Athletics stars set for Santry

A NORTHSIDE athletics club, assisted by Athletics Ireland and Sport Ireland, will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Herb Elliott setting a world mile record in Santry, on July 19.  

Clonliffe Harriers will host its annual international athletics Meet and set out to fittingly mark that momentous night.

On August 6, 1958 Santry was packed to capacity. Some 25,000 gathered to see some of the world’s best athletes visit with the stated intention of trying to break the world mile record. Readers should bear in mind that this was only four years after Roger Bannister ran the first sub 4-minute mile.  

On that perfect Santry night the crowd witnessed not one but five sub 4-minute miles headed by Australia’s Herb Elliott who set a new world record of 3.54.5. Elliott also led a train of four other athletes to the magical sub 4. This was the first time in history that five athletes ran sub 4 in the same race.

Fast forward to last year’s wonderful international Meet in Morton Stadium where an extraordinary 12 athletes ran sub 4 in the Morton Mile, won by the USA’s Robert Domanic. 

On Thursday, July 19 the Morton Games takes place in Morton Stadium.  

There is a full programme of international athletics with no less than 100 athletes competing in the Meet from all five continents – athletes coming from as far away as Japan, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Africa and all over Europe.  This will be a truely international affair with in excess of 30 countries being represented. 

Meet director Noel Guiden told Northside People: “Once again we have put together an evening of top class and non stop action in Santry.  

“The international athletics will commence at 7.30pm and will run through until 9pm with little or no gap between races.” 

Mr Guiden said this is possibly the strongest Morton Mile field they have put together. 

“Of the 15 athletes who will be starting the race already 12 have ran sub 4-minute miles,” he said.   

“The field includes top US milers Robby Andrews, last year’s Morton Mile winner Robert Domanic, New Zealand Olympians Hamish Carson and Julian Matthews as well as a number of athletes from countries in Europe who are chasing their national record in the Mile on the night.  

“Ireland’s current top miler Sean Tobin will also compete and there is a real prospect of an Irish victory in the Morton Mile, the first in many a year.” 

The Meet will also include Men’s and Women’s 800m, 400m and 100m. Although the international athletics gets underway at 7.30pm, it will be preceded by a pre-programme, including the ever-popular 16×100 interclub juvenile relay, which will run from 6.30pm.

A superb night’s entertainment for all the family is promised, and admission is only €10 with under 16s going free.