Ireland’s top athletes are ready to light up Morton Stadium this weekend (August 2nd & 3rd) as the 153rd edition of the 123.ie National Senior Track and Field Championships gets underway.
The longest consecutively held national athletics championships in the world is expected to draw the largest spectator crowd in recent years with a host of star names set to take their place including World Indoor silver medallist Kate O’Connor (Javelin/ Shot Put/ Long Jump), hurdle queen Sarah Lavin (100m Hurdles/100m/ 200m), as well as a host of Paris Olympians including Sharlene Mawdsley (200m/400m), Mark English (400m/800m), Sarah Healy (800m), Sophie Becker (400m), and Phil Healy (400m) to name but a few.
The men’s 100m could provide the most intriguing matchups of the weekend with the greatly anticipated showdown between relay teammates Israel Olatunde and Bori Akinola likely to capture the imagination of many come Sunday evening.
World Championship candidates Cian McPhillips (800m), Cathal Doyle (1500m), Andrew Coscoran (1500m/5000m), and Sophie O’Sullivan (1500m/800m) will offer even more star power to proceedings across the busy two-day schedule.
Recent U23 medallists Nicola Tuthill (Hammer), Anika Thompson (5000m), Eimear Maher (1500m), and Nick Griggs (1500m) also look set to return following their podium exploits in Bergen.
Rhasidat Adeleke is disappointed not to be defending her national 100m title this weekend with the Tallaght AC sprinter missing the 2025 championships as she continues to focus on recovery following recent race exertions.
The action gets underway from 12pm on Saturday with some of the highlights on day one including the finals of the men’s and women’s 200m as well as a host of field event finals which look set to feature Olympian Eric Favors in the shot put.
A second helping will take place on Sunday from 1pm with a frenzy of finals down for decision including the medal deciders in the men’s and women’s 100m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m.
Both days of competition will be streamed on the Athletics Ireland YouTube Channel, with live RTÉ 2 coverage from 5.00pm – 7.30pm on Sunday.
Day tickets are only €15 with a special two-day ticket available for €25. U16s go free and are encouraged to come along and see the stars of Irish athletics in person.
Spectators are encouraged to purchase tickets online before arrival. The daily gate ticket price will be €20 for any tickets not bought online.
How to follow:
- Entries and Live Results HERE (Updated on August 2nd)
- Top list for 2025 HERE
- All-time list HERE
- Weekend timetable HERE
- Watch on Athletics Ireland YouTube HERE
- Tokyo 2025 Selection Policy HERE
- Spectator Tickets HERE (U16s are FREE and do not require a ticket)
Sprints Showdowns
The men’s 100m is set to be one of the most hotly contested events of the weekend. Ireland’s fastest man and defending champion Israel Olatunde (Tallaght AC) looks has looked razor sharp in recent weeks but won’t have it all his own way on Sunday where he will likely face fierce competition from relay teammates Bori Akinola (UCD AC) and Michael Farrelly (Raheny Shamrock AC).
In the women’s 100m, Ciara Neville (Emerald AC), Sarah Leahy (Killarney Valley AC), Lauren Roy (Fast Twitch AC), and Molly Scott (St. Laurence O’Toole AC) lead a strong entry list. Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) holds multiple entries across the weekend and could opt to double up in the 100m hurdles and 200m.
Middle Distance Dustups
The men’s 800m entries feature Mark English (Finn Valley AC) and Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) who have both set personal bests over the distance this year. Much will be dictated by the direction of English who also holds an entry in the 400m. The women’s 800m is equally stacked should all take their place with Sarah Healy (UCD AC), Jenna Bromell (Emerald AC), and Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC) all holding entries, albeit O’Sullivan is also in the 1500m.
The men’s 1500m could be one of the races of the weekend, with Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers), Nick Griggs (Candour Track Club), Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC), Shane Bracken (Swinford AC), James Gormley (Carmen Runners), and Darragh McElhinney (Bantry AC) all set to toe the line. In the women’s 1500m, Sophie O’Sullivan and Laura Nicholson (Bandon AC) are among the favourites in a deep field.
Endurance Encore
The men’s 5000m features a high-class domestic field led by Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC), Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers), and Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers). The women’s 5000m sees Niamh Allen (Leevale AC) and Fiona Everard (Bandon AC) join recently crowned European U23 10,000m champion Anika Thompson (Leevale AC).
In the steeplechase, Finley Daly (Sligo AC) and Ava O’Connor (Tullamore Harriers) return as leading contenders in the men’s and women’s 3000m steeplechase respectively.
400m Fireworks
The men’s 400m could see Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers), Christopher O’Donnell (North Sligo AC), Callum Baird (Ballymena and Antrim AC), and Cillín Greene (Galway City Harriers) battle it out in the final. The women’s race could be a showdown between Paris Olympians Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC), Phil Healy (Bandon AC), and Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC).
Field Event Highlights
In the field, Reece Ademola (Leevale AC) leads the men’s long jump on the back of a 7.82m at Cork City Sports, while Saragh Buggy (St. Abbans AC) returns in the triple jump aiming for another national title. Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) headlines the women’s hammer throw, while national record holder Niamh Fogarty (Raheny Shamrock AC) is sure to have extra confidence heading into this weekend’s discus throw competition on the back of her 58.40NR back in May.
Relays and Rising Stars
The 4x100m and 4x400m relays will close out each day’s action, with strong squads from Tallaght AC, Clonliffe Harriers, and UCD AC. The mixed 4x400m relay on Sunday is expected to draw huge interest following Ireland’s recent international success.
Event Details:
📍 Morton Stadium, Santry
📅 August 2–3, 2025
🎟️ Online Tickets: €15 per day / €25 weekend pass (U16s free)
📺 Watch Live: Athletics Ireland YouTube & RTÉ2 (Sunday, 5:00–7:15pm)
📊 Live Results: live.athleticsireland.ie
Attending Morton Stadium
Please note there is no public car-parking within the stadium.
Please note there is no car-parking permitted on the Swords Road in front of Santry Stadium nor on the main route through the Northwood complex. Please plan your car parking well in advance of travelling to Morton Stadium. Note the Gardai will be present over the weekend and issuing fines to cars parked illegally. For disability permit holders please contact maresaconnolly@athleticsireland.ie
Public transport
We would encourage all patrons of the National Championships to avail of public transport. Santry is very well serviced by Dublin Bus and in particular the following bus routes, numbers 16, 27 B ,33, 41 with a stop at Morton Stadium. Route 1 from the city to Santry (Shanliss) is a 10 minute walk to Morton Stadium. Route N6 runs from Finglas/Kilbarrack/Finglas with a stop on Santry Avenue, (2 minutes walk to Morton Stadium).
Dublin Bus Timetables Here
