Seán Donoghue

World Indoor Tour Gold meetings in Madrid and Karlsruhe,  the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country, round two of the national league with big guest fields, and a splattering of college meets across the US, are just some of the events with Irish interest taking place over the coming days.

Startlists suggest the return of an Olympian who hasn’t raced since 2024, a senior international up against an Olympic and World Champion, big opportunities for some young athletes, and potential domestic sprint clashes.

World Indoor Tour meetings

Irish athletes have competed at all three World Indoor Tour Gold meetings run so far this year, and with Sarah Lavin on the startlist for both Madrid (Friday) and Karlsruhe (Sunday), that streak is set to continue.

Lavin opened her season in Paris two weeks ago, where she ran 7.98 to secure World Indoor qualification. She wasn’t able to replicate that form in Ostrava on Wednesday. where she failed to advance to the final, but she’ll be looking to bounce back this weekend.

Luke McCann hasn’t raced since 9th September 2024, a few weeks after he became an Olympian. However, he looks set to make his competitive return from injury over 1500m in Dortmund (World Indoor Tour Bronze) on Sunday. He’s also entered for an 800m in Germany next Friday.

Sean Doggett will race over 400m at the World Indoor Tour Challenger meeting in Kaunas on Saturday.

European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country

The top cross country clubs from across Europe will decend on Albuferia, Portugal on Sunday for the battle to be the best team in Europe. There will be full Irish representation across all races, with teams having qualified by finishing top two at the national championships late last year.

While teams aren’t as strong as they could be, there are a few notable names, including Michelle Finn for Leevale in the senior women’s race. The in-form Lucy Holmes, Niamh Carr and Phillip Marron join Paul Delahunty on the Dublin City Harriers mixed relay team.

Domestic and UK action

Round 2 of the national league will take place in Athlone on Sunday. Among those entered to compete are Molly Scott (60m, 60m Hurdles), Ciara Neville, Orla Comerford, Sarah Leahy (60m), Marcus Lawler (60m, 200m), Sophie Becker (200m), Adam Nolan (60m Hurdles), Michaela Walsh (Shot Put) and Aoife O'Sullivan (High Jump), among others. Not all will show, but good battles, particularly in the sprint events

Max O'Reilly (60m) and Michael Farrelly (60m) are among the entries for the Welsh Open Senior Championships across the weekend.

The Ulster and Northern Ireland Cross Championships take place at the Necarne Estate in Irvingstown on Saturday. Meanwhile, an Ireland and Northern Ireland underage teams will travel to London for the London Cross Challenge at Parliament Hill which incorporates the Home Countries International and the Celitic International.

Action in the US

Call it the calm before the storm, or the breathing space we all needed, but this is a much quieter weekend on the collegiate and professional racing front in the US. That said, it is not without a few interesting clashes.

James Gormley is on the startlist for 1000m at the Doc Hale Invitational on Saturday, a race which is set to include Olympic and World Champion Cole Hocker, and Sean Donoghue is due to race the same distance at the Penn Classic in Philadelphia, also on Saturday.

Sean Aigboboh, Heather Murphy and Victoria Amiadamen are among those entered to compete at the various meetings taking place. See our Calendar and/or NCAA pages for more details.

The coming week

Midweek action includes the fifth NIA live of the season and the Belgrade World Indoor Tour Gold meeting on Wednesday and the Armagh International Road Races on Thursday.

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.

The week got off to a good start, with Mark English breaking the 800m National Record in Budapest on Tuesday, while Darragh McElhinney moved to 5th on the Irish all-time list for 3000m at the same meeting.

The final dash for world ranking points and qualification spots is heating up, with just 10 days to grab one of those quota spots (or, hang on to one, depending on your point of view) or post an automatic qualification spot.

Those who have long had the qualification standards, but who’ve raced sparingly, will be looking for competition sharpness over the coming weeks. 

And with relay spots on the line, Irish 400m athletes will be looking to prove their fitness over the coming days.

Diamond League

Sarah Healy has finished in the top three in four of her five Diamond League appearances so far this year, and she’ll again be looking for a confidence-boosting run at the Silesia Diamond League on Saturday.

An Irish record time would do that nicely, but racing well against some of her rivals for Tokyo glory may be more important as she targets her first global outdoor final.

