Ciara Mageean sets new indoor mile national record

 

 At the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Saturday 26th of January, Ciara Mageean set a new national record for the indoor mile with a time of 4m 28.31s.

In fact, Ciara was also the holder of the previous record of 4m 28.40s which she set back in 2016.

As you can see from the time below for the top 7 Irish women, Ciara is the only Irish woman to have run under 4m 30s.

1 4:28.31 NR Ciara Mageean 6 NBG New York NY 26 Jan 2019

1 4:28.40 NR Ciara Mageean  6 Millrose New York NY 20 Feb 2016
2 4:30.06 NR Roísín McGettigan 4 Reebok    Boston MA 7 Feb 2009
3 4:30.41 Sinéad Evans 2 NBG New York NY 8 Jan 2000
4 4:32.29 Mary Cullen 1    NBG New York NY 20 Jan 2007
5 4:33.16 Síofra Cléirigh Büttner 1r4 Staten Island NY 10 Feb 2017
6 4:33.4h Monica Joyce 1 Inglewood 10 Feb 1984
7 4:33.49 Sonia O'Sullivan 1 Boston MA 20 Jan 1991

Roger Bannister...the first man to run a sub 4 min mile passes away aged 88

Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in under four minutes, has died at the age of 88. In May of 1954, he became the first man to break the 4 minute barrier for the mile with a time of three minutes 59.4 seconds.

A statement from his family said: "Sir Roger Bannister, died peacefully in Oxford on 3 March, aged 88, surrounded by his family who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them."



John Walshe of Ballycotton sent on the following article...


MILE CONNECTION

A low-key 10km road race in a small Irish village was the unlikely setting for a meeting between two people with historic miling connections, writes John Walshe

Ballyhooly in North Cork has, for the past number of years, staged an annual race in honour of its most famous son, Olympian John Hartnett.

Winner of the International (now World) Junior cross-country title in 1970, Hartnett went on to have a chequered career at Villanova University where he broke Ronnie Delany’s Irish mile record with a time of 3:54.7 in 1973.

The following year he set an Irish 1500m record of 3:38.1 as well as running 3:56.3 for the mile on grass at the Cork City Sports.

Now living in New Jersey, Hartnett was home to start this year’s race and present the prizes and in a unique coincidence he met up with Julius Bannister - grandson of Sir Roger Bannister - who was on holiday in the area.

In his first-ever road race,15-year-old Julius from Notting Hill recorded a time of 50:39 which won him the junior award.

Julian Bannister & John Hartnett

Links...
1) 6th May 2014...60th anniversary of the first sub 4 minute mile
2) Bannister recounts the first sub 4 minute mile...
3) Unique Meeting at Ballyhooly by John Walshe 

Ciara Mageean finishes 2nd at Great North City Games Mile...

At the Great North City Games Mile in Newcastle today (Sat 6th Sept), Ciara Mageean from Ireland finished an impressive second in the womens mile race. Aged just 22 years old, Ciara finished in 4:35.47 beating her previous best of 4:38.81 set back in 2011.

15.14 | BUPA GREAT NORTH MILE - WOMEN (1 MILE)
Pos    Forename    Surname    Country/Club    Performance
1    LAURA    MUIR    GBR    4:34.84
2    CIARA    MAGEEAN    IRL    4:35.47
3    HANNAH    ENGLAND    GBR    4:36.07
4    HELLEN ONSANDO    OBIRI    KEN    4:36.23
5    BRIE    FELNAGLE    USA    4:37.01
6    LAURA    WEIGHTMAN    GBR    4:37.13
7    TRENIERE    MOSER    USA    4:39.38
8    GIULIA    VIOLA    ITA    4:39.56
9    DIANA    SUJEW    GER    4:40.85
10    ANGIE    SMIT    NZL    4:50.99

In the 2-3 years, she has been out of action with an injury after putting in some fine performances in 2011 when she set a new national junior record in the 1500m. She only started running again in March of this year and just four months later, she won the 1500m national title. She is coached by Jerry Kiernan and certainly looks like one of the great hopes for Irish athletics in the years ahead.

Race video........Ciara is in the orange shorts...

Laura Crowe and Paul Robinson at Boston Mile Race...

As part of the build-up to the Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association held an invitational mile for elite athletes last Saturday. In the womens race, Laura Crowe of An Ríocht AC finished in 5th place in a time of 4:46.1

1. Morgan Uceny (USA) 4:44.0
2. Heather Kampf (USA) 4:44.3
3. Brie Felnagle (USA) 4:44.8
4. Sara Hall (USA) 4:45.9
5. Laura Crowe (IRL) 4:46.1
6. Chelsea Reilly (USA) 4:46.6
7. Violah Lagat (KEN) 4:48.0

In the mens event, Paul Robinson of St.Coca's AC finished an impressive second place only to be out-kicked by the 2008 Olympic 1500m Silver medalist Nick Willis from New Zealand in what was a tactical race.

1. Nick Willis (NZL) 4:11.3
2. Paul Robinson (IRL) 4:12.0
3. Leo Manzano (USA) 4:13.3
4. Chris O’Hare (GBR) 4:13.6
5. De’Sean Turner (USA) 4:14.5
6. Rob Finnerty (USA) 4:15.2
7. Criag Miller (USA) 4:22.2