Morton Games brings big time athletics to Dublin

By Noel Guiden

Thanks to the wonderful exploits of Ciara Mageean, Rhasidat Adeleke and the rest of team Ireland at the European track and field championships in Rome the profile of the sport of athletics has never been higher.

Dublin’s sports fans will have the opportunity to see many of Ireland’s athletes compete against some of the best athlete in Europe and the world right here in the Morton Stadium, Santry on Friday, July 12.

The Morton Games, a World Athletics Continental tour meet, returns with the promise of another night of excitement, drama and fun.

All of 12 months has passed since last year’s Morton Games produced a night of drama with the usual Morton Games touch of magic as the torrential downpour which had drowned Dublin from early morning magically cleared just before ‘go time’.

Sarah Lavin, a true superstar of Irish athletics, got the international programme off to a record-breaking start as she set a new Morton Stadium 100 hurdles record winning in a time of 12.79 against a top-class international field.

Lavin’s performance also earned her the Irish athlete of the meet award sponsored by the Jerry Kiernan Foundation.

The Albie Thomas men’s 5000 provided the most dramatic of races.

Tom Mortimer (GBR) took the race by the scruff of the neck front-running and really putting it up to the field, he had on the face of it an unassailable lead however he began to tire three laps from home.

It was then Ireland’s Darragh McElhinney who began eating dramatically into that lead overhauling Mortimer with 600 to go.

It was the young Cork man’s race only for him to suffer Mortimer’s fate when Scott Beattie (GBR) caught McElhinney, now running on empty, to win in 13.25.53.

As always it was the iconic Morton mile to conclude the nights athletics. Once again a superb mile race which was won by Ryan Mphahlele (RSA) in a time of 3.54.41, this was actually the 2nd fastest Morton mile since Will Leer’s incredible 2014 Stadium record of 3.51.82, Australia’s Adam Spencer, who in the last couple of weeks has won the Australian 1500 championship, ran a 3.55.12 PB with Ireland’s Nick Griggs also running a PB, 3.55.73, and an Irish U/20 record.

The 2024 Morton Games is once again a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze meet meaning that there are a valuable ranking points available for athletes.

The international programme again features non-stop action with 12 international events packed into the 2 hour programme, the field events are the women’s high jump, discus and men’s shot.

The track action highlights will include women’s 100 hurdles, women’s 800, men’s 100, Albie Thomas 5000 and of course the most storied race in Irish athletics the Morton mile.

Noel Guiden, meet director of Morton Games said: “The organisers have been working very hard, basically since August of last year to build upon the continued progress of the past 12 or so years of Morton Games and we are satisfied that we will once again have for the Irish athletics public a fantastic package of world-class athletics featuring Ireland’s best against some of the best athletes in the world.

“Many of these athletes will be winding up their preparations for the Paris Olympic Games and Dublin gives them that final opportunity to complete those preparations.”

The Morton mile will once again have the cream of Irish milers, indeed the entry list reads like a “who’s who” of Irish middle distance athletes.

Confirmed starters include the reigning national indoor and outdoor 1500 champion Cathal Doyle of the host club Clonliffe Harriers, Nick Griggs, national 5000 record holder Brian Fay, Darragh McElhinney seasoned international Paul Robinson, Charlie O’Donovan and Sean Donohue, both of whom featured on the Villanova 4 x 1 mile team that came at the end of April so close to the 1985 Irish quartet’s world record.

Also expected back in Dublin is the aforementioned Adam Spencer (AUS), 2024 British 1500 indoor champion Piers Copeland and Abdi Sadiki (MOR), who ran his PB of 3.33.59 in the Tokyo Olympic semi-final and Italy’s Joao Bussotti.

Sarah Lavin will again compete in the 100 hurdles with her eyes firmly fixed on yet another Stadium record and who knows with the right weather conditions the national record.

Lavin will not have things her own way as back to Dublin comes the 2022 women’s 100 hurdles winner Jade Barber (USA) and Nika Glonjaric (SLO) the 2024 Balkan indoor champion.

Ireland’s top sprinters will line up in the men’s 100, once again with the popularity of the meet and the calibre of athlete entered there will be 2 races.

Confirmed are, Ireland’s fastest man Israel Olantunde, Joseph Ojewumi, Sean Aigboboh, Marcus Lawler and Chris Sibanda to name but a few.

Overseas competitors entered include the European U/20 silver medallist Timo Spiering (NED), Josh Azzopardi (AUS) , JaVaughn Moore (USA) and two-time Olympian Immanuel Matadi (LBR) who is the fastest man in the field with a 9.97 PB.

There has never been a sub- 10 second 100 m race on Irish soil, might July 12 put that to rights?

The women’s high jump competition is looking like a very classy affair indeed. Confirmed entrant is Elena Kulichenko (CYR), she is the reigning European U/23 champion who only this month in the United States won the prestigious NCAA title in a new PB of 1.97m, to put that into context the Morton Stadium record has stood at 1.92m for over quarter of a century!

Returning to Dublin is the winner of the women’s high jump last year Urte Baikstyte (LTU) who this indoor season set a new PB of 1.92.

Ireland’s best high jumpers are also entered Sommer Lecky, Daena Kealy and Ciara Kennelly.

Other confirmed Irish stars expected on the start line include the European U/23 1500 champion Sophie O’Sullivan, Jack Raftery, Cillin Greene and Brian Gregan in the 400, Cian McPhillips in the 800, Niamh Fogarty in the discus and national record holder Eric Favors in the shot. Efrem Gidey of Clonliffe Harriers, Louise Shanahan in the 800 to name but a few.

Morton Games will be a true international occasion with athletes coming from all corners of the world including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Morocco, USA, Canada, the Bahamas, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Great Britain to name but a handful.

12 July will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of summer sporting season as athletes make their final preparations in advance the Paris Olympic Games.

It will be a night of high drama and excitement and certainly one not to be missed. International events on the night are: Women- 100 hurdles, 200, 800, 1500, high Jump and discus. Men – 100, 400, 800, Morton Mile, 5000 and shot.

Admission is superb value, €10 for adults with U/16’s going free. The international programme gets underway at 7 PM and concluding with the most famous race in Irish athletes, the Morton mile shortly after 9 PM.

For the early comers there is a programme of juvenile relays and junior mile races where the stars of the future can be spotted, in fact a few years ago a youngster from Tallaght AC was the star of the U/16 relay, the one and only Rhasidat Adeleke!

Tickets are currently on sale online through EventMaster.ie

Further details see mortongames.ie