Every year the the National Senior Track and Field Championship throw up a rich variety of stories and Sunday's 5,000m finals were a perfect illustration.
In the men’s event, 24-year-old Brian Fay, World Championships bound and with hopes of making the final in Budapest next month, ran the sort of race that he would have planned.
His only previous national title was two years ago in the 3,000m steeplechase but, based again in Ireland and coached by Feidhlim Kelly, he has had a fine season with the highlight so far being his new Irish record of 13 minutes 1.41 seconds in Belgium a fortnight ago.
Early into the race, a group of eight led by John Travers formed at the front but bit by bit that group dwindled until there were only two and, from the bell, Fay burned off Cormac Dalton to triumph in 13:39.20.
If that was somewhat predictable, then Íde Nic Dhomhnaill’s victory in the women’s 5,000m was a surprise, even to herself.
The 38-year-old is from a family of runners but between her job as a teacher and being a parent of two young children her training has to be slotted into a busy schedule. Her biggest successes have been on the road but to run a tactically astute race and take over 17 seconds off her personal best on the track in a national final was something else.
Having her gold medal presented by Sonia O’Sullivan, who enjoyed her greatest days in the 5,000m, and whom Nic Dhomhnaill had never met before, was the icing on the cake.
Israel Olatunde (UCD) claims his 3rd consecutive 100m National Senior Title outdoors in top tier style (10.49)🔥
— Athletics Ireland (@irishathletics) July 30, 2023
🥈Bori Akinola (UCD) 10.58
🥉Gabriel Kehinde (Ennis Track) 10.69@Sportsfile 📸#123Nationals #IrishAthletics @Ask123ie pic.twitter.com/Ot0UjDfgqR
Sarah Lavin’s stellar form continued as she set her personal best for the 100m three times in six hours, taking the final in 11.53 into a -1.6 headwind, while Israel Olatunde was pushed hard in the men's event by UCD clubmate Bori Akinowa but still made it three titles in a row in 10.50.
Almost from the off, the women’s 1500m was a dual between Sarah Healy and Sophie O’Sullivan and Healy reversed the outcome from the European Under-23 Championships to edge out her rival.
O’Sullivan’s time of 4:12.01 may prove enough to get her a place alongside Healy in the World Championships.
In the men’s equivalent, 18-year-old Nick Griggs tried to run for home from a long way out. Cathal Doyle was the only man who could stay with him and, on his home track, Doyle moved ahead on the final bend to retain his title in 3:40.11. The super-talented Griggs will surely have his day.
Andrew Coscoran will compete in the 1,500m in Budapest but opted to drop down to the 800m this weekend. His tactic was to hit the front early and try to hold on but 800m specialist John Fitzsimons kept his powder dry until hitting top gear inside the last 150m for a convincing triumph and European Championship finalist Louise Shanahan was every bit as dominant in the women’s 800m.
In cool, damp and windy conditions, Chris O’Donnell was impressive in winning his fifth national outdoor 400m title in 45.96 and Sharlene Mawdsley was a convincing winner of the women’s 400m in 51.94.
The highlight in the field events was the performance of 6’9" Reece Ademola in the long jump. He was already third on the Irish all-time list from his fifth-place finish in the World Under-20 Championships last year.
He set a new personal best of 7.96 metres in the final round on Sunday and surely now has Ciaran McDonagh’s 18-year-old Irish record of 8.07m in his sights.
Oisín Joyce broke 70m for the first time to win the javelin.
