The Official Athletics Thread

[El Guapo]

Well, they can just buy the tapes of Torun and Birmingham - a lot cheaper than an outside broadcast. The Athletics Ireland feed is pretty good - although it's just a single camera really.

McElhinney just took the 3k -m 8:02 - he had it handy enough and took it out from Griggs with 800m to go.

View attachment 10478

Yeah thats the only one I've watched so far. a glimpse of things to come with Griggs and McEllhenny facing off. I thought that the field were poor enough. 8.01 isn't particularly quick these days.

I've no idea where Seàn Tobin is. He scrubbed his socials after mot making Tokyo but is back on twitter and seems to be getting some cash from that fella Richard O'Donovan who organises the races in the Arctic and such. Maybe he sees his future on the Roads at this stage. He has a world indoor qualifier already like but if he's not racing here he'll hardly travel

Fair play to Ciara McGeehan for coming all the way back to give out medals and the like. She's shut down her indoor season AFAIK

 

[El Guapo]

Abdel Laadjel going well in the NCAA big East

Abdel Laadjel sets new Irish 5000m U20 indoor record

Abdel Laadjel set a new Irish 5000m Under-20 indoor record while racing for Providence University at the Big East Meet on Friday in Chicago.

www.rte.ie

 

[El Guapo]

I thought that the field were poor enough. 8.01 isn't particularly quick these days.

I take that back. The last km was 2.26. He just pulled away and they all got caught napping. 1500 is on at 13:10 today I think

 

[El Guapo]

I take that back. The last km was 2.26. He just pulled away and they all got caught napping. 1500 is on at 13:10 today I think

Brit champs is on too. Middle distance finals at 15.10 with 3k and both 1500s on. Finishing with 800 at 16: 40

Dovetails nicely with the Irish timetable

 

[BlackpoolTerrier]

Brit champs is on too. Middle distance finals at 15.10 with 3k and both 1500s on. Finishing with 800 at 16: 40

Dovetails nicely with the Irish timetable

Yep - need two youtubes on the go today GuapoY

 

[Carmona]

Nick Griggs eh lads, 3.56.xx at 17 years of age. Vivien Henz said it to me first thing this morning when I saw him! Hope to God he can stay fit now for a few years. It'd be great to see where he can get to. Admittedly he had the pacer from heaven last night!!

 

[El Guapo]

The sky is the limit for Griggs. Only about 50 irish men have gone sub 4 in the 68 years since Bannister

His talent is off the charts. There was a brilliant interview with the race director from Belfast when he had his breakthrough who thought Griggs was spoofing him to get onto the A race

I hope he holds off on going pro for a while and learns to race in college either in the NCAA or here

Edit: here's the article

Nick Griggs: A swift rise from obscurity to the real deal

At first they thought he was lying. It just didn’t make any sense. When 16-year-old Nick Griggs entered a 5000m race in Belfast back in May, looking to line up against some of the best Irish seniors, event organiser Seamus McCann was dubious, to say the least. The rest is history

www.irishexaminer.com

 

[Carmona]

The sky is the limit for Griggs. Only about 50 irish men have gone sub 4 in the 68 years since Bannister

His talent is off the charts. There was a brilliant interview with the race director from Belfast when he had his breakthrough who thought Griggs was spoofing him to get onto the A race

I hope he holds off on going pro for a while and learns to race in college either in the NCAA or here

Edit: here's the article

Nick Griggs: A swift rise from obscurity to the real deal

At first they thought he was lying. It just didn’t make any sense. When 16-year-old Nick Griggs entered a 5000m race in Belfast back in May, looking to line up against some of the best Irish seniors, event organiser Seamus McCann was dubious, to say the least. The rest is history

www.irishexaminer.com

Hope he has some good people looking after him. Be interesting alright if he goes Stateside. Doesn't suit everyone of course, but they have some serious talent coming through at the moment from the College scene.

 

[BlackpoolTerrier]

He's said fairly consistently that UCD is where he wants to go - but another good season this year could have him getting seriously wooed by the big Stateside outfits. I think he can progress in either location - he'd have more balanced training here but less racing practice. He'd have plenty of big competition over there but he'd be running for a crowd with different priorities to Athletics Ireland and might get burnt out.

Interesting in the race against Coscoran, Griggs never really makes a move - just hangs onto him all the way. That's the perfect way to smash the record but he must have felt like having a go at some point. A fair old challenge for Coscoran too - this vague shadow on his shoulder all the way through the race...

 

[Carmona]

Just caught the French Cross National Champs there, U20. Vivien Henz second to a "Spanish" lad, so probably champion. I think he's half French and was running for a French Club. Just didn't have the legs at the end but a decent effort over almost 8k for a 1500 mt runner. Great endurance training anyway.