Nick Griggs (Candour Track Club) and Diarmuid O’Connor (Bandon AC) broke national indoor records last weekend in America.
In his first indoor race in almost two years, 21-year-old Griggs clocked 7:32.79 to obliterate his own Irish U23 3000m record at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, a World Indoor Tour Gold meet in Boston. Grigg’s previous best indoors was 7:45.57, while his best outdoors was 7:36.59.
The Tyrone native finished fourth, two places behind Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) who was a shade outside his own national senior indoor record for the event, clocking 7:30.97. Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC) was 10th in 7:42.58. Both Coscoran and Griggs’ times are inside the World Indoor Championship automatic qualifying mark of 7:33.00.
Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) impressed at the meet taking a classy victory in the Men’s 600m. The Longford native made a decisive move with around 150m to go leaving two former world 800m champions Donavan Brazier and Bryce Hoppel (both USA) in his wake. McPhillip’s winning time of 1:16.37 is the second-fastest by an Irishman indoors all-time.
Also Stateside, Diarmuid O’Connor (Bandon AC) improved his own Irish senior Heptathlon record by two points. The Cork man scored 5596 points to finish second at the Penn-Elite Multi-Events competition in Philadelphia.
In Texas at the Stan Smith Invite meet, Lauren Roy (Fast Twitch AC) continued her exceptional start to 2026. The Ballymena woman lowered her 60m personal best to 7.23 seconds (third all-time), before clocking a sensational 22.89 seconds for 200m. This puts Roy to second on the overall Irish all-time list for the event (indoors and outdoors) behind only Rhasidat Adeleke.
In Lyon, France on Saturday night Bori Akinola (UCD AC) showed his class to take victory in the Men’s 60m at a World Indoor Tour Bronze level meet. Akinola clocked 6.65 seconds. Mark English (Finn Valley AC) was third in the Men’s 800m in 1:46.63, while Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers) was third in the Women’s 1500m in 4:11.51.
On Sunday at the Meeting de Paris Indoor in Bercy, Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) got her season off to an excellent start, sealing qualification for the World Indoor Championships. The Limerick woman clocked a time of 7.98 seconds to finish second in the final of the 60m Hurdles behind home favourite Laeticia Bapte.
- New Balance Indoor Grand Prix results are HERE
- Penn Elite Multi-Event results are HERE
- Stan Smith Invite meet results are HERE
- Meeting Indoor de Lyon results are HERE
- Meeting de Paris Indoor Meet results are HERE
- Irish Indoor All-Time List is HERE
- 2026 Irish Indoor Performance List is HERE
- Records subject to ratification
