Athletics Ireland welcomed more than 120 coaches to the Sport Ireland Institute on Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 4th for the 2026 Coach Network Conference, bringing coaches from across the country together for two days of learning, collaboration and practical development.

The conference was headlined by professional coach Marco Airale, who provided attendees with valuable insights into high-performance coaching, athlete development and the practical application of training principles.

Airale has worked with multiple Olympians and World and European medallists and most recently coached Amy Hunt to four gold medals at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham this summer.

Across the two days, coaches participated in a varied programme of presentations, track demonstrations and practical gym sessions. The format provided an opportunity to move beyond classroom theory and see coaching concepts applied in real-world training environments.

The attendance of more than 120 coaches from across Ireland highlighted the continued appetite within the athletics community for professional development, knowledge sharing and access to international coaching expertise.

The combination of presentations and practical demonstrations also encouraged interaction between coaches, creating an environment in which attendees could exchange experiences, discuss different approaches and share best practice.

Hosted at the Sport Ireland Institute, the conference provided an excellent setting for coaches from across the country to connect, learn and further develop their coaching practice.

Conor Wilson, Athletics Ireland Coach Education Manager and event coordinator, said: “With over 120 coaches participating, the Coach Network Conference was a strong reflection of Athletics Ireland’s ongoing commitment to coach education, collaboration and the continued development of athletics in Ireland.

“Bringing coaches together in this type of environment gives them an opportunity not only to learn from leading international expertise, but also to learn from each other and bring those experiences back to their athletes and clubs.”

Paul McKee, Athletics Ireland Development Officer and event coordinator, said: “It was fantastic to welcome a coach of Marco’s calibre to Ireland and to give our coaches the opportunity to learn directly from his experience at the highest level of the sport.

“The engagement across the two days was excellent and we look forward to hopefully welcoming Marco back to Ireland in the future.”

The Coach Network Conference forms part of Athletics Ireland’s continued investment in coach education and development at all levels of the sport.

Athletics Ireland’s Coaching and Development Team will now build on the momentum from the conference with a busy autumn and winter programme focused on coach education, athlete development and ongoing support for clubs across the country.

• For queries please contact Conor or Paul at https://www.athleticsireland.ie/contact-us/
• Coaching Calendar: https://athleticsireland.eventmaster.ie/coaching-fixtures/