Sarah Healy

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.

This 2025 World Indoor Championships will take place this weekend in the Chinese city of Nanjing. Six Irish athletes are due to compete, including recent European Indoor medallists Sarah Healy (3000m) and Kate O’Connor (Pentathlon).

A proud history

Across the previous 20 editions, Irish athletes have won nine individual medals - in track events from 60m hurdles to 3000m - as well as a bronze medal in the men’s 4x400m in 2004.

Marcus O’Sullivan and Frank O’Mara have five world indoor titles between them, with O’Sullivan winning the men’s 1500m in 1987, 1989, and 1993, and O’Mara taking 3000m golds in 1987 and 1991.

Indeed, 1987 - the second time the event was held - was a particularly successful edition for the Irish, with Paul Donovan also taking silver behind O’Mara.

Sonia O’Sullivan (3000m silver in 1997) won Ireland’s next medal, and the most recent in the middle distances.

Paul McKee won bronze in the 400m in 2003; Rob Daly, Gary Ryan, David Gillick and David McCarthy won the historic relay medal in 2005; and Derval O’Rourke took the 60m hurdles title in 2006.

With 10 medals, including six titles, in the first 21 years of the competition, Irish athletes have now gone 19 years without a World Indoor medal.

Irish contenders

Unlike the European Indoors, we have no outstanding medal contenders, but Healy and O’Connor certainly have an outside shot at making the podium. Andrew Coscoran (1500m; 3000m), sixth at European Indoors, could finish higher here than he did in Apeldoorn.

Sarah Lavin (60m Hurdles) - Ireland’s highest individual finisher in Glasgow last year with fifth place - will be looking to continue the progress she showed at European Indoors, and will, at the very least, be looking to finally get into the 7.8s.

Sophie O’Sullivan (1500m), the only member of the team not to have competed at the European Indoors will come here with fresh legs, while James Gormley (3000m) will look to build on his first experience of racing in the green.

Indoor running has come a long way since 1987, so double-gold is a lot more difficult to achieve these days. That said, Irish athletics is in a much better place that it was nine years ago, when a team of just one was send to the 2016 World Indoor Championships in Portland.

How they got here

Athletes qualified for Nanjing based on performance (either Auto Q or by being next best on the toplist) or Wildcard, apart from the multievents, where athletes qualified by world ranking, and the relays for which any country could enter a team.

The target was to fill approximately half the fields with Athletes who had achieved the Auto Q, either indoors or outdoors, since 1st September 2024. In most track events, however, approximately a third of the final entries are made up of those who hit Auto Qs, and for the field events it is far fewer.

Up to two qualified athletes from each country can compete in each event, in addition to a maximum of one wild card entrant per country – which is awarded to the current year’s World Indoor Tour winners.

Because of the protracted build-up to this event, World Indoor Tour winners from 2019 and 2020 (subject to showing current form) were also eligible for a Wild Card this time around.

The remaining places were allocated based on the next best performances – achieved indoors or out – during the qualification window. Some events, most notably the women’s 400m, have not met their target quota, and both relays will be straight finals.

Of the Irish team, Healy, Coscoran and Lavin all achieved the Auto Q indoors and O’Connor qualified via her ever-improving world ranking. O’Sullivan, thanks to an outdoor performance earlier this year, was just outside the quota at the close of the qualification window. Herself and Gormley, who was a bit further off the cut-off, both made the team when withdrawals of other athletes moved them within the quota.

Mark English and Cian McPhillips were both named in the selected team, but have been forced to withdraw due to illness and injury respectively.

Other Irish athletes were within the quota at close of qualification (or close enough to be moved up), but had either ended their season or had not achieved the Athletics Ireland B standard.

And so, we have a team of six. Can they add to Ireland’s medal tally?

How we got here

Is a second major indoor championship in the same season unusual I hear you ask? Yes, it is, and it certainly wasn’t the original plan, but it is not completely unheard of.

The European Indoors, which predated the World Indoors, began life as an annual event, and continued thus, even after the World Indoor Championships were introduced in 1985. The first three editions of the biannual World Indoor Championships therefore ‘clashed’ with European Indoor years, before the continental decider was also reduced to a biannual event.

European and World Indoor Championships are now normally held in alternative years, but Covid-related cancellations are still having an impact on the global athletics schedule.

Nanjing was originally due to host the event in 2020. The event was pushed back to 2021, later cancelled, and then to 2023. Belgrade hosted the 2022 event, but Chinese pandemic regulations meant that the Nanjing event was again delayed.

In the meantime, Glasgow (2024) and Toruń (2026) had already been awarded future editions, but World Athletics were keen to keep the Chinese onside, particularly since the venue – Nanjing’s Cube – was purpose-built for the event. And so, they added the event to the 2025 calendar.

Nanjing essentials

Nanjing, a city of approximately 9.5 million people is located in the Yangtze River Delta, approximately 300 kilometres west-north-west of Shanghai.

It is recognised as one of the four Great Ancient Capitals of China – alongside Beijing, Luoyang and Xi-an – and was one of the nation’s most important cities for more than a century.

Nanjing hosted the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games.

How to follow

We’ve shared some useful information on how to follow on our World Indoor Championship page, including a timetable of when Irish athletes are competing and details of how to watch.