The event will be shown live on Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Play from 3-5pm.

CITIUS meeting

Sarah Lavin will race the 100m hurdles at the CITIUS meeting in Bern, Switzerland (Continental Tour Silver) on Saturday. 12.88 or faster would wrap up European Championship qualifiication for next year, and that's at least the sort of time Sarah will be looking to better as she builds towards Tokyo.

European Athletics will be streaming the event on their website from 4pm.

Belgian encore

Continental Tour meetings in Belgium have provided many breakthrough performances for Irish athletes over the year. And some will be hoping that Leuven, which hosts Meeting voor Mon on Saturday, will too see breakthrough performances for them.

The men’s 400m entries include Jack Raftery, Cillín Greene, Chris O'Donnell, Joe Doody, Callum Baird and Andrew Egan, while Aaron Keane is entered in the 200m and 300m.

The women’s 400m entries include Lauren Cadden, Arlene Crossan and Cliodhna Manning, though Cadden is also entered for Stratford on Sunday.

Laura Nicholson is currently just a few points short of a quota spot for Tokyo in the 1500m. A  top-three finish in 4:08 or faster, may be good enough to see her to her first major senior championships.

Nick Griggs is entered for the 1500m, where running sub 3:33.00 and bagging the Auto Q appears to be his only remaining opportunities to make Tokyo this year (unless he can get added to the Lausanne Diamond League 5000m). The Auto Q for Birmingham next year is 3:33.50.

Shane Bracken, Seán Donoghue and Philip Marron look to continue their strong seasons, also over 1500m. Callum Morgan, fresh from a 13:23.37 PB over 5000m is also entered for the 1500m, where he could become the 14th Irish man to run sub-3:40 this season.

Others looking for a dream climax to their season include Robert McDonnell (200m), Emma Moore (800m) and David Cussen (High Jump).

There is a free livestream which starts at 2pm.

Stratford speed

A number of Irish athletes are entered for the penultimate Stratford Speed meeting of the year, though it’s likely that not all will race.

While all of Ireland’s top 400m men will be in Belgium on Saturday, it appears that the female battle for possible Tokyo relay spots is split between there and east London. Kelly McGrory, who opened her season in Oordegem last week, the ever-improving Kate Doherty, and the aforementioned Lauren Cadden are among the entries.

Bori Akinola, Marcus Lawler, Paul Costelloe, Michael Farrelly, Sean Aigboboh, Molly Scott, Ciara Neville, Sarah Leahy, Ruby Millet and Orla Comerford are among the entries over the shorter distances.

There will be a free livestream.

Elsewhere

Phil Healy (400m), Michael Healy (Discus) and Seán Mockler (Hammer) are among the entries for the Leevale Open Sports on Sunday.

Barry Keane is among the entries for the Falmouth Road Race (7 miles) on Sunday.

As some of Europe’s top Under 20 Championships reach the climax of their seasons, senior athletes will be taking what could be a final shot at Tokyo qualification, while some of the province’s top talent will be on display at the Northern Ireland and Ulster Championships.

European Under 20 Championships

A team of 38 Irish athletes have travelled to Tampere in Finland for the European U20 Championships, where the male one-lap athletes will be particularly hopefully of medals. Conor Kelly is the fastest European U20 this year, and him and his teammates have also run the fastest 4x400m time in Europe this year.

Times, however, mean little at underage championships, where tactical nous and putting in a big performance on the day can lead to breakthrough performances and unexpected medals.

Either way, expect four action-packed days – all available to watch on Eurovision Sport.

Oordegem awaits

Saturday's IFAM Oordegem has a particularly strong entry – both from Ireland and further afield - for a Continental Tour Bronze meeting.

The men’s 5000m boasts 6 athletes with personal bests of 13 minutes or better – the ideal standard for Nick Griggs and Darragh McElhinney who are chasing Tokyo spots. That’s assuming they make it into the A race. Efrem Gidey, Cormac Dalton and Callum Morgan are also entered at this distance.

There is the chance of another head-to-head between Mark English and Cian McPhillips over 800m (English said after his win at Nationals on Sunday that he was heading back to altitude before worlds, but his name appeared on the entries here earlier this week).

