Olympic stars to light up Santry

ON Wednesday night July 25 some of the best athletes in the world will arrive in Morton Stadium, Santry for the Morton Pre-Games as they fine-tune their preparations for the London Olympics.

Dublin’s premier international track and field meet is promoted by Clonliffe Harriers AC, in partnership with Athletics Ireland, the Irish Milers Club, the Irish Sports Council, Paralympics Ireland, Morton Stadium and Fingal County Council.

It promises to be one of the best ever international athletics meets in the city for many a year, with athletes from the USA, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, South Africa, Jamaica, Sweden and the Czech Republic taking part.

The organisers are particularly pleased to have attracted a number of London Olympic bound athletes including one of the best 800m runners in the world, Nick Symmonds (USA); Emma Coburn and Shalaya Kipp both of whom will compete for the USA in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase; Australian Zoe Buckman and Canadian pair Melissa Bishop and Jessica Smith. Irish Olympic athletes Ciaran O’Lionaird and Stephane Reilly will also compete.

The highlight of the night will be the world famous Morton Mile, commemorating the memory of Clonliffe legend Billy Morton.

This historic race has been won in the past by Eamonn Coghlan, Kip Keino, John Walker and Steve Scott to name but a few.

On July 25 a top class field featuring no less than 14 sub four-minute milers will compete for victory. The field includes Jeff Riseley (Aus), the fastest man in the race with a personal best (PB) of 3.51.2, Garrett Heath (USA), 3rd place finisher in this year’s famous Wanamaker Mile in New York, Zane Robertson (NZ), Ireland’s Ciaran O’Lionaird, John Coghlan and Paul Robinson, who in last year’s Morton Mile became the youngest ever Irish sub 4 minute miler when he ran 3.59.99.

There will also be an intriguing battle between the 2011 and 2010 Morton Mile champions Jordan McNamara and Will Leer (both USA).

The women’s mile brings together some half a dozen Olympic athletes: from the US, Emma Coburn and Shalaya Kipp, Tereza Capkova (Czech), Zoe Buckman (Aus) and Eloise Wellings (Aus).

Other top athletes in this race include Renee Tomlin and Nicole Schapperet, from the US, and top Irish duo Stephanie Reilly and Ciara Mageean. This contest may well challenge the Morton Mile as race of the night.

Some top class sprinters will also be in Santry. In the 400m, world star 800m runner Nick Symmonds tunes up for the Olympics by running the one lapper. He will be challenged by Clonliffe’s Brian Gregan. Gregan is one of Europe’s best 400m men, 2nd in the 2011 Under 23 Europeans, and 5th in the last month’s Europeans. Also in the field in an athlete who may be the man to beat: Jermain Gayle (JAM).

In the shorter sprints again international athletes have been signed up: in the men’s 100m Kenroy Anderson (JAM), Andrew Barnes (RSA), Ryan Shields (USA) and Ireland’s Jason Symth.

In the women’s 100m national champion Amy Foster, who set a new stadium record in last year’s meet, runner-up in the nationals Kelly Proper and from the US Janae Gennette and Amy Isreal.

The meet kicks off with the 400m men’s hurdles where the top three in the Irish championships will again go hell for leather: Tom Barr, Jason Harvey and Paul Byrne. They will meet a number of UK athletes including Chris Wakefield.

The Albie Thomas Men’s 3,000m, a race in honour of Aussie Albie Thomas who set two-world records in this stadium in 1958, will have top Irish runners, including the National Cross Country Champion Eddie McGinley, Sean Hehir and from New Zealand Matthew Lambert and five UK athletes lead by Joe McDonald from Wales.

There will also be a number of 800m races on the night. The women’s race has class written all over it with Canadian Olympic athletes Melessia Bishop and Jessica Smith, Lucy Van Daleen (NZ) and a pretty good chance of World 1500m champion Jenny Simpson.

The international programme gets underway at 7.15pm, and the meet will run until 9pm. To help defray the costs there is a charge of e5 per person or e10 for a family. The sponsors are Behan and Associates, Commercial Hygiene Services, Last Lap Café and Dublin Race Series 2012.