The first national athletics championship of 2025 is imminent and represents one of the few opportunities where Ireland's greatest and best are under one roof on the island, even without Rhasidat Adeleke, who is choosing to forgo most of the indoor season.
With six records broken this season so far, the short track edition of the national championships will see high calibre performances, especially in the middle and long-distance events, where all of those records have emerged from.
Sunday is the final day for qualification to next month's European Indoor Championships.
With the new ranking systems in athletics, national championships carry additional weight and a positive performance could be the difference for those on the fringes in securing their qualification.
There is limited seating at the National Sports Campus venue, tuning in to Athletics Ireland’s live stream on YouTube will be the only way to catch the scintillating finals on the now sold-out Sunday.
Women’s 400m
Olympian Sharlene Mawdsley is the headline act for the championships. Likely to contest the women's 400m, the Tipp woman is also entered in the one-lap indoor event but stated her intention to "defend her indoor title" at a pre-European indoor Championship event on Tuesday.
At last year's edition of the national indoors, Mawdsley won the 400m in a time of 52.04 seconds, a world-class time that catapulted her to a final place at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow a month later, where she was subsequently disqualified for 'jostling'.
Saturday's 400m heats will be the first time the 26-year-old has raced in Ireland since February last year and represents a rare opportunity to see Mawdsley compete on the island despite proving her dedication to the green vest in the last 12 months.
With two relay opportunities at the upcoming European Indoor Championships, there will be a battle for the minor medals. The selection panel will consider head-to-heads as a factor in their decision making which adds an extra element of spice.
Also entered are Lauren Cadden and Rachel McCann who have had decent showings this season running 54.03 and 53.31 respectively. Less is known about the fitness of Olympic finalist Phil Healy who hasn't shown her cards yet this year but is entered in both the 200m and 400m events.
Kelly McGrory is also named, but like Healy, a question mark remains as she hasn't raced since the heats of the 4x400m at the Olympics. Sophie Becker looks set to miss out on this weekend; she isn't entered and hasn't raced this year.
Men's 1500m
The metric mile indoor final in 2024 was one for the record books. Not necessarily for the times posted, which isn't what championship racing is about anyway, but for the dramatic and literal bone-breaking finish between Cathal Doyle and Nick Griggs.
There could be equal drama in this year's edition with the in-form Andrew Coscoran and standout 1500m man from Paris Doyle both entered. Last year's eventual runner-up Griggs won't be contesting due to a recent, serious medical issue that has ruled him out of the indoor season.
The much-anticipated showdown could become obsolete if Coscoran decides to contest the 3000m, the other event he holds an entry for and stated he intends to run at both the World and European indoor championships. It is worthwhile to note that the 28-year-old hasn't toed the line in an indoor national championship since 2020. The last time Coscoran competed at a national championship was in 2023 over 800m, where he finished in fifth place.
Beyond the top two ranked athletes there isn't much to shout about. Last year's third placer in the event was a surprise. Schoolboy Lughaidh Mallon snuck through the inside in the race of his life to claim bronze, watching as the drama unfolded in front of him, and this year could be no different.
Another schoolboy to look out for is Frank Buchanan from County Fermanagh, fresh from a personal best in the 'high schoolers' race at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston. Mallon's performance from last year could well inspire a second youngster on the podium.
Men's 60m
The rivalry between Israel Olatunde and Bori Akinola has been building since their first meeting in 2022. Akinola remains firmly the underdog on past records, having never won on any of the 21 occasions they have met over both the 60m and 100m events.
The tide, however, may be turning. Akinola is very much in form and Olatunde has only mustered a season's best of 6.95 to Akinola's 6.65, which is a considerable margin in the shortest sprint event run at championship level.
Akinola has been getting closer, placing second in both the indoor and outdoor championships in 2024, only a hair's breadth from the gold on both occasions, but Olatunde is known for turning up the dial at the right moment and will be hoping to continue his win streak.
Akinola's progress has been remarkable, only taking up athletics aged 17, he has reduced his 100m time by nearly a second, even claiming his first Irish vest at last year's European Championship for the 4x100m relay.
For either man to make the European Indoor Championships with absolute certainty of being selected running the automatic qualifying time of 6.60 in the final is a must. Akinola is just outside the quota in 42nd and even if the automatic time isn't secured could well make the European Championships with a personal best performance.
Men's 3000m
The last individual event that deserves a mention is the men's 3000m. It will probably, even without some of the big hitters, deliver as the best middle-distance event of the weekend.
There is a large entry with the top ranked athletes being placed in an 'A' final taking place at 3.00pm on Sunday.
Seán Tobin is rumoured to be chasing the European Indoor qualifying mark of 7:43.00, which can be a difficult feat in a championship scenario. He could receive a bit of help from the already qualified James Gormley, who is competing in his first National Championships qualified to run for Ireland and is well under the required time for the Europeans with a personal best set this year in Boston of 7:40.72.
Cormac Dalton from Mullingar isn't far off the mark either and will be in the mix along with Darragh McElhinney who is making a return to racing following some illness last year.
The best of the rest
Sarah Lavin will contest the women's 60m hurdles the first day of the weekend where all being well she will claim her seventh national indoor title. Last year Lavin's time of 7.91 was the best performance of the championships. 7.97 seconds is Lavin's best time so far this year and she will be hoping for another world class home performance in preparation for her possible international indoor championship double-header next month where a medal is the target.
Saturday will also see the heats of the 800m with Cian McPhillips and Louise Shanahan hoping to secure titles. Mark English may be in doubt for this weekend's affair but could well still compete at either of the World or European championships next month.
The field events will also offer some excitement with Olympian Eric Favours in the shot put and eight-time national indoor champion in the triple jump Saragh Buggy will be looking to make it nine.
The women's high jump could well be a competitive watch with youngsters Siun Quinn and Tara O'Connor hoping to make their mark. While top performer of the year so far Aoife O'Sullivan will be hoping to clinch her first national title having jumped an impressive 1.85 metres earlier this month.
Watch The European Indoor Athletics Championships from 6-9 March on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