Because China is eight hours ahead of Ireland, the morning sessions will be in the very small hours, while the evening sessions will be late morning/lunchtime our time. The field events - all straight finals - are spread across morning and evening sessions, so fans of the jumps and throws may wish to bank some extra hours sleep in the next few days.

It's been an epic six weeks tracking the route Irish athletes took to Apeldoorn. Some came into 2025 with the Auto Q already secured and many hit it in their first competition of the year. Others had plenty of ranking points, but needed the Athletics Ireland B standard to be selected. 

A few hung out around the quota cut-off for the past few weeks, knowing (or at least hoping) that there would be some withdrawals. And here we are with a team of 19. This is a summary of how each individual and team qualified for Apeldoorn.

Bori Akinola (60m) was sitting in or around the cut-off mark coming into the season, and once he nailed the Athletics Ireland B standard (6.65) at the National League on 19 Jan he was all but assured his place, given the number of athletes ahead of him on the Road to Apeldoorn who were unlikely to compete. Akinola’s silver medal at last summer’s National Seniors made up a big chunk of his final ranking score, along with his win from National Indoors and that 6.65 from the national league. Two rounds of the UCD Track and Field Meeting in June were enough to complete Akinola’s Apeldoorn-qualifying score.

Sharlene Mawdsley (400m): While her place by ranking was never in doubt coming into the season, Masdsley made things straightforward when she achieved the Auto Q in her first race of the season in Glasgow on 2 Feb. Her 51.69 that day was an indoor personal best, and her fastest time of the season so far.

Lauren Cadden and Rachel McCann (both 400m) were selected for relay teams in Apeldoorn and therefore did not need to hit the Athletics Ireland B standard. They took the final two slots on the Road to Apeldoorn (Cliodhna Manning and Arlene Crossan were next in line for a place). Like Akinola, both Cadden and Manning benefited from the podium finishes at last summer’s National Senior Championships and the placing points that it, as a Category B event, carried. But most importantly, they had enough outdoor performances (at least 3) to have a ranking score. Both will be making their senior individual debut in Apeldoorn.

Mark English (800m), a regular in high-scoring races, rarely struggles to gather ranking points. He was already sitting pretty on 1240 points when he ran the Auto Q (and smashed the Irish record in the process), at the Millrose Games on 8 February. English, a two-time medal-winner at this event, goes into Apeldoorn ranked third of the field on season’s best.

Cian McPhillips (800m) looked to have a mountain to climb when sitting in 48th place. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, he ran 1:45.33 – an outright PB, second on the Irish all-time list, and most importantly the Auto Q for Apeldoorn. McPhillips is ranked fifth by season’s best among the field.

Cathal Doyle (1500m) seems to love just missing Auto Qs, and the Road to Apeldoorn has been no different; the 3:37.00 standard just alluding him on this occasion. He did, however, achieve the B standard on 7 Feb and thanks to three Category A top 4 finishes, a swift Olympic semi-final result, and another fast category C podium finish, Doyle amassed a massive ranking score of 1289 points. That’s almost 200 points more than was needed to make it on quota.

Sarah Healy (3000m): Because she had raced no 5000m races outdoors last season, Sarah always needed the Automatic qualification standard of 8:48.00. She achieved that in Boston in her first race of the season where she broke the Irish record, and improved it a week later in New York. Her time then - 8:30.79 – ranks her second by time among the Apeldoorn field. Sarah did also achieve the Auto Q for the 1500m, but has opted for the longer distance in Apeldoorn.

Jodie McCann (5000m): Having chased ranking points for the 5000m in Paris last summer, Jodie had a good chance of making Apeldoorn on ranking, so long as she achieved the Athletics Ireland B standard. She achieved that on 4 Feb, and while sitting in the last of the 24 slots the week before the window closed, she was well within the quota once withdrawals were made. McCann’s final ranking was made up of the same three performances that got her to the Olympics.

Andrew Coscoran (3000m), like Healy, needed the Auto Q, and that he delivered in his first outing of the season, with an impressive win and national record-shattering 7:30.75 in Boston. The following week Coscoran broke the Irish 1500m and mile records, but, like Healy, has chosen the longer distance in Apeldoorn. He is ranked third in the field on time.

James Gormley (3000m): A former British junior international, the first step for James was to gain his Irish eligibility, which happened in November last year. James hit the Auto Q in Boston on 14th February to secure his place.

Sarah Lavin (60m hurdles): has been making a habit of getting qualification out of the way early, and she achieved the required standard (8.00 seconds) at the World Indoors in Glasgow last March, within the first week of qualification for this event.

Kate O’Connor (Hepathlon) surpassed the Athletics Ireland B standard for Apeldoorn with her best heptathlon performance last summer, and she came into the indoor season sitting just inside the quota spots. Her 4683 national record on 2 February, however, bettered the Auto Q.  She is one of only three of the field to do so this season.

The Mixed 4x400m and Women's 4x400m relay teams both qualified by time, thanks to their Rome and Paris performances respectively. Netherlands, as hosts, were guaranteed a slot in each relay, the next three teams were decided based on 2024 toplist, and the final two slots in the 6-team finals were allocated based on cumulative times of a country’s best 4 performers this indoor season.

Orla Comerford (PA 60m) will also compete in Apeldoorn, European Athletics having added two Para Athletics events to the programme.

The 1500m (and its imperial near-equivalent, the mile) is a wonderful distance. Fast and furious, slow and tactical, or steady with a gradual and sustained burn-up, it is always exciting, but especially where there are championship medals on the line. 

