Ciara Mageean Achieves European Indoor Standard
Ciara Mageean (UCD AC) achieved the European Indoor qualifying standard (9.00) in the 3,000m at the Milrose Games in New York on Saturday, 14th of February. Mageean ran a time of 8.55.09 to comfortably go inside the required standard for the Europeans which take place in Prague from the 6th-8th of March.
Mageean ran a tactically astute race clocking 35 seconds per 200m in her quest to dip under nine minutes for 3,000m. The race was won by Sally Kipyego (Nike OTC) in a time of 8.41.72 with Mageean finishing seventh, only one place behind European cross country silver medallist Kate Avery (GB) who was sixth in a time of 8.53.12. Next up for Mageean will be the GloHealth Senior Indoor Championships in Athlone taking place this coming Saturday (21st) and Sunday (22nd).
British Indoor Championships
Sara Treacy (Dunboyne AC) along with a host of other Irish athletes contested the British Indoor Championships in Sheffield over the weekend. Treacy ran the race of her life to cross the line first in the women’s 3,000m after a storming final lap. Treacy held off a number of top British athletes to win the race and set a new personal best of 9.06.23.
The time was agonisingly close to the European standard for Treacy, she will have one last attempt to achieve this at the GloHealth senior indoors this weekend. Maria McCambridge (Dundrum South Dublin AC) placed fifth in a time of 9.14.99 with Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle) just behind in seventh in a time of 9.19.51.
Claire Tarplee (Dundrum South Dublin AC) and Phil Healy (Bandon AC) placed third in their respective 1,500m and 60m events. Tarplee recorded a time of 4.15.67 for the 1,500m while Healy blasted to a time of 7.47 seconds in the final of the women’s 60m. Amy Foster (City of Lisburn AC) also contested the 60m final placing seventh in a time of 7.54 seconds.
In the men’s 3,000m Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders AC) finished eighth in a time of 8.13.53 with Brendan O’Neill (Dundrum South AC) recording a new personal best of 8.16.70 for tenth place.