Athletes on track for big Santry meet

ATHLETICS fans are eagerly looking forward to this year’s Morton Games International Track and Field event, which takes place in Santry on Wednesday, August 21. 

The event will once again feature the storied Morton Mile which has a long history going back to 1970 when Clonliffe Harriers, the promoting club, introduced the mile race as a memorial to the legendary Billy Morton who had passed away in December 1969. 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Billy Morton’s death and it is fitting that the Morton Mile will once again honour his memory.

In recent years this race has proved to be the most prolific producer of the magical sub 4 on Irish soil and it is hoped that August 21 will see the 150th sub 4-minute mile. In past years there have been up to 12 athletes running under four minutes for the mile in this particular race.

Meet Director Noel Guiden of Clonliffe Harriers told Northside People: “We are delighted to have the last two Morton Mile winners back, Sam Prakel (2018) and Robert Domanic (2017). Both are from the United States and will probably start as favourites for this year’s race. 

“In addition, there are a number of other American athletes competing and also, for the first time, a Japanese athlete along with athletes from New Zealand, Australia and, of course, Ireland.  

“In fact we are hoping that an Irish athlete may well challenge for the overall win. John Travers, from Donore Harriers, carries Irish hopes and hopefully he will become the first Irish winner of the Morton Mile for some 15 years.”

The Morton Games, however, is about much more than the Morton Mile.  

There is a full programme of international athletics commencing at 6.45pm with the qualifying races for the Men’s 100. This race brings together an unbelievable field of athletes and there’s the prospect of seeing the first ever sub 10-second 100m in Ireland.

A number of Canadian athletes are competing in the Mile as well as the US 60m Indoor champion, Demek Kemp (USA) and Ameer Webb, also from the United States, who has already smashed the 10 second barrier.  Two time Olympian Ramon Gittens, from Barbados, also comes to Santry for the first time.  

Ireland’s top athletes will be in action against their international counterparts. Mr Guiden was delighted to confirm the participation of Ireland’s recent medal winners at major competition. 

“We are delighted that Ciara Mageean who won bronze at the European Indoors earlier this year and Mark English who also won bronze will both be racing in the Morton Games along with Sarah Healy who won silver in the European Junior Championships this year and Nadia Power who won bronze at European U-23 level,” he said.  

In addition to the track events, there will be top action infield with a world-class field assembled for the Women’s High Jump.

Admission to the games is €10 with under 16s going free, representing extraordinary value to see these stars in action. 

Further details on the Morton Games can be accessed on www.mortongames.ie or through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.