Newly minted National 400m champion Sophie Becker (400m) is another whose name only appeared this week. Other one-lap entrants include Cliodhna Manning and three of the top four from the men’s race last Sunday (Chris O’Donnell, Ciarán Carthy and Andrew Egan).

Ciara Neville will be looking to build on recent momentum. She is entered for both the 100m and 200m, as is National 200m Champion Marcus Lawler.

Alex O’Neill (800m), Laura Nicholson (1500m) and Roisin Flanagan (5000m) all still have outside chances of making the team for Tokyo. Nicholson, who already has the Athletics Ireland B standard, will be looking for enough points to maintain her precarious spot within quota, while O’Neill and Flanagan first need to secure the respective standards of 2:01.00 and 15:22.00.

Seán Donoghue, Shane Bracken and Lughaidh Mallon are among those entered in the 1500m, a particularly strong event for the Irish men at the moment.

Other Continental Tour meetings

Irish athletes will be competing across a handful of other Continental Tour Bronze and Challenger meetings over the coming days.

Sarah Lavin (100m hurdles) is the sole Irish athlete on the startlists for the Serbia Athletics Meeting on Thursday where she will be looking for another positive performance.

National bronze medallist Andrew Thompson (800m) and Paralympian Greta Streimikyte (1500m) are among the Irish entrants for the final British Milers Club Grand Prix in Trafford on Saturday.

Brian Fay (3000m) is on the most recent startlist for the Folksam Grand Prix in Sollentuna on Sunday and Cathal Doyle will race the 1000m in Białystok (Poland) on Saturday.

Northern Irish and Ulster Senior Championships

While some are likely not to compete, entries for the Northern Ireland and Ulster Championships includes Sean Aigboboh (100m), Callum Baird (100m, 200m), Orla Comerford (100m, 200m), Sarah Leahy (100m), Kate O’Connor (200m, 100m hurdles), Rachel McCann (200m), Kate Doherty (400m), Anna McCauley (100m Hurdles, Long Jump), Lauren Callaghan (Long Jump), John Kelly (Shot Put) and Anna Gavigan (Discus Throw).

At close of play on Sunday, there will be just two weeks left in the Tokyo qualification window. Dreams could be very well made, or broken, this weekend.

The National Senior Championships will get August started, and the Diamond League final will draw it to a close. The European U20 Championships will take place in Tampere (Finland) from 7th to 10th, and athletes not yet guaranteed their spot in Tokyo will be making a last-ditch effort to pick up ranking points and achieve standards before the close of the qualification window later this month.

National Championships

The Irish Senior National Championships will be held in Santry stadium on 2nd and 3rd August. Irish titles are always highly coveted, and some exciting racing is guaranteed. We’ve highlighted elsewhere some of the events and athletes to look out for.

Both days of the National Championships will be shown live on the Athletics Ireland Youtube channel. The 100m, 400m, 800m and 1500m track finals will be shown live on RTÉ 2 from 5:00-7:30pm on Sunday evening.

Diamond Leagues

While the season may feel like it’s drawing to a close, there are still regular-season Diamond League events in Silesia (16th August), Lausanne (20th August) and Brussels (22nd August), as well as the final in Zurich on 27th and 28th of August.

Startlists are not yet available for any of these events, but we know that Sarah Healy has already done enough to qualify for the final in the 1500m and that she will race both that and the Silesia meeting. She has had an outstanding year already, and has picked up four top-three finishes in the earlier meetings this season.

Diamond League events are shown on Virgin Media.

European U20 Championships

A very strong Irish team will head to Tampere in the coming days for the European U20 Championships. Conor Kelly and the men’s 4x400m relay team, both at the top of the 2025 European U20 rankings, are among those with medal aspirations.

Sean Doggett (400m) and Cormac Dixon (3000m, 5000m) and others will be looking for top 8 finishes. Ireland have qualified teams in all four relays, ensuring that many athletes will be exposed to competition at this level for the first time.

All sessions of the championship will be shown live and on demand on Eurovision Sport.

Continental Tour Meetings

The penultimate Continental Tour gold of the 2025 season, the Gyulai István Memorial/Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix will take place in Budapest on 12th August. Among the world starts announced to date are Femke Bol, Mondo Duplantis and Miltiádis Tentóglou. While it’s not yet known if any Irish athletes will be joining them, this promises to be one of the best meetings of the year. Continental Tour Gold meetings tend to be shown on the World Athletics streaming platform.