The standard doesn’t always have to be elite for races to be interesting, but with the maximum six spots filled at both the Olympics in Paris and the World Championships in Budapest, Ireland is currently experiencing a golden age of metric milers.

And over the past five years, we’ve been treated to some particularly special 1500m and mile races, involving Irish athletes, at home and abroad.

These are some of our favourites.

Who even won this one?

Robinson versus Tobin, Irish National Senior Men’s 1500m final, 23 August 2020

A few weeks later than originally planned, the 2020 Irish Championships stretched out over two weekends in late August. Fans were banned. Coaches watched through the gate from Santry Park. With additional Covid-19 restrictions in place in Kildare, some athletes couldn’t even make it to north Dublin. And with Olympic qualification suspended, there were no world ranking points on offer.

Deprived of athletics action for much of the preceding six months, the average athletics fan would have watched snails race on a treadmill by this point; some probably already had. The athletes, too, were desperate to make the most of every available race opportunity. And Athletics Ireland dearly wanted to maintain the unbroken streak of national championships, which stretches back to 7 July, 1873. 

Any sort of racing would have sufficed; a race finish going viral (still too soon, perhaps?) across the world was more than anyone could have wished for.

The men’s 1500m, which concluded session five on the first weekend, featured two names we’d already heard a lot about, along with one we were to hear more of in the future.

Paul Robinson won the national indoor 1500m title in 2011 and made his senior debut over the distance at the European Championships in Helsinki in 2012. He competed in the 800m at the World Championships in Moscow in 2013, after winning the national 800m title, and was fourth over 1500m at the European U23 Championships, set an Irish U23 1500m record of 3:35.22 (which stood until July 2024) and finish ninth in the U23 race at the European Cross Country Championships. 2014 picked up where 2013 left off, with new personal bests over 1,000m (2:17.93); mile (3:54.77), 3000m (7:58.56) and 5000m (13:54.34) and a fabulous fourth place at the European Championships in Zurich. At just 23 years of age, the future looked bright for Robinson and Irish middle-distance running. 

Also in 2014, aged just 19, Seán Tobin, clocked 3:59.91 to become the youngest Irish athlete (at the time) to break four minutes for the mile. He won his first national senior title, over 1500m, in 2017, the year he set his still-standing 1500m (3:41.80) and mile (3:57.00) personal bests. Tobin competed in the senior race at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships and the 2017, 2018 and 2019 European Cross Country Championships. His 10th place finish in 2018 made him the first (and, to date, only) Irish male athlete to ever finish top 10 in both the Junior/U20 and Senior races at Euro Cross. He also competed at the 2019 European Indoor Championships, over 3000m.

Andrew Coscoran, five years Robinson’s junior, was just starting to make waves. He made his senior international debut at the European Team Championships in 2019, and ran 3:37.98 indoors in February 2020. He was the reigning national senior indoor champion, and was looking to add his first national outdoor title, after silver in 2019.

***

Tobin shot into the lead approximately 50 metres in, and led through 400m in around 58 seconds. Coscoran, who had initially tried to follow, was by then 5 metres back, leading the chase.

Tobin continued to push the pace, and build the lead, into the wind. By 800m, reached in around 1:58, the gap was a good 20 metres, Robinson now the one trying to bridge the gap.

Tobin’s lead over Robinson was down to about 10 metres with a lap to go, Coscoran a further 15 or 20 metres behind.

With 300m to go, it was still Tobin, with Robinson about the bridge the gap. 

Both really wanted to win.

Both had a little bit of speed in the arsenal.

Watch what happened next without spoilers here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtsPqWFaXOE

A bit like the famous 10,000m finish between Paul Target and Haile Gebresalise at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, watching this back it’s easy for the mind to think that there’ll be a different outcome: that the hunted will be easily slain on that home straight, that the hunter, the one with the 1:45.86 800m speed, poised with 100m to go, will easily glide past. We’ve watched championship races before. We know how this ends.

But the race-watching mind doesn’t know everything.

Tobin rallied. A National title was important to him too.

They strained. They leaned. Only the photo finish could decide this one.

Two hundreds of a second separated them in the end.

Entertainment we were all long overdue. 

Relive the race from the start here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsv_LRD346c&t=6732s

Robinson, for the record, did get the nod, but it hardly seems to matter now who won; they’ll both be remembered for their part in what was a truly memorable race, one where winning was all that mattered.

Coscoran, the future Irish record holder, completed the Dublin Track Club sweep, and probably picked up a thing or two about close finishes that day. He made the Olympic semi-final the following year.

Tobin went on to win the 10,000m title on the second weekend of the championships. He ran a marathon in Antarctica in 2022, and he made the Irish team for the 2024 European Cross Country Championships, but injuries mean that we have, as yet, to see his full potential. Could 2025 be the year?

Robinson’s career, thwarted by injury after 2014, continues to ebb and flow. He ran 3:36.57 in February 2024, a reminder of what could have been.

Cian McPhillips, who finished fifth, went on to win the European U20 championships in 2021. He too knows all too well the burden of talent and the frustration of injury.

Athletics is anything but predictable. Perhaps that’s what makes it so appealing.
 

Morton Mile Classic

Coscoran, Doyle and the rest, Morton Mile, Morton Games, Santry, 2 July 2022

The gun went. Australian Callum Davies sat in behind the pacemakers. Andrew Coscoran followed. The rest were strung out behind. There was even a fall. A typical paced circuit affair.

