National Combined Events Championships & AAI Games
Athletics action continues in the Tullamore Harriers stadium as the Irish Life Health National Combined Events Championships and AAI Games get under way this weekend (23rd & 24th July 2022). The AAI Games will also incorporate the National 5,000m and 10,000m races this year.
Day 1:
The National Combined Events Championships hosts another year of strong multievent athletes taking to the track and field. Returning to defend her Junior Heptathlon Championship title, Molly Curran (City of Lisburn AC) has already enjoyed several personal best performances this season.
Lara O’Byrne (Donore Harriers) looks to add more championship silverware to her 2022 collection. O’Byrne won a silver medal at the 2021 edition of the Combined Events Championships and no doubt will be looking to go further this weekend.
Also returning to defend his Junior men’s Decathlon Championship title, Jack Forde (St Killians AC) scored 5430 points last year, and has already secured U20 Championship titles in the High Jump and Discuss in recent weeks.
Set to begin Day 1 of the AAI Games is the women’s 100mHurdles. There is a strong line up taking to the startline including Kate Doherty (DSD AC) and Sarah Quinn (St Colemans AC), both are also registered to compete in the 100m on Day 2 of the competition.
Doherty has been in stellar form this season, winning a silver medal at the National Senior Championships and setting a new PB of 13.45 at the National League in Belfast.
Quinn came third in the 100m Hurdles during last month’s National Championships and enjoyed a season best performance of 14.03 a week later at the Morton Games competition where she finished sixth.
Regular rivals Matty Behan (Crusaders AC) and Gerard O’Donnell (Carrick on Shannon) are set to feature in the men’s 110mHurdles. Behan won the National Championship title in June with a time of 15.61 in a -8.1 wind, to put an end to O’Donnell’s 6-year reign on the title.
Not to be detered O’Donnell came second at the Guldensporenmeeting at the shortly after, while comepting in Belgium. O'Donnell set his season best performance of 14.18, while competing in Beglium in early June.
2022 National Champion David Cussen (Old Abbey AC) takes to the men’s high jump, after setting his season best performance of 2.12m while competing in Belgium recently.
Ruby Millet (St Abbans AC) returns to Tullamore for the women’s long jump after her championship record breaking 6.62m jump, to win the National U23 Championship title last weekend (17th July). It makes two championship titles for the 21-year-old this season after claiming the senior long jump title last month in Morton Stadium.
Ahead of travelling to the World U20 Championships, Reece Ademola (Leevale AC) will take to the men’s long jump. Ademola won the U20 Championship title last weekend in the host venue with stellar 7.76m jump.
Sarah McCarthy (Mid Sutton AC) will be on to watch in the women’s 200m, she joins the Tullamore start line looking to continue her streak of impressive performances, closing in on her 23.53 PB time. Phil Healy (Bandon AC) and Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC) are both registered to compete in the 200m and 400m competitions.
2022 National 200m Champion Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock AC) takes to Tullamore for the men’s 200m competition after his impressive 20.89 PB performance at Cork City Sports in recent weeks. Set to join him in the starting blocks are Eanna Madden(Carrick on Shannon) and Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers), who are also registered for the 400m competition.
Iseult O’Donnell (Raheny Shamrock AC), Ellie Hartnett (UCD AC) and Niamh Carr (Springwell Running Club) are all set to take to the start line of the women’s 800m. O’Donnell came sixth at the 800m National Championships last month after setting a season best time of 2:14.53.
Hartnett debuts in the 800m this season in Tullamore after a series of strong 1500m performances this year, such as coming second at the Belfast EAP International and fifth at the National Championships.
Carr won a silver medal at the Northern Ireland National 800m championships last month and came fourth at the National 1500m Championships in Morton Stadium a week later.
Annette Quaid (Leevale AC) returns to Irish soil to compete in the 800m, after her highly successful World Master Athletics Championships in Finland, winning a gold medal in the 400m W40 earlier this month.