The Continental Tour silver meetings in Banská Bystrica (Slovakia) on 8th August and Bern (Switzerland) on 16th August, will offer final opportunities for athletes to boost their Road to Tokyo rankings before the end of the qualification window. We’ll update these meetings with Irish athletes if and when any are named on the startlists.

IFAM Oordegem (Belgium) on 9th August (Continental Tour Bronze) promises to be a busy one for Irish athletes, and may be a last-chance opportunity for some to make the team for Tokyo. Nick Griggs, Darragh McElhinney, Efrem Gidey, Jack O’Leary, Cormac Dalton and Roisin Flanagan are all entered for 5000m. Shane Bracken and Seán Donoghue are listed for the 1500m, while Cian McPhillips, Emma Moore and Alex O’Neill are all down for the 800m. Athletes entered for the 400m include Jack Raftery, Cillín Greene, Chris O’Donnell, Cliodhna Manning, Arlene Crossan and Kelly McGrory.

The final BMC Grand Prix (Continental Tour Challenger) will be held at Trafford on 9th August and is likely to feature Irish athletes.

Among the current entries for the Continental Tour Challenger Meeting voor Mon in Belgium on 16 August are Chris O’Donnell (200m, 400m), Lauren Cadden (400m), and Nick Griggs and Shanee Bracken (1500m).

Other events

Irish athletes will be looking for fast times, big jumps and long throws, and to make the most of late-season form, at a number of meetings in the UK over the coming weeks. With the qualification window now open for next summer’s European Championships in Birmingham, there’s still much to play for.

Indeed, entries for the Northern Ireland and Ulster Senior (open) Championships include a number of athletes who’ll be looking to make the Northern Ireland team for Birmingham. Kate O’Connor and Anna McCauley have both already secured the consideration standard in the heptathlon. O’Connor is entered for the 200m and 100m hurdles while McCauley is due to compete in the long jump and 100m hurdles.

Other notable entries include Sean Aigboboh (100m), Callum Baird (100m, 200m), Orla Comerford (100m, 200m), Sarah Leahy (100m), Rachel McCann (200m), Lauren Callaghan (Long Jump), John Kelly (Shot Put) and Anna Gavigan (Discus Throw).

The Stratford Speed meetings have been a happy hunting ground for Irish athletes in search of fast times, and it was at the August edition of last year’s series that Israel Olatunde set the national 100m record. Early entries for that event this year (17 August) include Olatunde, along with Michael Farrelly, Sean Aigboboh, Molly Scott, Ciara Neville and Sarah Leahy.

Ireland’s top pole vaulters this season – Conor Callinan and Clodagh Walsh – are both among the Irish entries for the Vault Manchester Summer Series meeting on 6th August.

A number of Irish athletes broke personal bests at the British Milers Club Record Breakers meeting at Tooting Bec last year, and some may return for mid-week action there on 20th August.

Two big half marathons towards the end of the month will herald the start of the autumn road racing season. The Antrim Coast Half Marathon in Larne on 24th August is attracting some of the biggest global names in endurance running with Greffory Kamworor and Joshua Cheptegei among those expected to start. Less than a week later, the National Half Marathon Championships will take place in Tullamore. Both races should feature strong domestic fields.

Before then, Peter Lynch, Barry Keane & Fearghal Curtin, three of Ireland's top road runners, are due to compete at the Beach to Beacon 10km in Cape Elizabeth (USA) on Saturday 2nd August.

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)

Another significant week of athletics lies ahead. The U23 athletes will have the opportunity to win European medals in Bergen, while some of the seniors will be in action at the London Diamond League.

Closer to home, the AAI Games and National 10,000m and Multi-Event Championships will be held in Carlow. A number of athletes will also be in action in Continental Tour events in Spain, Belgium and Germany.

European U23 Championships

Nicola Tuthill (Hammer) and Nick Griggs (5000m) will lead the medal hopes of a strong Irish team at the European U23 Championships which will run from Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th July.

Medals, however, won’t come easy, and with some of the world’s top eligible athletes due to compete, this could be one of the greatest editions of the biannual event to date.