Until it wasn’t.

With 650m to go they all started getting involved. Darragh McElhinney was the first to close up and slot in behind Coscoran. Then went Nick Griggs. Cathal Doyle and Shane Bracken followed. With 400m to go Irish athletes filled 2nd to 6th place. With 250m they were all queueing up; getting into the ideal position from which to strike. 

Coscoran, the fastest on paper. Doyle, who stunned everyone in the 1500m at the National seniors the previous week. McElhinney, a 5km specialist, with a decent kick. Griggs who ran Coscoran close over the same distance indoors. Bracken, the national 1500m silver medallist; he too with a serious turn of pace.

We were definitely in for a treat, and not of the plain jelly and ice-cream variety. This was an assiette à dessert of Michelin quality.

With 200m to go, they were four abreast behind Davies, each trying to measure their effort to perfection. None of them ready to show their cards just yet. Corscoran eventually pulled alongside Davies with 150m to go. Doyle made his move around the outside. McElhinney was wedged between them at this point, his normally sublime stride looking strained against the shorter-distance men. But he wasn’t giving this one up without a fight.

They were still four-wide into the home straight.

Then Doyle and Coscoran pulled clear. North Dub versus North Dub. Shoulder to shoulder. Stride for stride. Coscoran, first, looked to have the edge. Then Doyle levelled and inched ahead. The finish line was coming, but not quick enough. Doyle leaned. Coscoran dived. Nobody wanted to call this one.

There was a visible buzz around the track. The lads had put on a great show. The perfect finale to the 2022 Morton Games. Irish athletes would fill the top three places. Five had run under 4 minutes. But who’d won? Doyle’s supporters were celebrating. Rushing onto the track to congratulate him. He didn’t look sure. Coscoran too was waiting.

And eventually the result appeared. Coscoran had edged this one; 3:57.09 to Doyle’s 3:57.11.

Coscoran looked full of energy. Buoyed by the win, chatting, reliving the dive.

Doyle looked utterly sickened. The sweet smell of victory now the sour aftertaste of defeat.

Andrew Coscoran, here’s your big fancy trophy. Cathal Doyle, thanks for taking part.

Watch the race here!

The rematch to match all rematches

Healy v O'Sullivan, Irish National Senior Women’s 1500m final, 30 July 2023

Just a week ago they finished a metre apart in first and second at the European U23 Championships. Now Sophie O'Sullivan and Sarah Healy have to do it all over again, this time for the Irish Senior title.

Three and three-quarter laps of the track. Two in-form athletes. One national title.

O’Sullivan is looking for her first national title.

Healy is looking for revenge.

After an exceptional afternoon of finals, the Santry crowd are looking for blood. Metaphorically at least.

O’Sullivan and Healy ease ahead off the line, both doing just enough to get in front, from where they can dictate things. 

O’Sullivan slots into the lead. Healy in behind her. The rest of the field settle in to get the best view they can of this one too. 

Through 300m in 53 seconds, and the leading two have almost a 10-metre lead. The stage is all theirs.

Just before the 400m mark (reached in 71 seconds), Healy lengthens her stride and moves ahead of O’Sullivan, quickly building a three-metre lead. 

By 700m, the pace still quick, O’Sullivan has closed the gap.

2:14 through 800m. A 63 second lap. 

By 1000m the pace has slowed again. Healy still leading. O’Sullivan sitting on her shoulder.

They’re at least 80m ahead of the rest through the bell, but they’ve both slowed again.

Healy holds the inside line. O’Sullivan comes right up on her shoulder. They almost bump.

They’re jogging now.

Watching for each other’s next move.

We’re more used to seeing this sort of thing at the velodrome.

A 72-second lap.

280m to go. O’Sullivan makes a move.

Healy responds immediately. And decisively.

She has a clear gap with 200m to go.

5 metres clear with 100m to go. Looking majestic.

O’Sullivan is working hard. She’s closing on Healy down the home straight. 

But Healy finds a little more.

She takes the title. 

4.11.9 on the clock.

That’ll do.

The crowd is in shock.

They’ve never seen anything like this.

Long live this rivalry.

Watch the race here!

Bonus video: Mageean v Healy, European U23 Championships

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MNtlrVcVTg

Man down, by two

Doyle versus Griggs, 2024 Irish National Senior Indoor Men’s 1500m final, 18 Feb 2024 

With many athletes closely matched in standard and finishing speed, we’ve had some very, very special head-to-heads in recent years. Being involved in a close finish, particularly if there’s a dive or two involved, is the badge of honour the current generation seem to chase. And when it comes to the impact of diving finishes, one athlete in particular springs to mind.

Cathal Doyle started 2024 with a growing reputation for winning races. Just a week after losing out in a close finish to Andrew Coscoran at the Morton Games in 2022 (a race he ran with a broken wrist following a dive earlier that summer), he won the mile at the Cork City Sports. He later added the 2022 and 2023 National Senior titles to his growing resume.

Success at European age-group championships means that Nick Griggs, still a teenager, has been a household name since 2021. He made the Senior World Championships in 2023, picked up his second individual European U20 Cross Country medal in December, and officially graduated to the senior ranks in January 2024.

Both were on the verge of the big-time. Both had Paris in their sights. But first, both very much wanted to win a national indoor title.

