Irish Athletics News from the past week or so...

Just some athletics news from the last week or so....

Back on the 31st of May, Ciarán Ó Lionáird from Cork broke the 4 minute barrier for the mile again when he ran 3:57.99 at the Men's International Mile at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon in the US. This was a seasons best for Ciarán and shows the progress he is making as he regains his fitness after an operation on his Achilles last Autumn. A post race interview can be seen on Ciarán's website.

Also on the 31st of May, Thomas Barr from Ferrybank AC in Waterford set a new Irish record in the 400m hurdles when finished in 49.61 seconds at the IFAM International Flanders Meet in Oordegem Belgium. The previous record of 49.73 was set by Tom McGuirk. The time that Thomas set was also inside the qualification time of 50.15 for the European Track and Field Championships that take place in Zurich in August.

On the 8th of June, Mark English from Donegal ran a seasons best of 1.46.22 in the 800m race at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands.This was inside the qualification time of 1.46.45 for the European Track and Field Championships.

On Thursday the 5th of June, Paul Robinson (St Coca’s AC) ran a season’s best of 3.36.45 to place 12th in the 1500m in a high class field at the IAAF Diamond League in Rome. This is the second time this season that he has dipped inside the European qualification standard of 3.39.30.

On Sunday the 8th of June, Luke Hickey of Leevale AC finished 3rd in the mens 20k at the Grand Prix of Race Walking meet in York, England. This race incorporated the Irish 20k championships so Luke also took the Irish national 20k title. His time was 1.28.10. Just behind him was Brendan Boyce from Donegal in 1:28:25. Both Luke and Brendan are part of Rob Heffernan's training group based in Cork.

20 km Men
1 Dane Bird-Smith 1992 U23 Australia 01:24:03
2 Quentin Rew 1984 Men New Zealand 01:27:54
3 Luke Hickey 1994 U23 Ireland 01:28:13
4 Brendan Boyce 1986 Men Ireland 01:28:25
5 Thomas Bosworth 1990 Men England 01:29:10
6 James Treanor 1993 U23 Ireland 01:30:32
7 Anders Hansson 1992 U23 Sweden 01:32:36
8 Joakim Saelen 1993 U23 Norway 01:37:11
9 Ian Richards 1948 M65 Steyning AC 01:49:27
10 Jonathon Hobbs 1993 U23 Ashford AC 01:53:17
11 Richard Wild 1970 M40 Manx Harriers 01:54:53
12 Steve Uttley 1957 M55 Ilford AC 01:57:57

On Monday the 9th of June, Rose-Anne Galligan finished 5th in the 800m race at the Memorial Josefa Odlozila in Prague. Her time time was 2m 03.95s. The qualifying standard for the European Championships is 2:01.3

5    Galligan Rose-Anne    IRL     2:03.95

Irish 800m record holder Rose-Anne Galligan runs 2:02.42 in Doha..

One of the IAAF Diamond League competitions was held last night in Doha (Fri 9th May 2014). The Irish 800m record holder Rose-Anne Galligan was in action in the womens 800m race and she finished in 10th place with a time of 2:02.42. Her personal best and Irish record is 2:00.58 which she set in July 2013.

1 SUM Eunice Jepkoech KEN 1:59.33 WL
2 PRICE Chanelle USA 1:59.75 PB
3 MASNÁ Lenka CZE 2:00.20
4 JEPKOSGEI Janeth KEN 2:00.49 SB
5 BECKWITH Molly USA 2:00.55
6 LUKA Tintu IND 2:00.56
7 MEADOWS Jennifer GBR 2:00.91
8 ALMANZA Rose Mary CUB 2:00.91
9 OSKAN Shelayna GBR 2:01.94 PB
10 GALLIGAN Rose-Anne IRL 2:02.42

Rose-Anne is in the black and white gear at the back of the group after about 100m...

Irish results from the indoor athletics meet in Prague...Tues 25th Feb 2014

Three Irish athletes were in action at an athletics indoor meeting in the Czech capital Prague on Tuesday evening the 25th of February 2014. Both Ciara Everard and Rose-Ann Galligan were within two seconds of the Irish indoor record of 2:02.54. In the mens 300m, David McCarthy of West Waterford AC finished in 7:54.39, about three seconds away from his personal best of 7:51.24.