Among the entries in the men’s 5000m, for example, are Olympic 1500m finalist Niels Laros (NED), European U23 Cross Country Champion Will Barnicoat (GBR), World U20 3000m Champion Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen (NOR) and the 2021 European U20 5000m champion Joel Ibler Lilleso and Jonathan Grahn (SWE) who beat Griggs to the European U20 3000m title in 2023.

Tuthill is ranked third in the field on personal best and one of just three athletes to have thrown beyond 70 metres. She will look to utilise the championships experience she gained in Rome and Paris last year to turn her fourth place finish in 2023 to a place on the podium this time around.

Other Irish athletes to watch out for include Ava O’Connor, ranked fourth on time in the women’s steeplechase, Abdel Laadjel who will be desperate to improve on his 4th place from 2023, Eimear Maher in the 1500m, and Anika Thompson who is highly ranked in both the 5000m and 10,000m.

The event will be streamed on EuroVision Sport across all sessions, including dedicated streams for field events.

London Diamond League

The London Diamond League always tends to be the busiest for Irish athletes, and this year is no different, with three individual athletes and a relay team on the startlist.

Mark English is set to race in a star-studded men’s 800m; a race that includes 3 of the top 4 from last year’s Olympic final, and 6 of the 20 fastest 800m athletes of all time.

Sarah Healy is set to compete in the rarely-run women’s mile. She’ll be up against Jessica Hull and Gudaf Tsegay, among others. The Irish record stands at 4:14.58 (Ciara Mageean, 2023).

Rhasidat Adeleke is on the 200m startlist, alongside her training partners Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred and 2019 World 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith.

The women’s 4x100m relay team will compete in the pre-programme against teams from Great Britian, Australia, Canada, France and Jamaica.

The event will be broadcast Virgin Media Two from 2-4pm on Saturday. The relay will, unfortunately, fall outside the broadcast window.

Domestic action

The AAI Games incorporating the National 10,000m Championships and the National Combined Event Championships will be held at SETU Carlow on Saturday and Sunday, while the Irish Runner National 10 mile Championships will be held at the Phoenix Park on Sunday.

While many of the big track stars are missing from the AAI Games, some in-form field eventers and a pair of Paralympians are among the entries.

Conor Cusack, who earlier this week set a new Javelin PB of 75.18 in Luzern (3rd Irish all-time) will look to continue his recent form. Conor Callinan (pole vault) has set PBs in each of his last three competitions.

Reece Ademola, just back to competition after injury is among the long jump entries; multi national title holder Saragh Buggy in on the triple jump startlist, and we should expect to see Seán Mockler in the hammer.

Orla Comerford (100m, 200m) and Greta Streimikyte (1500m) are also entered, as are Colin Doyle (100m, 200m), Michael Farrelly (100m) and Cliodhna Manning (400m)

It is expected that Athletics Ireland will provide a livestream across the two days.

Continental Tour meetings

Ciarán Carthy, Hugo Magee and Orla Leer (all 400m) are on the startlist for Meeting International d'Athlétisme de la Province de Liège (CT bronze) tonight (Wednesday) in Belgium.

Marcus Lawler (100m, 200m) and Israel Olatunde (100m) are entered for PUMA Fast Arms Fast Legs (CT Challenger) in Wetzlar, Germany on Friday.

Sophie Becker (400m), Jenna Bromell (800m) and Eric Favors (Shot Put) will all be looking to pick up valuable world ranking points at Meeting Madrid on Saturday (CT Silver).

Rachel McCann (400m), Alex O'Neill (800m), Jodie McCann, Seán Donoghue (1500m),Brian Fay and Darragh McElhinney (5000m) are on the main programme startlist for KBC Nacht van de Atletiek (CT Bronze) in Heusden-Zolder on Saturday. Cillín Greene, Cliodhna Manning, Arlene Crossan (400m), Amy O'Donoghue, Kevin McGrath (1500m), David McGlynn (5000m) and Amy O'Donoghue (1500m), among others, are on the pre- and after-programme startlists for the same meeting.

Ronan McMahon-Staggs is on the startlist for the 1500m at Meeting Maia Cidade do Desporto, while Charlie O'Donovan will race the same distance at Stumptown Twilight in the US.