After a chaotic start, Philip Marron took the lead. The main protagonists sat in fourth and fifth, Doyle on the rail, Griggs slightly more involved. With others happy to take on the pace, it remained the same through the first kilometre or so, as they rattled off 400m splits of 65 seconds, 65 seconds, and then a 58 through 1200m.

Griggs went into third with 600m to go; not so much a move, as merely paying more attention. Doyle followed. 

There were seven athletes closely bunched with 300m to go. Now Doyle took closer order. Griggs followed.

Doyle edged into the lead at the bell. Griggs, ever so slightly adrift, responded.

With 100m to go, they’d got a gap on the rest of the field. 

Doyle straining; Griggs chasing.

Doyle was still leading into the home straight. Griggs had to go wide, off the bend, and into lane two, ready to pounce.

Doyle put the head down, seemingly willing the line forward. 

Griggs too was leaving it all out on the track.

Two athletes giving it everything they had.

Neck and neck.

Just a few more metres.

Stride.

Lean.

Dive.

Both of them did their best Superman impression across the line, providing an additional obstacle for the rest of the field.

Griggs was smiling; whatever the result he knew they’d entertained.

Doyle was grimacing… and holding his wrist. 

Watch the race here!

Doyle won the precious title, and then spent the following weeks with his wrist, again, in a cast. 

Once the outdoor season got underway, he went in search of championship qualification. First up was European Championships in Rome. 38 athletes achieved the standard: 3:36.00. But there were only 32 places. His ranking score was good, but was never going to be good enough. He needed the Big Q. And he got close. 3:36.02 in Karlsruhe on 11th May; 3:36.32 in Andujar on 17th May; 3:36.14 in Brussels on 26th May. Close, but ever so far.

But there was still Paris and the Olympics to aim for, and next race out he ran 3:34.31 in Nice. Another PB (3:34.09) followed in Turku three days later; his first continental tour gold win. Then a third national senior title. And on 2nd July, confirmation that he was within quota for Paris. 

Griggs, meanwhile, did make Rome; a 3:35.90 PB in Chorzów on 18th May good enough for the Auto Q.

He didn’t amass enough points for Paris though. Instead, he rewrote the Irish U23 record books: 13:13.07 for 5000m in Santry on 12th July; 7:36.59 for 3000m in London on 20th July; And then, on 24 July in London, another 1500m PB; 3:35.04 good enough to finally eclipse Paul Robinson’s 11-year-old mark.

What might 2025 hold for these two?

Some more exciting races we hope.

But, please, no more broken wrists.
 

Patience is a virtue

Mageean versus the rest, European Championships women’s 1500m final, 9 June 2024

Ciara Mageean had never won an international title. She’d finished third at this event in 2016. In 2018 she was fourth. She won silver at the most recent edition in 2022. She also had a bronze medal from the European Indoor Championships in 2019. Silver too from Commonwealth Games. But she’d never won a title. And then she finished fourth at the 2023 World Championships.

Would 2024 be her year?

It didn’t start out that way. An injury picked up when setting the World Parkrun best in Belfast in December, and some further niggles, meant she didn’t open her 2024 season until 25th May.

But a new Irish 800m record of 1:58.51 and a win over 1500m in Ostrava, indicated she was very much in shape; and in the absence of defending champion Laura Muir, very much the one to beat in Rome. 

***

One by one the athletes are being called onto the track.

Agathe Guillemot (FRA); Ireland’s Sarah Healy; Katie Snowden (GBR); Marta Pérez (ESP);Yolanda Ngarambe from Sweden; Jemma Reekie (GBR); Nele Weßel (GER); Salomé Afonso (POR)… All running out, and sprinting down to the start line.

Ciara, walks out, calm as you like, acknowledges the crowd. If she’s bricking it, it certainly doesn’t show.

The gun goes, Reekie sprints to the front and takes the lead position on the rail. Georgie Bell, the third Britain in this race, slots in beside her. Guillemot sits on the rail right behind these two. Mageean is towards the outside of lane one, just behind Reekie and Bell. With Snowdon just behind, she’s surrounded by Brits. 

And so it stays.

67.7 through the first 400m.

Mageean sits in.

As you were through 800m.

2:16.3; a 68.7-second lap.

Still Mageean waits.

1,000m in. 

Mageean holds.

Reekie and Bell put the foot down 20 metres or so before the bell. Mageean spots the danger and follows.

It’s Reekie and Bell, neck and neck, through 1200m in 3:19.0. Mageean is still tucked in right behind. 

No panic.

How can she be so damn calm?

Guillemot, who missed the break at the bell, is chasing the leading three.

200m to go. Mageean could easily go wide. She doesn’t.

They crown the bend. Still Mageean waits.

120m to go. Reekie and Bell are still just in front. Mageean is still stuck to them like glue, but Guillemot is to her right now, blocking the way out.

There’s five or six metres between these four and Healy and Pérez in fifth and sixth. 

110m to go. Mageean needs some space. It’s clear now that she’s got the pace. But she's boxed.

Has she waited too long?

100m to go. The slightest bit of daylight appears between Reekie and Bell. Mageean ever so gently nudges her way through.

Reekie is fading.

Mageean is pulling away.

Bell and Guillemot chase hard.

The line is coming.

Nobody can catch her now.

A champion at last.

***

Patience is a virtue.

But anyone who watched Mageean race that night knows it’s much more than that.

