English Headlines GloHealth Senior Indoor Championships
European 800m Bronze Medallist Mark English (UCD AC) is the star attraction at the GloHealth Senior Indoor Championships taking place in AIT International Arena, Athlone on the 21st and 22nd of February. English along with a host of Ireland’s top track and field athletes will battle it out for the coveted GloHealth National Titles on what promises to be a pulsating weekend of track and field action. The championships will also act as the final chance for athletes to achieve the qualification standard for the European Indoors in Prague (6th- 8th March).
GloHealth Senior Indoor Preview
Prague on his Mind
After his marvellous bronze medal in Zurich last summer English will be in a confident mood of making his mark at the European Indoors. English will tackle the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix on Saturday, 21st of February in search of the 800m qualifying standard (1.48.50) for Prague. He will then return to Athlone to contest the GloHealth national 800m indoor final on Sunday. Declan Murray (Clonliffe Harriers AC) who has already achieved the standard for the Europeans will do his best to de-rail English in Athlone.
Proper Targeting Historic 17th National Indoor Title
Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC) is Ireland’s most prolific winner at the national indoor championships accumulating 16 national titles. At the 2014 national indoor championships she surpassed the old total of 15 titles held by World 50k Walk Champion Rob Heffernan. The Waterford athlete is set to go in the 60m, 200m and Long Jump events at the weekend and has every chance of making it 19 senior indoor titles by close of competition on Sunday.
Proper’s biggest challenge is likely to come in the women’s 60m where a packed field awaits her. Phil Healy (Bandon AC) is chief amongst the challengers having already run 7.41 seconds this season, both athletes will have one eye on the 7.36 time required for the Europeans. Defending champion Amy Foster (City of Lisburn AC) has unfortunately had to withdraw from the championships as she hasn’t recovered sufficiently enough from an illness picked up earlier in the winter.
O’Lionaird V Travers V Pollock
The men’s 3,000m is shaping up to be a battle between two of Ireland’s top metric milers. Ciaran O’Lionaird (Leevale AC) will be in search of the 3,000m time of 8.00 minutes required to make the plane for Prague. O’Lionaird has had an up and down start to the indoor season anchoring the final leg of the Irish DMR team in New York, splitting 3.58.23 for the 1 mile leg. A week later at the New Balance Games in Boston O’Lionaird stepped off the track during his 1 mile race. He will be hoping to turn things around at nationals and re-capture the form that saw him named athlete of the meet at the 2014 GloHealth senior outdoor championships.
John Travers (Donore Harriers AC) who has already secured the time over 1,500m for the Europeans will provide stiff opposition for the Cork athlete. With Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders AC) who has already got the time in the 3,000m (7.59) for Prague also in the field the men’s 3,000m is set to be an intriguing battle.
Danny Mooney (Letterkenny AC) is another of those who has achieved the qualifying mark for Prague over 1,500m and will start as favourite in that event in Athlone.
O’Donnell in Form
Gerard O’Donnell (Carrick on Shannon AC) is in the form of his life after running a personal best and European qualifying time of 7.73 for the 60m Hurdles at the IFAM meeting in Belgium on the 8th of February. An interesting entrant in the event is former World Indoor representative Ben Reynolds (North Down AC) who has a personal best of 7.74 seconds.
Defending champion Sarah Lavin (UCD AC) has curtailed her indoor season in order to concentrate on training ahead of the outdoors and her main focus the European U23 championships. Catherine McManus (Celtic DCH) is the likely favourite in the women’s 60m hurdles.
Middle Distance
Ciara Everard (UCD AC) secured qualification for Prague running a time of 2.03.39 for 800m at the GloHealth AAI Open Indoor Games. Everard will hone her tactical skills in Athlone with the likes of Katie Kirk (Queens University AC) and Laura Crowe (An Riocht AC) set to challenge.
Ciara Mageean (UCD AC) nailed the 3,000m standard over the weekend with an 8.55.09 performance at the Milrose Games. Mageean will contest the 1,500m in Athlone where she is likely to face Claire Tarplee (Dundrum South Dublin AC) who has been in encouraging form already this season over the distance. Tarplee will compete at the Birmingham Grand Prix on Saturday before returning for the 1,500m in Athlone on Sunday.
Sara Treacy (Dunboyne AC) is another of those heading to Birmingham on Saturday in search of the 3,000m time and will return for the 1,500m final on Sunday.
Men’s 400m
Dara Kervick (Clonliffe Harriers AC) has come agonisingly close to the standard for Prague in the 400m (47.20) on two occasions already this season. Kervick ran times of 47.26 and 47.28 at the GloHealth Open Indoor Games (1st Feb) and the Irish University Championships (6th Feb). Kervick will have one eye on the clock at nationals while also looking to secure his spot on the men’s 4x400m relay team for Prague.
With Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers AC) and Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC) both focusing on the outdoor season there will be an intense battle for the remaining places on the 4x400m team. Young up and coming athlete Paul Murphy (Ferrybank AC) and Harry Purcell (Trim AC) will stake their claim while Brian Murphy (Crusaders AC), Craig Lynch (Shercock AC) and Timmy Crowe (Clonliffe Harriers AC) are all likely to be in the mix.
Return To Form for Lawler
Outstanding junior talent Marcus Lawler (St Laurence O’Toole AC) is starting to make waves in the senior ranks. The Carlow athlete made a big return to form at the Irish University Championships clocking indoor personal bests of 6.83 (60m) and 21.18 (200m), he will go in both of these events at the national senior championships.
Field Events
Sean Breathnach (Galway City Harriers AC) set a stadium record of 17.14 in the shot putt at the AAI Open Games will start as the overwhelming favourite in that event. Irish Junior 60m Hurdles record holder Sam Healy (Leevale AC) will by-pass the hurdles and instead target the national title in the long jump. Defending champion Ian Rogers (Clonliffe Harriers AC) is back to defend his title in the men’s pole vault while Claire Wilkinson (Ballymena & Antrim AC) will start as favourite in the women’s equivalent. Tori Pena (Finn Valley AC) has already achieved the standard for Prague however Pena intends to focus fully on the outdoor season so will by-pass the European indoors.
GloHealth
Meet the GloHealth team at the GloHealth Senior Indoor Championships this weekend for some family fun and to find out about the great benefits Athletics Ireland members can get when they switch to GloHealth.
Tickets on Sale Now!
Tickets are available to purchase individually for both days of the GloHealth Senior Indoor Championships at a cost of €10 per day or payable on the gate.
RTE Coverage
RTE 2 will be showing a special highlights package of the event at 6.30pm on Sunday, 22nd of February. They will also show extensive coverage of the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Prague.