As soon as we get through all the above, we're straight into the FISU World University Games, where nine Irish athletes will be competing.

Another weekend; another Diamond League start. But that's far from all we've got to look forward to over the coming days. Irish Athletes will be competing in Switzerland, Germany, Finland, Estonia, Portugal, UK and Belgium on Saturday, before moving on (some of them physically) to the UK, Poland and France on Sunday.

Diamond League

The biggest meeting of the weekend will take place in Paris on Friday night, as Sarah Healy (1500m) and Mark English (800m) take on some of the World’s best athletes in the middle Diamond League meeting of the year.

Healy, fresh from her first Diamond League win in Rome, will likely be looking to revise her 3:57.46 PB, and may even be looking to give the national record (3:55.87) a scare.

English has had a strong start to the season, having already broken the Irish record twice and dipping under 1:44 for the first time. He’ll be looking to be more competitive among the world class field than he was in Oslo last week.

The Paris Diamond League will be shown live on Virgin Media Three from 8-10pm (Irish time). The men’s 800m will start at 8.15pm, while the women’s 1500m will close out the programme at 9.50pm.

Saturday’s Tour of Europe

A number of Irish athletes will be competing at Continental Tour Bronze meetings around Europe on Saturday as they seek qualification standards and world ranking points.

Nine sprinters and both sprint relays will compete at Athleticageneve EAP in Switzerland. The in-form Bori Akinola and Irish record holder Israel Olatunde will combine forces in the men’s 4x100m relay before doing battle in the 100m (though they are unlikely to be in the same heat).

Sean Aigboboh (100m), Michael Farrelly (100m) and Marcus Lawler (100m, 200m) complete the men’s squad.

The women’s team is made up of Ciara Neville, Sarah Leahy, Aisling Kelly and Sive O’Toole who will all race the 100m.

Sarah Lavin (100m Hurdles) and Roisin Flanagan (3000m) are both entered for Motonet GP Kourtane in Finland.

Lavin will be looking for a confidence-boosting run ahead of next weekend’s European Team Championships while Roisin Flanagan will be hoping that a fast race will improve her Road to Tokyo standings.

Callum Baird (400m) and James Gormley (1500m) are both on the startlist for the Anhalt Meeting in Dessau, Germany, while Oisin Lynch (800m) will compete at the Heino Lipp Memorial in Jöhvi, Estonia.

Robert Hewison, Alex O'Neill (800m), Lughaidh Mallon, Thomas Moran, Cara Laverty (1500m), Seán Tobin, Efrem Gidey and Danielle Donegan (3000m) are among a large Irish entry for the British Milers Club meeting at Loughborough. This is a Continental Tour Challenger (Category D) meeting.

Seán Donoghue (1500m), Rosie Roberts (5000m) and Mark Hanrahan (3000m steeplechase) are entered for the Gold Gala Fernanda Ribeiro (Continental Tour Challenger) meeting in Maia, Portugal.

Saragh Buggy will be taking part in the Triple Jump at the Ciney Golden Series, a category F meeting, in Belgium.

Sunday, Fun Day

Sophie Becker (400m) and Shane Bracken (1500m) will be looking for ranking points and race sharpness ahead of the European Team Championships when they take to the startline at the Meeting International d'Athlétisme de Troyes Aube (Continental Tour Bronze) meeting in France.

Jodie McCann will race the 1500m at the Konopacka Warsaw Classic, a women's-only Continental Tour Bronze event, in Poland

Bori Akinola will be among those making a B-line from Geneva to Stratford on Saturday night to take part in Sunday’s Stratford Speed Track Open (Category F).

Max O'Reilly, Paul Costelloe, Molly Scott, Orla Comerford, Precious Akpe-Moses, Aisling Kelly, Sive O'Toole, Joe Doody and Arabella Adekoya are among a large Irish entry for the event.

Please note that we are still awaiting startlists for a small number of meetings, and will update this article, if relevant, as soon as they become available.

The Bislett Games/Oslo Diamond League on Thursday evening (12th June) will get the weekend off to an early start, and there's Irish interest both there and at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday.

There are plenty of other meetings to look forward to across the weekend, including the NCAA Div I finals, which started in Eugene, Oregon on Wednesday.