And racing is sometimes easier than watching.

We all know that now too.

Full race with introductions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHExtUEGsD0

If it feels like there’s been non-stop championship action year after year since Covid, that’s because there has been. And it’s not due to end just yet: 2025 will be the fifth consecutive year with a global senior outdoor track and field championship.

Indeed we’re still experiencing the knock-on effects of earlier Covid-related postponements, with both European and World Indoor Championships set for March.

Here’s a summary of the significant international athletics events scheduled for 2025, the majority of which will feature Irish athletes.

European Indoor Championships, Apeldoorn, NED, 6-9 Mar

The Dutch city of Apeldoorn will play host to the sold-out European Indoor Championships over four days in early March. Athletes will qualify by qualification standard or world ranking. Nine Irish athletes have already achieved automatic qualification standards. Both the Women’s 4x400m and the Mixed 4x400m relay teams are also qualifed, with the latter making its European Indoor debut in 2025.

It’s been six years since Mark English (800m) and Ciara Mageean (1500m) won Ireland’s last European Indoor medals. Ireland’s best result last time out was Darragh McElhinney’s fourth place in the 3000m. Phil Healy finished fourth in the 400m in 2021.

It’s not clear yet who’ll be racing indoors, how many members of the giant-slaying relay teams will be available or who has wintered particularly well, but it’s difficult to see Ireland going a third consecutive European Indoor championship without a medal.

Event website
Athletics Ireland selection policy
Qualification status of Irish athletes

European Throwing Cup, Nicosia, CYP, 15-16 Mar

The indoor season won’t even have concluded by the time the top throwers open their 2025 campaigns. A little bit of Mediterranean sun will help break up the winter training for those lucky enough to punch their ticket to the Cypriot capital.

Nicola Tuthill finished second in the U23 hammer at the past two editions, and may well be looking to go one better in her final year in the category, though she could instead opt to compete against the senior athletes. The ever-improving Oisin Joyce (Javelin) and Niamh Fogarty (Discus) are others who may be looking to make a mark at this level.

Event information
Athletics Ireland selection policy
Irish Athletes who have achieved consideration standards

World Indoor Championships, Nanjing, CHN, 21-13 Mar

Just two weeks after the European Indoors, the World Indoor Championships will be held in Nanjing, China. If you’re thinking it’s unusual to have two championships indoors, you’re not wrong, though it’s not completely unheard of.

China is a long way to go for an athlete early in what could be another long year. But an additional championship may offer a bonus opportunity for an athlete to get on an international rostrum, or to gain experience at this level. We will wait to see how many Irish athletes will make the trip. Rhasidat Adeleke, one of only two athletes currently qualified, has already stated that she'll be skipping both the European and World Indoors this year.

Event website
Athletics Ireland selection policy
Qualification status of Irish athletes

European Running Championships, Brussels-Leuven, BEL, 12-13 Apr

The European Running Championships, which will feature 10km, marathon and half marathon championship races, is making its debut this year. The event is being billed as a festival of running, and athletes of all levels can enter to compete alongside the elite athletes.

The 10km and half marathon will be run around the streets of Leuven. The marathon will start by the Royal Palace in the centre of Brussels, and make its way east, via Tervuren Park and the Royal Museum of Central Africa, to Leuven. The half marathon will be held on Saturday 12th April, while both the 10km and marathon races will take place the following day.

The marathon championship replaces the one traditionally held with the European Championships in non-Olympic years (last held in Munich in 2022), while the half-marathon was contested alongside the European Championships in 2016 (Amsterdam) and 2014 (Rome). This will be the first time that European championship medals will be awarded for 10km on the road.

Fionnuala McCormack finished seventh in the marathon in Munich, while Shona Heaslip in 34th was Ireland’s top half-marathoner in Rome last year.

Event website
Athletics Ireland selection policy
Irish athletes who have achieved consideration standards

World Relays, Guangzhou, CHN,10-11 May

Last year the best teams were fielded in the first round of both the Women’s 4x400m and Mixed 4x400m. With Olympic qualification secured in both events, all the eggs were then placed in the mixed relay basket for the final, and the team set a (then) national record and won bronze.

Both those teams are ranked high enough to be guaranteed a spot in Guangzhou, but Ideally, the Men's 4x400m team would also qualify (they finished 2024 ranked 30th on the Road to Guangzhou, so they might just be one of the 32 teams invited). The men’s 4x100m team, currently ranked 37th, would require some withdrawals to qualify.

Fourteen of the teams for the World Championships in Tokyo will be chosen from the World Relays, the other two spots will be allocated to the next two best teams on time during the qualification window.

The Irish Women’s 4x400m are currently ranked fourth, so if two of the teams ahead compete in Guangzhou and finish top fourteen, then they’ll qualify regardless (presuming that teams are not going to run faster than the time Ireland did in the Olympic final between now and close of the Tokyo window). If the Netherlands, USA and Great Britain choose to skip World Relays, Ireland have a chance of finishing top 14 in Guangzhou without their strongest team.

The Mixed 4x400m team are currently ranked 5th. In theory, they could also qualify for Tokyo irrespective of their Guangzhou performance, but that would depend on at least three of the United States, Netherlands, Great Britain and Belgium taking automatic spots, and nobody else running faster than the 3:09.92 the Irish quartet ran on their way to the European title.

