All eyes will be on Rhasidat Adeleke this weekend as a host of the biggest names in Irish athletics head for Morton Stadium for the 154th edition of the 123.ie National Senior Track and Field Championships.
There’s plenty of storylines on offer this Saturday and Sunday with the Birmingham European Championships on the horizon, and many continuing their pursuit of qualification.
However it’s Adeleke who will command most attention as she targets European qualification in the 200m, going up against Sharlene Mawdsley and Lauren Roy in a blockbuster showdown.
Mawdsley (Newport AC) is entered in both the 200m and 400m, while Roy (Fast Twitch AC) boasts the fastest time by an Irishwoman over the distance this season (22.83).
Adeleke needs to run 22.85 or faster to seal a place at next month’s Europeans. The Dubliner strained a hamstring earlier this year and is looking to work herself back to top form. It heightens the stakes and the excitement for those making their way to the Dublin suburb of Santry.
In the men’s 800m there’s a potential face-off between Mark English (Finn Valley AC) and Cian McPhillips (UCD AC), which would be another tussle to thrill the crowd.
Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) will bid to secure a fifth consecutive outdoor 1500m title in what also promises to be a high-quality final. Doyle will likely be up against Nick Griggs (CNDR Track) and Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC), setting the stage for one of the standout races of the weekend.
The women’s middle-distance events are equally compelling, with Sarah Healy (UCD AC) and Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC) both currently holding entries in the 800m and 1500m.
Sarah Lavin will target more glory
Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) will be chasing an extraordinary 11th outdoor 100m hurdles crown, further extending one of the most dominant records in Irish championship athletics.
The men’s sprint events could deliver some of the most explosive racing of the weekend. Defending 100m champion Bori Akinola (UCD AC) defends his 100m crown against the in-form Seán Aigboboh (Tallaght AC) and Benjamin Richardson (Waterford AC), who also hold entries for the 200m.
Richardson arrives with the fastest times over 100m and 200m this season, having clocked 10.06 and 20.25 respectively, and could make an immediate impact on his senior National Championship debut.
In the field events Olympian Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) is among the headline entries in the hammer. The 22-year-old has established herself as one of the country’s most consistent performers and will provide Irish supporters with an opportunity to see her in action ahead of the European Championships in Birmingham.
Tuthill has moved within touching distance of Eileen O’Keeffe’s national hammer record of 73.21m after improving her personal best to 72.73m this season. She is seeking a fifth outdoor title.
A special celebration in honour of Ciara Mageean will take place during Sunday’s evening session, with the European champion set to return as guest of honour. Mageean takes to the track with juvenile athletes from across the country from 7.35pm.
Watch the National Athletics Championships on Sunday from 6pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player