THE 2023 Morton Games International athletics meet was launched in the Morton Stadium on Wednesday, June 28.
The meet was launched by Irish athletes, Cathal Doyle of the promoting club Clonliffe Harriers and Amy O’Donoghue of DSD.
Both athletes will be competing in this year’s big international meet, Doyle in the iconic Morton mile, where he finished 2nd last year and O’Donoghue in the metric mile, the International women’s 1500.
Morton Stadium itself, as previously reported, has undergone a huge redevelopment over the spring months with the stadium reopening on 19th June revealing a brand-new world class blue SuperX Mondo track.
The redevelopment has been overseen by Dublin City University whose athletes will be based in Morton Stadium for the next four decades and will manage the facility.
To date some €3 million has been spent on the redevelopment, in addition to the new outdoor track and related service works required, a new track was laid on the indoor 60 m straight, a new high-performance gym was installed, the dressing rooms and other facilities have been similarly upgraded to world-class standard, patrons will also see a refurbishment of the stand with its brand-new 800 seats.
The first major event that will take place in the newly refurbished stadium is the Morton Games on Friday, July 14.
The event is promoted by Clonliffe Harriers in conjunction with the club’s partners in the event, Athletics Ireland, DCU, Sport Ireland and Fingal County Council.
The meet director of Morton Games, Noel Guiden at the launch stated: “We are hugely excited about this year’s meet, not only are we going to be showcasing this wonderful Morton Stadium but we are also showcasing Morton Games itself which like the stadium has also been upgraded.
The meet has gone from a European Athletics challenger meet to a World Athletics Continental tour bronze meet.”
He went on to outline that because of the status that the meet now enjoys, it has been possible to attract top class athletes from all over the world to come to Morton Stadium Dublin for this top-class sporting event.
There are athletes entered from places as diverse as Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, USA and all parts of Europe. A particular highlight will be the women’s 100 hurdles which will feature Ireland’s Tokyo Olympic athlete Sarah Lavin.
Lavin has been a finalist at major championships in the past, the world indoor Championships in 2022 and European indoors this year and only a week back won European Games bronze.
At last year’s event but for a stumble Lavin may well have won however in the heel of the hunt she had to settle for 2nd as Jade Barber of the USA took the win in what was a new Morton Stadium record.
Lavin is currently in the form not only to win but to take that stadium record.
With athletes entered of the calibre of Ebony Morrison from Liberia and Liz Clay (Australia) on paper it is going to come right down to the wire.
Other featured events in this year’s meet will include an inaugural women’s javelin competition. Ireland’s Kate O’Connor, Commonwealth heptathlon silver medallist in 2022, will go in this competition. O’Connor, being a multi-eventer, will also in Morton Games go in the 100 hurdles and the 200 metres.
All her events are crammed into a tight 45 minute window.
There are some world-class throwers competing in the javelin, from Finland, arguably the home of the javelin throwing, comes two-time national champion Jenni Kanjas. From South Africa Jo-Ane Van Dyk, both athletes are 60+ metre throwers.
Louise Shanahan will line up for the women’s 800 with the goal of regaining her Irish record.
She will face stiff competition from the likes of former European champion Lynsey Sharp (GBR), 2021 NCAA champion Michaela Meyer (USA) and last year’s winner Izzy Boffey (GBR). Likewise the men’s 800 is a stacked race.
Back looking for his 4th Morton Games title is Kyle Langford (GBR), and fellow Britons Guy Learmonth and Piers Copeland. Aussie pairing Jye Perrott and Jack Lunn will be in the hunt along with Irish athletes John Fitzsimons and Mark Milner.
Other athletes to keep an eye out for on the big night include former world champion the Teeside Tornado Richard Kilty (GBR) in the 100, the fastest man in Argentina Franco Florio and Raheny’s Mark Smyth in the 100.
There has never been a sub- 10 second 100 on Irish soil, might that change on July 14th?
65 years ago this summer, Billy Morton of Clonliffe Harriers, whom the Morton Stadium is now named in memory of, put Dublin and Santry on the world map.
He brought some of the world’s best athletes to Santry and over the course of a July and August 1958 meet world records were set on the track in not only the mile by Herb Elliott but also 2 and 3 miles by Albie Thomas.
The Albie Thomas 5000 brings to Santry athletes from Australia, the USA and all over Europe.
Uniquely in Ireland this race gives fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with the athletes with the introduction last year of the fan cheer zone in Lane 6 down the home straight, such was the success of that innovation that it returns again.
Finally of course at the end of the night there is the most famous race in Irish athletics, the iconic Morton Memorial Mile, held in honour of Billy Morton, whose name is proudly borne by the stadium.
The Morton mile has been the most prolific producer of the magical sub- 4 minutes, over 150 such have been recorded in Morton miles over the years. Looking at the athletes entered the Stadium record itself of 3.51.82 looks perilously in danger.
South Africa’s Ryan Mphahlele comes to Dublin with his country’s national record very much in his sights – if he achieves this he will also break the Stadium record.
Jye Edwards (AUS) is another athlete who was no stranger to running fast, he has already broken 3 minutes 50 seconds.
Throw into the mix top Irish milers, Cathal Doyle who will have the home support, Nick Griggs who has been running Irish U/20 records for fun this year and the vastly experienced Paul Robinson and it could well be a very special night indeed.
The international programme gets underway at 7 PM.
Before that there will be a pre-programme from 5:45 PM featuring young athletes in relay action for their clubs, U/20 mile races for men and women and then the main program itself concluding at 9:05 PM with the Morton mile.
Tickets cost a mere 10 Euro with accompanied U/16’s going free.
Quite extraordinary value.
Tickets are available through the event website www.mortongames.ie where you will also find updated information, the final timetable and news on athletes entered.
It promises to be a night of world-class athletics in a fun atmosphere with live on-field DJ featuring classic sounds of the 80s with the theme of Back to the Fever (Future) and finger licking good food available trackside.