Diamond League

Rhasidat Adeleke will run her first individual 400m of the season in Oslo on Thursday, while Mark English will hope to continue the form that has seen him twice break his own national 800m record in recent weeks. The event will be televised live on Virgin Media 2 from 7-9pm on Thursday evening. Rhasidat will take to lane 6 at 7.04pm, while Mark will follow at 7.19pm.

Rhadisat will also compete over 400m at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday. The event will again be shown live on Virgin Media 2, from 5-7pm. Rhasidat’s race is due off at 6pm.

NCAA Championships

Seven Irish athletes qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships – five in individual events and two as part of 4x100m relay teams. Seán Mockler (Hammer) and Shane Brosnan (10,000m) competed on Wednesday finishing 21st and 23rd respectively. Diarmuid O’Connnor also got his Decathlon underway, finishing day 1 in 13th position.

Thursday will be a busy day for the Irish with Diarmuid competing in day 2 of the decathlon, Sophie O’Sullivan (1500m), Maeve O’Neill (800m), Lucy-May Sleeman (4x100m) and Lauren Roy (4x100m) all in semi-final action. Those who qualify will compete in finals on Saturday.

Domestic Action

There are strong fields entered for the Belfast BMC on Saturday. The women’s 800m is looking particularly strong with Emma Moore, Greta Streimikyte, Ellie Hartnett and Alex O'Neill among the entries. Cara Laverty will face in-form steeplechasers Niamh Kearner and Roisin Treacy, among others, in the 1500m, Stephen Scullion, Amy Greene and Grace Richardson are among the entries for the 3000m races. The event will conclude with the men’s mile where Callum Morgan, Oisín Ó Gailín, Cathal O'Reilly, Lughaidh Mallon and Nick Griggs are all listed.

Robert McDonnell, David Bosch and Marcus Lawler are all entered in the 200m at the 5th Dublin Graded Meeting of the year.  Others set to compete include Conor Callinan in the Pole Vault and Michael Healy (Discus Throw),

Continental Tour Bronze and Challenger meetings

A number of Irish athletes will be seeking personal bests, world ranking points and maybe even qualification standards as they compete around Europe this weekend.

Callum Baird (400m), Sean Donoghue (1500m), Jodie McCann (1500m), Seán Tobin (5000m), Kate Doherty (100m Hurdles), and Sommer Lecky (High Jump) are all on the startlist for Meeting of Braga in Portugal. This is a Continental Tour Bronze meeting.

Molly Scott (100m, 100m Hurdles), Ciara Neville (100m, 200m) and Saragh Buggy (Triple Jump) are all entered for the EAP Malta International.

Deirdre Murray (400m Hurdles), Oisin Lynch (800m), Louis O'Loughlin (800m), Robert Hewison (800m) and Ava O’Connor (1500m) are among those competing at the International Athletics Meeting of Nivelles in Belgium.

Cillian Kirwan (800m) and Cormac Dalton (5000m) will head to Track Night Vienna in search of fast times on Saturday.

Ronan McMahon-Staggs and Mark Milner (both 1500m) are on the startlist for Portland Track Festival while Charlie O'Donovan will compete at The Adrian Martinez Classic, both in the USA.

Eric Favors (Shot Put) will compete at the Johnny Loaring Classic, a Continental Tour Bronze meeting, in Canada on Sunday.

Other meetings

European 10,000m Cup winner Efrem Gidey is currently outside the quota spots for the World Championships. He is entered for the British Championships in Birmingham on Saturday where he’ll likely need to run faster than ever before to improve his Tokyo status. Jack O'Leary, Niall Murphy, Emily Haggard-Kearney and Emma McEvoy are also on the startlist.

The event is being run as part of the University of Birmingham Track and Field Festival, where Anna McCauley is also due to compete in the Heptathlon.

Next week's action will include Continental Tour action in Turku where Sarah Lavin will race the 100m hurdles, and both Andrew Coscoran and Cathal Doyle will race the 1500m; the UCD Athletics Meeting, and the Paris Diamond League where Sarah Healy is due to race the 1500m.

In case you need any reminders, the last time Coscoran and Doyle raced each other at either 1500m or the mile was that epic battle at the Morton Games in 2022.