The women’s 2000mSC is set to feature Olympian Michelle Finn (Leevale AC), who won the 3000mSC National Championship in tough conditions in Morton Stadium.
Nicola Tuthill (Bandon AC) takes to the throwers circle for the women’s hammer throw, before her departure to the World U20 Championships in Cali. Tuthill won her U20 National Championship title last week after her return from injury with a strong performance of 57.07m.
James Kelly (Finn Valley AC) will be one to watch in the men’s shot put. The Donegal native was the bronze medallist at this year’s National Championships and represented Ireland at the European Throwing Cup earlier in the year, throwing 15.56m to come eighth, just .01m behind his season best.
Closing out Day 1 of the AAI Games with a bang will be the 10,000 national race.
The men’s race hosts several of Irelands top road running talents, such as Paul O’Donnell (DSD AC), Thomas Devaney (St Colemans AC), Jake O’Regan (St Johns AC) and Ian Guiden (Clonliffe Harriers).
O’Donnell has had a series of strong performances this season such as representing Ireland at the European 10,000m Cup in France earlier in the year and his fourth-place finish in the National 5000m Championships last month. O’Donnell took the silver medal in the 2021 edition of the 10,000m race just outside his personal best time of 29:20.06, no doubt he will have his sights set on going one better this weekend.
Thomas Devaney (St Colemans AC) represented Ireland at the European Cross Country Championships last December, forming part of the U20 gold medal winning team. Devaney won the IUAA 10,000m Championships in April this year with a PB performance of 30:36.62.
Jake O’Regan (St Johns AC) will be hopeful for a podium finish after his busy season. O'Regan had a strong fifth place finish in his final at the night of 10,000m in London earlier this year, with 29:46.01 on the clock, just outside his PB of 29:29.23.
Guiden is the 2022 National 5 Mile Road Champion after his impressive performance last month. It’s his debut in the race and given his current form, will be one to watch closely.
The women’s race has several strong Irish entries all within medal contention, such as Sinead O’Connor (Leevale AC), Aoife Kilgallon (Sligo AC) and Donore Harrier sisters duo Ide NicDhomhnaill and Sorcha NicDhomhnaill.
O’Connor won the National 10K Championship title in April this year and came fourth in the women’s 5000m National Championship final last month. At the VHI women’s mini marathon the Leevale AC athlete came sixth with a seasonal best for her of 33.56.
The Donore Harriers sisters both competed in the National 5000m Championships last month finishing in the top three with Sorcha edging ahead to claim the silver medal. Sorcha set her PB in the 10,000m distance at 33:18.93 in May of this year after competing at the British 10,00m Championships. Ide also set her PB at the British Championships to 33:54.51.
Kilgallon beat the Donore Harriers sisters when she came first at the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon last month. The Sligo AC athlete has been in strong form this season, setting a 10,000m PB of 34:03.01 at the British Championships in London in May.
Link to Timetable: HERE
Link to Results: HERE
Link to Day 1 Live Stream: HERE
Day 2:
Day 2 of the Irish Life Health National Combined Events Championships and AAI Games continue in Tullamore Harriers on Sunday 24th July from 10am.
The Juvenile Combined Events Championships get underway with 100 entrants of future mutlievent stars taking to the track and field events.
Competing in the AAI Games, Israel Olatunde (UCD AC) heads back into the men’s 100m starting blocks after his stunning 10.24, U23 National Record performance at the U23 National Championships last weekend. Olatunde has been in stellar form this season winning the national senior and U23 championship titles for the 100m in recent weeks, as well as his record-breaking performances throughout this year.
Molly Scott (St L O’Toole) is registered to compete in the women’s 100m, after her silver medal winning performance at the National Championships last month. Scott is returning to her strong form which we seen at the start of the outdoor season, after overcoming a slight injury before the national championships, already matching her season best time of 11.38 earlier this month.
In the men’s discus Eoin Sheridan (Clonliffe Harriers) will be back in action after winning his first senior national championship title last month, with his season best throw of 53.80m.