Women 800m
1    Jennifer Meadows    810417    Great Britain    MR2:01.67       
2    Lenka Masná    850422    Czech Republic    2:01.83       
3    Yekaterina Poistogova    910301    Russia    2:02.98       
4    Ciara Everard    900710    Ireland    SB2:04.02       
5    Irina Maracheva    840929    Russia    2:04.08       
6    Yevgeniya Zinurova    821216    Russia    2:04.11       
7    Rose-Anne Galligan    871209    Ireland    2:04.12       
8    Anastasiya Tkachuk    930420    Ukraine    2:05.15       
9    Fabienne Kohlmann    891106    Germany    2:06.28       
10    Edao Dureti    965408    Ethiopia    2:06.87       

Men 3000m
1    Koech Paul Kipsiele    811110    Kenya    MR07:47.20       
2    Yegor Nikolayev    880212    Russia    SB07:49.99       
3    Yitayal Atnafu    930120    Ethiopia    SB07:52.41       
4    Debeli Gezmu    960414    Ethiopia    PB07:53.04       
5    Jakub Holuša    880220    Czech Republic    PB07:53.21       
6    David McCarthy    880803    Ireland    SB07:54.39       
7    Mitko Tsenov    930613    Bulgaria    08:00.80       
Volodymyr Kyts    870115    Ukraine    DQ163.3a   

The best performance of the meeting was probably that of Russian Ivan Ukhov who set a new European indoor record of 2.42 metres in the high jump...

Irish international athlete Rose-Anne Galligan in action last weekend

Following on from her second place in Iceland just over a week ago, the Irish 800m record holder Rose-Anne Galligan was in action again last weekend. This time, she was acting as a pacer for the womens indoor mile race in Boston which was won by the US sensation 17 year old Mary Cain.

Cain's time was just one one-hundredth of a second off the World Junior Record.

1 Cain, Mary Nike Oregon Project 4:24.11
2 DAgostino, Abbey Dartmouth 4:28.31
3 Hasay, Jordan Nike Oregon Project 4:28.37
4 Browning, Charlotte Ragged Mount 4:33.80
-- Galligan, Rose-Anne Unat-Nike Or DNF (Pacer)
-- Herrick, Stephanie Cptc New Balance DNF (Pacer)

The race video can be seen HERE

Irish athletics round up from the weekend...Sat 18th & Sun 19th Jan 2014

Sun 19th...At the Reykjavik International Games in Iceland, Rose-Anne Galligan of Ireland finished in second place in the womens indoor 800m in a time of 2:03:69. This was just outside the 2:03:00 needed to qualify for the World Indoor Track and Field Championships which takes place in Sopot Poland in March.

Rose-Anne has a personal best of 2:00.58 for 800m outdoors which she set in London last July.

800 m   
Athletes    Nationality    Date    Time   
1    Aníta Hinriksdóttir    ISL    13 Jan 96    2:01.81
2    Rose-Anne Galligan    IRL    9 Dec 87    2:03.69
3    Aline Krebs    GER    5 Sep 88    2:06.24

Video of the race HERE

Sun 19th...At the Munster Indoor Athletic Championships in Nenagh, Co.Tipperary, Sinead O'Connor of Leevale AC won the womens 3000m in a time of 10:18.10. James Grufferty of Leevale AC won the mens 3000m title in a time of 9:04.93.

The track results are HERE and the field results are HERE

Sat 18th Jan...At the Hunter Track Classic in Glendale, Australia, several Irish athletes were in action.

In the mens 3,000m, Paul Robinson of St.Coca's AC finished second while Mark Hanrahan of Leevale AC finished fourth.

