter Abendsportfest this evening (Wednesday) has an entry list of a far higher standard than its Category F status suggests. Again, athletes are using the paced races as a final opportunity to hit a time target.
While there are no Irish athletes competing, the meeting may still be worth following. Startlists and live results can be viewed here.
Scottish Championships
Among the entries for the Scottish Open Championships on Saturday and Sunday are Long Jumpers Sam Healy, Lauren Callaghan and Ruby Millet, while John Kelly is entered in the Shot Putt.
Molly Scott is among the entries in the 100m Hurdles, which also lists Cyréne Samba-Mayela (FRA), the Olympic silver medallist, and Jamaica's Chrisma Taylor, who has a best of 12.61 - a reflection, perhaps, of the relative shortage of races this weekend and in the run-up to Tokyo.
There will also be an Irish U17 development team competing at this event and Athletics Northern Ireland are sending some senior athletes, so keep an eye out for other Irish athletes in the results.
Niamh Fogarty is also expected to compete at the Danish National Championships over the weekend.
World’s best descend on Larne
Paul O’Donnell, Ryan Creech, David McGlynn, Niamh Allen and Nichola Sheridan are among the Irish athletes set to compete alongside some of the best distance runners in the world at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in Larne on Sunday.
Geoffrey Kamworor, a multiple World Champion at both Half Marathon and Cross Country, and Joshua Cheptegei, the reigning World and Olympic 10,000m champion and World 5000m and 10,000m record holder, headline the men’s field.
Lilian Kasait is the fastest in a women’s field that also includes European Half Marathon Champion Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal.
The race will be shown live on Youtube.