There are a host of talented athletes taking to the women’s 1500m, such as Kelly Neely (City of Lisburn AC), Fiona Kehoe (Kilmore AC), Niamh Carr (Ballymena & Antrim AC) and Greta Streimyte (Clonliffe Harriers).
Carr came sixth at the British University Championships setting a PB of 4:22.15 in May, before coming fourth at the National Championships. Kehoe and Neely both finished within the top 10 of the National 1500m Championships and have been building a steady form throughout each competition.
Conor Cusack (Lake District AC) is back in action in Tullamore after winning his National U23 Championship title last weekend in the men’s javelin. Cusack reached 58.88m to claim the title
The women’s 400mH is set to be a repeat of the National Senior Championships action, with the three medallists competing alongside each other this weekend.
Kelly McGrory (Tir Chonaill AC) has been on fire this season, with a comfortable position on top of each competition podium. At the National Championships last month McGrory secured both the gold medal and a personal best time of 57.22 in the 400mHurdles.
St Abbans AC's Nessa Millet secured the silver medal at the national championships after a superb performance. Heading into the Championships Millet set a season best of 57.82, while competing at an international meeting in Barcelona claiming the top spot in the competition.
National Senior Championship bronze medallist Lucy McGlynn (Tir Chonaill AC) has added the Juvenile and U20 Championship gold medals to her collection from this this season. McGlynn set her PB to 1 minute flat, after competing alongside McGrory and Millet last month and will no doubt be looking to get another strong performance under her belt before she travels to the World U20 Championships in Cali.
Conor Callinan (Leevale AC) and Matthew Callinan Keenan (St L O’Toole AC) are registered to compete in the men’s pole vault competition. Both secured Championship titles while competing last weekend in the Junior and U23 National competition.
The women’s 400m will see Phil Healy (Bandon AC), Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers) and Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC) battle it out in the Tullamore stadium.
Healy won the silver medal at the National Championships last month, coming into the competition with a season best time of 51.82. At the recent Cork City Sports, Healy took the top spot with a 52.06 stellar performance.
Manning has returned to the track after overcoming recent injuries with strong form and fast times. At the National Championships, the Kilkenny City Harrier brought the bronze medal home and just last weekend while competing internationally Manning secured a new 400m PB of 52.60.
Harrison just missed out on a medal opportunity at the National Championships finishing fourth in the final. At the start of this month, the Emerald AC sprinter secured a new PB of 52.73 while winning the National League in London.
Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers), Eanna Madden (Carrick on Shannon AC) and Cathal Crosbie (Ennis Track Club) are set to take to the men’s 400m start line.
Lawler secured a silver medal in both the 200m and 400m competitions at last month’s National Championships enjoying strong performances across both competitions. At the Morton Games, the Clonliffe Olympian secured a new 400m PB of 47.48 and will be hoping to build his performance this weekend.
Clare man Crosbie was quick on the heels of Lawler in the 400m National Championship final, taking the silver medal in 47.77, just shy of his own PB 47.41.Madden was the bronze medallist in the 400m national championships, with a time of 48.11.
The National 5,000m Championship hosts some of Irelands rising distance running star..
Cathal O’Reilly (Kilkenny City Harriers) will be a strong contender in the men’s race as he takes on Darren O’Dwyer (Clonlife Harriers). O’Reilly was part of the silver medal winning team at the 2021 European Cross-Country Championships. At the IUAA Championships he just missed out on a medal in the 3000mSC.
Representing the home club of Tullamore Harriers, Imelda Lambe is one to watch in the women’s 5,000m. The talented distance runner came fourth at the Junior 3000m Championship race in 10:31.88 last weekend in a superb race. Claragh Keane (DMPAC) won the Junior 3000mSC championship title last weekend after her strong performance.
Athletes are remined only 5mm pyramid spikes are permitted at the Tuallmore Staium.
Link to Timetable: HERE
Link to Results: HERE
Link to Day 1 Live Stream: HERE
Link to Day 2 Live Stream: HERE