Three Irish National Records in a weekend of Global Competition

By Perri Williams

What a weekend of Athletics it has been. From Estonia to Albufeira and Guadix, Gent to Sweden, Glasgow to the USA – Irish athletes have been excelling themselves across the globe in many different disciplines too. In the process three Irish records have established new national indoor records. These are: Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerards) in the Pentathlon, Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea) in the 3,000m and Sarah Healy (UCD) in the 3,000m.

New Balance Indoor Grand Prix
Andrew Coscoran and Sarah Healy set new national senior indoor records at the World Indoor Gold Tour event today. Coscoran had a superb victory in the men’s 3,000m recording a time of 7:30.75 which is also a world lead for 2025. He had a second to spare over Habz Azzedine (France) and Cameraon Myers (Australia). In the ladies 3,000m Sarah Healy finished 4th in a much hyped race that featured Elise Cranny, Melissa Courtney-Bryant (winner) and Parker Valby making her indoor debut as a pro-athlete. Healy recorded a time of 8.35.19 and finished ahead of her M11 training partner Georgia Bell. The top eight athletes all recorded new personal bests.
In the men’s 800m Mark English was 5th recording a time of 1:46.82. The winner was Bryce Hoppel (USA) with a time of 1:46.04.
Two young Irish athletes were taking part in the High School Mile. Pia Langton (Kilkenny City Harriers) finished 5th with a new personal best of 4:52.54. Frank Bucannan (Enniskillen) crossed the line in 9th place with a time of 4:11.98 also a personal best.

National Record for Kate O’Connor
In Estonia, Kate O’Connor continued to put the multi-events on our radar with a new national pentathlon record. O’Connor obtained three new personal bests out of the five events; High Jump, Long Jump and 800m, equalled her personal best set a few weeks ago at the AAI games in the 60m hurdles. Only the personal best in the shot putt eluded her. The Dundalk St Gerards AC athlete also gained that all important automatic qualification for the European Indoors to be held next month in the Netherlands.
Mawdsley qualifies for Indoors
Closer to home, the inaugural Scottish athletics EAP Indoor Invitational took place today at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) made her 2025 debut over 400m finishing first with a time of 51.69. This is an automatic qualifying time for the European Indoors. Boru Akinola took the silver in the 60m in 6.74. Ciara Neville ran 7.52 to claim the bronze medal in the 60m. 

David Kenny wins World Racewalking Tour at Guadix
In Guadix, Spain, David Kenny (Farranfore Maine AC) took the top honours at the XXXVI Gran Premio de Marcha Atlética with a time of 1.22.41. Kenny took part in the 20km event and continues to improve since his return to competition after an injury sidelined him from the Olympics last summer. 

Shot and Discus
In Sweden, Cian Campton (Edenderry AC) finished first in the u20 Discus at the Växjö Inomhuskast Meet in Sweden, with a throw of 55.85m. The 2024 European u18 bronze medallist, improved his personal best by over a meter and a half. He is now just 44cm adrift of Colin Quirke’s 1990 National record.
Michaela Walsh (Swinford) won the Shot Putt at the Loughborough Indoor Meeting with a best throw of 14.08m. The Irish champion was over a meter ahead of Sinead Du Toit of Australia.

New Indoor Personal Best for Cathal Doyle
Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe) was in action at the World Indoor Athletics Tour meet in Track Miramas France. Doyle ran 3.39.01 in the 1,500m indoor race. He finished 6th in a race that was won by Louis Gilavert (France) in 3.36.25. Doyle is an Olympic semi-finalist over the same distance from the Paris 2024.

IFAM World Indoor Bronze Tour
In Gent, Belgium a popular destination for Irish athletes to gain some valuable competition, there were six Irish athletes in action in the IFMA World Indoor Tour Bronze Meeting. There was a win for Darragh McIlhenny (Bandon) in the 1500m who recorded 3:43.85. McIlhenny who has a mixed year last year, will gain some confidence from his victory as he prepares for the National Indoor Championships in two weeks’ time.
Callum Morgan (Candor) ran an impressive 3,000m producing an indoor personal best of 7:59.63. This is marginally quicker than his 2024 time from Boston. His time is only two tenths of a second slower than his outdoor personal best. Finlay Daly (Sligo AC) finished second in his heat and 12th overall in a new personal best of 8.04.25m.
Lauren Cadden (City of Lisburn) clocked 54.88 to finish 16th overall in the 400m. Cadden will of course be trying to better that mark in an effort to make the Irish 4x400m relay squad. Louise Shanahan (Leevale) finished 7th overall in the 800m with a time of 2.04.30. The race was won by Isabelle Boffey (GB) in 2.03 Somer Lecky (Finn Valley) had another podium placing for the high jump. The former European u20 silver medallist finished 3rd with a leap of 1.75m. Lecky has never quiet reached the 1.90 she achieved in Tempere, Finland back in 2015 but continues to lead the Irish High Jump rankings.

John Thomas Terrier Classic Boston
There were several athletes competing at Indoor meetings in Boston and other locations this weekend. Starting with the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston, Cormac Dixon (Providence) produced a stormer of a race to finish with a time of 7.56.59 – new personal best. In the same race there were several other Irish athletes in action; Oisin O Gailin (Finn Valley) recorded 7.59.51 with clubmate Liam McKey crossing the line in 8.23.90. Ennis Track’s Dean Casey running in the strip of Colorado finished with a new personal best in the 5,000m. Casey who moved last year from Tennessee to Colorado recorded a time of 13:46.54.
Providence Sophomore Meave O’Neill (Doheny’s) won her heat of the 500m to finish fourth overall with a time of 1:12.48 in this not so often run distance. Teammate Niamh O’Mahoney completed the 5,000m in 16.57.61, dipping under the 17 min mark in her first outing. 

University Indoor Invitationals
Mark Milner (Tullamore Harriers) competing with Portland University finished third in the University of Washington one-mile indoor clocking 3:56.91 as he continues to compete at the longer distances over his usual 800m option. In the ladies mile Milner’s college team mate Maebh Richardson (KCH) competed over the shorter distance of one-mile finishing with 4.53.20.
Anika Thompson (Leevale) continues to show improvements. Thompson finished second in the 3,000m at the Razorback Invitational in Arkansas with a new personal best of 9:05.75.

European Club Cross Country
The European Club Cross Country took part in Albufeira, Portugal this weekend. The top two clubs at the National Senior and Junior Cross Country were chosen for representation. The results are as follows:
U20 Ladies: Clonliffe Harriers 5th Lagan Valley 8th.
U20 Boys: Clonliffe Harriers 7th Lagan Valley 15th.
Senior Ladies: Letterkenny 9th Leevale 13th 
Senior Men: North Belfast 11th CNDR 17th