Hunter Track Classic 2014 - 18/01/2014. Athletics Australia National Series. Hunter Sports Centre, Glendale                    
Men 3000 Metre Run
  1 Batt, Kevin               23 Nsw                    7:57.11       
  2 Robinson, Paul            23 Ireland                7:58.56       
  3 Wright, Joshua            23 Nswis                  8:05.13       
  4 Hanrahan, Mark            29 Ireland                8:05.73       
  5 Saunders, Philo           38 Act                    8:09.40       
  6 Hansen, James             21 Nsw                    8:11.38       
  7 Fawthorpe, Tom            24 Vic                    8:17.78       
  8 McDonald, Morgan          18 Nsw                    8:20.21       
  9 Hunter, Charlie           18 Nswis                  8:20.34       
 10 Connor, James             22 Nsw                    8:21.46       
 11 Cox, Matthew              24 Nsw                    8:22.42       
 12 Roeger, Michael           26 Sasi                   8:24.53       
 13 Gebreselassie, Dejen      21 Nsw                    8:39.20       
 14 Walters, Guy              20 Nsw                    8:40.49       
 15 Williams, Hugh            22 Nsw                    8:40.85  

In the womens 1500m, Laura Crowe of An Riocht AC finished in third spot in a time of 4:11.49, an improvement on her previous personal best of 4:12.06 which was set in Italy last September.
Women 1500 Metre Run
  1 McKnight, Kaila     28 Vis                    4:09.87 CGB         
  2 Duncan, Melissa     24 Vic                    4:09.98 CGB         
  3 Crowe, Laura        27 Ireland                4:11.49             
  4 Hetherington, Kell  25 Vis                    4:14.11             
  5 Laman, Anna         19 Nsw                    4:19.55             
  6 Wellings, Eliose    32 Nsw                    4:22.23             
  7 Delaney, Bridey     25 Nsw                    4:22.81             
  8 Powell, Courtney    19 Vic                    4:23.39             
  9 Powell, Laura       15 Vic                    4:24.99             
 10 Davies, Rose        15 Nsw                    4:31.52             
 11 Lord, Arianna       17 Nzl                    4:31.68             
 12 Augustine, Emily    17 Nsw                    4:33.17             
 13 Witchard, Melinda   28 Nsw                    4:36.42

Sat 18th Jan...At the guest mile at the Athlone indoor track, John Travers of Donore Harriers can close to the 4 minute mark.

Place Heat Posn Elite Mile Club Time
1 F 1 John Travers Donore Harriers AC / AIT AC 4:01.47
2 F 2 Danny Mooney Letterkenny AC 4:02.88
3 F 3 Joe Warne Doheny AC / DCU AC 4:04.06
4 F 4 John Coghlan MSB AC / DCU AC 4:10.65
5 F 5 Emmet Dunleavy Sligo AC 4:12.10
6 F 6 Richard Owens Sli Cualainn AC / UCD AC 4:13.97
7 F 7 Kevin Kelly St. Coca’s 4:26.46

Race video...

Sat 18th Jan...At the Scottish Open Athletics indoor meet in Glasgow, Kelly Proper of Ferrybank AC ran 24:01 in the 200m, not far outside her PB of 23:58. In the Long Jump, Kelly jumped 6.26 metres.

200m...2 24.01 Kelly Proper SEN    W Ferrybank/Ireland 23.58

LJ...1 6.26 Kelly Proper     SEN    W Ferrybank/Ireland 6.48

Rose-Anne Galligan sets new Irish 800m record at London Anniversary Games...

At the London Anniversary Games in London on Friday the 26th of July, Rose-Anne Galligan set a new Irish national record when she finished the womens 800m race in 6th place in a time of 2:00.58. The previous record of 2:00.69 was set by Sonia O'Sullivan in Russia 19 years ago in July 1994.

* DNF for Laura Crowe as she was the pacemaker for this prestigious event.

Rose-Anne's previous best time was 2:01.07 which she set in Spain in June of this year. That time had her ranked 3rd fastest woman ever for the distance.

How long will it be before an Irish woman breaks the elusive 2 minute barrier?

Rose-Anne and Laura start in the outside lane. At 400m, Laura is at the front doing the pace making while Rose-Anne is at the back of the pack..


Mens 800m...In the mens 800m race, Mark English from Donegal set a new personal best time of 1:44.84 seconds to finish 6th.

 That time is also faster then the A-Standard time of 1:45.3 required to qualify for the World Championships in Moscow in a few weeks time.

Mark is wearing yellow and is at the back of the pack on the first lap. What a great finish though!



Mark's new PB of 1:44.84 is just two one-hundredths of a second slower than David Matthews 19 year record of 1:44.82 which was set in Italy in September 1995. Considering Mark is only 20 years old, it's probably only a matter of time before that particular record goes.