The best week is arguably the biggest week of the year in Irish Athletics. On Wednesday evening, the eyes of the world were on the Indoor Stadium in Athlone for the International Grand Prix, the following evening saw the Armagh International 5k (men) and 3k (women) road races with the greatest strength in depth in any road race all year around the world and then on the weekend the Irish Indoor Championships took place in the new National Sports Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin.

International Grand Prix in Athlone
Athletes from across the world descended on Athlone on Wednesday. In the Women’s 1500m the finishing order were from Romania, Australia, GB, Sweden, Ireland, Australia, Ireland, GB, Ireland, Cyprus, USA & Belgium. Rio Olympian Kerry O’Flaherty from Newcastle & District AC ran strongly to come home in 7th place in 4:14.63 – a new indoor lifetime best knocking 0.4 seconds off her previous best and most importantly was inside the 4:15 European Qualifying Standard.

Zak Hanna on his way to an excellent 2nd place (courtesy of Keith McClure).

Armagh International Road Races
The following evening in Armagh the word famous road races around a 1km circuit of the historic Mall took place and surpassed all previous editions with 77 men achieving a 15:00 time of better with the winner Ben Connor out kicking Brandon Doughty to win in 13:55 just a second outside the course record. Local athlete Seamy Lynch came home in 15:19, and although disappointed, a personal best and Eoghan Totten was just behind him in 15:25.

In the Open 3k race at the end of the evening there was an excellent run from Zak Hanna. Hanna was just out kicked for the victory by Stephen Mackay of Inverness Harriers (8:45) coming home in a massive personal best of 8:48.

In the Women’s International 3k, the course record was smashed by winner Steve Cram-coached and Olympian Laura Weightman recording 8:59. First Irish women and only 24 hours after her Athlone PB over 1500m, Kerry O’Flaherty came home in 9th in 9:21 – also a lifetime best for ever over the Armagh course. Club mate Joanne Mills came home in 44th in 10:36.

O’Flaherty in Armagh (courtesy of Keith McClure).

Irish Indoor Championships – Abbotstown, Dublin
The national Indoor Championships took place at the weekend in Ireland’s other world class indoor track & field stadium on the National Sports Campus on the outskirts of Dublin (the other being in Athlone). In the straight final on Sunday, O’Flaherty controlled the race from the front running consistent 35 second laps to 1k and then accelerating to win her 3rd national indoor title in 3 years (2 over 1500m and 1 over 3000m) in a time of 4:20.78, five seconds clear of Ellie Hartnett of UCD.

(Interview courtesy of Athletics Ireland at https://www.facebook.com/AthleticsIreland/videos/1376220175742147/)

O’Flaherty leads early in National 1500m (courtesy of Kieran Carlin).

O’Flaherty leads in Dublin (courtesy of Sportsfile & Athletics Ireland).