Event info
Athletics Ireland selection policy

European Race Walking Team Championships, Poděbrady, CZE, 18 May

After hosting the 2021 and 2023 editions of this biannual event, Lázeňský Park in Poděbrady will again host the European Race Walking Team Championships. The event, established in 1996, now includes senior men's and women's 20km and 35km races, and 10km races for U20 men and women.

The event provides individuals with a good opportunity to obtain qualification standards for the summer’s major events. Those finishing in the top 8 in the senior events also receive bonus placing points towards world ranking scores.

The team scores in the senior races are calculated by aggregating the positions of the first three finishers. The top two athletes per country count in the U20 team event. The Irish senior men’s 20km team (Alex Wright, Robert Heffernan and Cian McManamon) won bronze at this event in 2017.

Event website
Athletics Ireland selection policy
Irish athletes who have achieved consideration standards

European 10,000m Cup, Pacé, FRA, 24 May

Similar to Poděbrady for the Race Walking Team Championships, Pacé in France will host the European 10,000m Cup for the third time, though the last edition was actually held alongside the European Championships in Rome last summer.

There will be A and B races in both men’s and women’s categories, with athletes seeded according to prior accomplishments. The addition of pacemakers allows athletes to avail of a rare opportunity to chase personal bests and championship qualification standards while surrounded by athletes of a similar ability.

A full Irish team competed in the men’s race in Rome last year, while Íde Nic Dhomhnaill and Shona Heaslip finished first and second respectively in the women’s B race in Pacé in 2023.

Event website
Athletics Ireland selection policy
Irish athletes who have achieved consideration standards

European Team Championships, Maribor, SLO, 24-29 Jun

After a stunning team performance in the lowest division two years ago, Ireland are back where they belong in the second division of Europe’s international team competition. A lack of field event power has historically made it impossible to challenge for a place in the top division but, with growth there, 2025 will give some indication of whether or not further promotion is possible for the current generation.

The target, however, this year must surely be to solidify their place, and for athletes – particularly those in the field events – to gain experience at this level. And if everyone shows up, who knows, maybe we could all be surprised.

Ireland’s opposition in Slovenia will include the hosts Slovenia, Austria and Israel who were promoted with Ireland in 2023, Belgium, Turkey and Norway, who were relegated from the top division last time, along with Romania, Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia, Croatia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Latvia.

Event information
Athletics Ireland selection policy

European U23 Championships, Bergen, NOR, 17-20 Jul

Nicola Tuthill, Nick Griggs, Elizabeth Ndudi and Oisin Joyce are just some of the Irish athletes who’ll be eligible to compete at the 15th edition of the European U23 championships in Norway in July.

Tuthill finished 4th in 2023, and has improved her best by almost two-an-a-half metres, made a European Senior final, and competed in the Olympics since then. Griggs and Ndudi both European U20 champions, and Joyce, a World U20 medallist, will also be looking for medals, should they choose to compete.

Irish athletes have had much success at European U23 Championships in recent years. Sophie O'Sullivan, Sarah Healy, David Kenny, Eilish Flanagan and Nadia Power have all won medals since 2019; of those, only Healy had won won a European medal at U20 level.

Event website

FISU World University Games Summer, Rhine-Ruhr, GER, 21-27 Jul, 2025

It’s not clear yet if Ireland will send a team to the biannual, multi-sport event for students. The athletics programme, which will be held in Lohrheidestadion in Bochum, starts the day after the European U23 championships conclude in Bergen.

European U23 Championships will likely be the priority for those who are eligible for both, but athletes like Nicola Tuthill could easily compete in Norway and Germany. Others, for example Sophie O’Sullivan and Jack Raftery, would be eligible for World Universities but not European U23s.

Ireland didn’t send a team to the last edition in Chengdu. Marcus Lawler won 200m bronze six years ago, while Thomas Barr won the 400m hurdles in 2015. Ronnie Delany (1961), Sonia O’Sullivan (1991) and Derval O’Rourke (2005) are also among previous medal winners.

Event website

European U20 Championships, Tampere, FIN, 7-10 Aug

While senior athletics is very much our focus here, it’s difficult to ignore the main under-20 competition of the year. The European U20 Championships is always a good chance to watch some of the up-and-coming talent. The athletes always look like they’re having fun, and with all events shown live and for free on the Eurovision Sport site, it’s an easy event to follow.

Elizabeth Ndudi (gold LJ) and Nick Griggs (silver 3000m) made the podium in 2023. Indeed, 10 Irish athletes have earned 12 medals at European U20 level since 2017. Of those athletes, Griggs, Kate O’Connor, Sarah Healy, Darragh McElhinney and Rhasidat Adeleke have since gone on to compete in global senior championships, with John Fitzsimons also competing at European Senior level.

Irish athletes won five medals at the European U18 Championships in 2023, and some of the athletes who competed at World U20 Championships last year are still eligible, so there’ll be no shortage of talent this time either.

Event information

World Championships, Tokyo, JPN, 13-21 Sep

While there will be plenty to keep the keen athletics fan entertained all summer, they’ll have to wait until September for the ‘big dance.’

Over nine days, the world’s best athletes will compete in the Japanese capital for 49 World titles. Ireland’s last World Championship medal came in 2013 (Rob Heffernan, Gold, 50km walk), and only five Irish athletes have ever won medals at this level. With four near misses in the last two global majors, surely the Irish are due a bit of luck.

