Belfast Classic about to set the domestic season alight
Elizabeth Egan | May 08, 2026
All eyes this weekend will be on Mary Peter’s track as the Continental Tour comes to Belfast. The Belfast Classic always showcases an athlete or two who has wintered particularly well, and the 2026 edition is set to be one of the best yet.
A quieter weekend elsewhere means that fans can focus their attention on the domestic event ahead of much busier weekends later in May.
Marquee season opener in Belfast
The first Irish continental tour meeting of the year - the Belfast Classic - plays host to some of the best Irish athletes, with stars from last weekend’s World Relays ensuring that the women’s 400m international and A races, in particular, will be very competitive.
If the startlists are anything to go by, there will also be competitive 1500m and 3000m events. The international women’s and men’s 800 deciders, which will close the programme, look particularly strong, with a small helping of Irish athletes in among the international fields.
Sophie Becker and Rachel McCann, who helped the Irish women’s 4x400m qualify for the 2027 World Championships last weekend, will be joined by Cliodhna Manning in the International 400m, where they will face stiff opposition from across the UK.
Arlene Crossan, Jenna Breen and Molly Daly, who all competed in Gaborone, along with Michelle Duggan, one of the reserves from the Tokyo team, are among the entries in the A 400m race. Erin Friel is entered in the 200m.
Jack Raftery, who also competed at the World Relays, David Mannion and Hugo Magee are on the startlist for the men’s international 400m.
The international men’s 3000m startlist includes Callum Morgan, Michael Morgan and Jamie Battle who were, earlier this week, all named in the Irish team for the upcoming European 10,000m Cup. Jack O’Leary, who finished fifth at the European Cross Country Championships in December is also set to open his outdoor campaign.
Fiona Everard, who was also this week named in the Irish team for the European 10,000m Cup, will face opposition from Belgium, Sweden and the UK in the women’s international 3000m. Among her Irish competitors are Cheryl Nolan, Zoe Toland, Róise Roberts and Abbie Sheridan.
Alex O’Neill and Andrew Thompson are the star Irish names in the International 800m races, while national indoor champion Cillian Kirwan is on the A race startlist.
Admission to Mary Peters for this action-packed day of action is free. Those who can’t make it to Belfast, can enjoy a livestream of all races across the programme.
Elsewhere
Matthew Glennon is the sole senior Irish athlete competing at the World Racewalking Tour Gold in Poděbrady, Czechia, on Friday afternoon. Glennon will be competing over the half marathon distance.
Ever-improving discus thrower Anna Gavigan is on the startlist for the Continental Tour Challenger Ter Specke Bokaal meeting in Lisse, Netherlands on Saturday. She is also entered for the Dublin Graded meeting on Sunday, as is fellow discus thrower Eoin Sheridan.
With most of the NCAA Division I schools scheduled to compete in conference championships next week, this is a quieter week in the US. There are still a handful of athletes on the startlists for meetings in Oregon, California, Kansas, New York, Arkansas and Illinois.
Una Brice, Scott Fagan, Sean Lawton, Muireann Duffy and Laura McConville are also scheduled to compete in conference championships. Check out the NCAA/Collegiate page for further details and links to startlists and livestreams, where available.