Event website
Athletics Ireland selection policy
Qualification status of Irish athletes

World Road Running Championships, San Diego, USA, 26-28 Sep

While this event may not feature an Irish team, all three Championship events (mile, 5km and half marathon) will be run alongside mass participation events, so anyone can enter.

This will be the first time either the World Half Marathon Championships, or the now-expanded World Road Running Championships, will be hosted by the USA. No Irish athlete has ever won a medal at this event.

Event website

European Cross Country Championships, Lagoa, POR, 14 Dec

After the long trip to Asia for last year’s event, Europe’s premier Cross Country event returns to the Western extremity of mainland Europe, and the Algarve town of Lagoa.

Ireland had a breakthrough performance the last time the event was held in Portugal (Lisbon, 2019), when Efrem Gidey (U20) and Stephanie Cotter (U23) won individual bronze medals and both the U23 and senior women’s teams won silver.

In the four editions since then, Darragh McElhinney (U23 silver, 2021), Nick Griggs (U20 silver, 2022; U20 bronze, 2023; U23 silver 2024) and Dean Casey (U20 bronze, 2023) have added individual medals. The U20 men, U23 men and senior women have also earned six sets of team medals between them.

It’s a long way until December and predicting who’ll be competing and challenging for medals is near impossible, but one thing we can be assured of is a big and vocal travelling group of Irish supporters.

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.

The 38th European Indoor Athletics Championships will be held in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn between 6 and 9 March 2025. After missing out on medals in 2021 (Phil Healy finished fourth in the 400m) and 2023 (Darragh McElhinney was fourth in the 3000m), Irish athletes will be hoping for some silverware.

But first, they must qualify. At the time of writing, two relay teams (Women’s 4x400m and Mixed 4x400m) and six individuals have achieved the required entry standards, though some of the latter do not have Apeldoorn in their plans for 2025.

Athletes have until 23rd February, the weekend of the National Senior Indoor Championships, to achieve the entry standard set by European Athletics, or to gain enough ranking points to be within the required quota AND achieve the Athletics Ireland B standard.

Current status of Irish Athletes on Road to Apeldoorn

The mixed relay is making its indoor debut this year, and the Irish have qualified for both that and the women’s relay by virtue of their position on the World top list at the end of 2024. The Men’s 4x400m has the opportunity to join them, but the Irish men will need some swift individual performances by the 23rd February cut-off.

Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium and France have already secured their place and the remaining two spots will be allocated based on the best cumulative times of a nation’s four fastest athletes during the 2025 indoor season.

Sarah Healy, Sophie O’Sullivan (both 1500m), Brian Fay (3000m) and Sarah Lavin (100m hurdles) ran fast enough outdoors last season to qualify, and, should they choose to compete, will be looking for top eight finishes (or higher).

Rhasidat Adeleke has already said that she will skip both European and World indoors this season, and Ciara Mageean, who has achieved the qualification standard for both the 800m and 1500m is recovering from recent surgery on the injury that kept her out of Paris.

Kate O’Connor (Pentathlon) is the only athlete in quota who currently has the Athletics Ireland B standard. Others within the quota cut-off at the start of the season are Israel Olatunde (60m), Sharlene Mawdsley, Sophie Becker (both 400m), Mark English (800m), Cathal Doyle, Andrew Coscoran (both 1500m) and Jodie McCann (3000m).

Luke McCann (1500m) is also ranked within quota though he has announced that he won’t be competing in 2025 due to injury.

The complexity of ranking points

Approximately half the quota spots in each event will be allocated based on World Rankings. World rankings are based on outdoor performances, even when used for qualification for indoor events, and while two (or one for 3000m) indoor or associated-distance performances can count, athletes need at least some outdoor results to have a ranking.

Nick Griggs is currently a few spots outside the quota for 1500m, and just missed the outdoor standard for the 3000m. He’ll hope to qualify for at least one event, though if he’s to do it in the longer distance, he’ll need to hit the 7:43.00 Auto Q or find an outdoor 5000m race (or an indoor 5000m on a 400m track) to qualify by ranking.

Track athletes who missed last year’s outdoor season therefore only have the Auto Q route to qualification. Same too for 400m hurdlers looking to race 400m indoors. Field eventers can qualify by virtue of their five best-scoring performance, irrespective of how many of these were achieved indoors.

Because Auto Qs can be achieved outdoors, athletes who never race indoors, are currently injured, or retired post-Paris, may well be sitting within quota spots – by qualification or ranking – at the end of the qualification period. Irish athletes interested in competing in Apeldoorn will be hoping to benefit from subsequent withdrawals by such athletes.

But first, they need to hit the Athletics Ireland B standards. And while there’s still much to play for, particularly in terms of Auto Qs, much of the heavy lifting is already done in terms of gathering world ranking points.

We’ll keep you informed of when Irish athletes hit Auto Q standards and Athletics Ireland B standards, and bring you regular ranking updates after the Road to Apeldoorn is updated each week on our European Indoors information page.

Some other useful information

The Irish team will be announced after final selections have been made on 25th February.

If you’re looking to support the Irish athletes in person, you’re probably too late. Tickets for all the evening sessions sold out early, though there are limited moving morning session available for Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 March.

We’ll publish all the information you need to follow the event – including an Irish-specific timetable, links to startlists and live results, and details of where to watch the event – closer to the time.

Irish athletes will be aiming for their first European Indoor medal in six years, and we don’t want you to miss any of the action.