It was another superb club night at Morton Stadium for tonight’s club track meet. Star of the show was undoubtedly Efrem Gidey who ran a solo 5000 PB of 14.06.5. Efrem was out of the “blocks” like grease lightning and took up the running quickly dropping the entire field including Sergiu Ciobanu covering the 1st mile in 4:30 and simply ran away from the rest of the field and even though he slowed over the latter stages still recorded a fine solo PB. Young Callum Simpson had a superb race in third place recording a PB by a huge margin of 15.46.5
The meet had got underway with the 200s with some very impressive performances in the men’s race by both Pascal Touche and Rolus Olusa, 22.3 and 22.8. Great also to see super master Matt Slattery back in action. Likewise the women’s race also produced some superb sprinting this race won by Rebecca Fitzsimons 26.7
In the 800s Daniel Lacey ran a PB bettering his previous PB of a couple of weeks ago as he ran a time of 1.56.8 to take a superb win. Jenny Johnson continues to impress with a gun to tape win also in 2.24.6 (her 3rd time to hit this mark in as many races)
In addition of course there was great races throughout the night with several 800 and 5000 races enjoyed by the athletes on what was an excellent night for running. Full results below along with photographs. Once again a huge thank you to the officials who had made these nights for the club athletes possible over the latter part of the summer months. Next up night 2 this date two weeks August 27 where the bill of fare will include 1000 and 3000, once again hopefully we can have some sprint races on the night. Further details next week.
Jonny Whan recorded yet another PB at the Mary Peters track in Belfast tonight, this time over 800. A massive 1.52 (official time TBC). At the same meet John Fagan had a fine run over the 400H 2nd in 53.30.
By noelguidenOn 13 August, 2020In club racesWith Comments Off on Tonight Clonliffe Autumn “no prizes” track meet (Updated Start List)Permalink
Day 1 of the Clonliffe Harriers autumn no prizes track meet takes place in the Stadium tonight Thursday, August 13 with day 2 following on Thursday, August 27. The meet gets underway at 7:30 PM on Thursday night with the women’s 200 and will conclude with the 5000 race C at 8:45 PM. Entry is now closed. If you have entered and your name is not on the start list please email bookingsclonliffeharriersac@gmail.com ASAP. Once again if your name is on the start list and for whatever reason you cannot compete please email the same address or text 0879599888. To date we have had approximately 90% compliance it will be great if this time we could get 100% compliance!
Please note that if you are not on the start lists, it means you are not entered. Only athletes on the start list may race. It is not permissible to just arrive and expect to race. Entry is closed. If you have entered but are not now racing please have the courtesy of notifying us the you have withdrawn by text 0879599888.
All athletes/officials/coaches please note:
Do not attend Morton Stadium if you have been outside of the island of Ireland within the previous 14 days.
If you are living in Counties Kildare, Offaly or Laois you cannot travel to and compete in the meet.
Do not attend if you have had Covid 19 within the previous 14 days.
Do not attend if you have flu like symptoms or symptoms of Covid 19.Do not attend if you have been in contact with any person diagnosed with Covid 19 within the past 14 days.
Do not attend if you are categorised as being in the vulnerable persons category.
Advice for athletes:
The clubhouse and dressing rooms are not open at this time. Arrive ready to race.
Please complete all warm-ups (with the exception of strides) outside of the stadium.
Do not come into the arena/track until your race is called. You will have an opportunity to do strides on the track before your race starts. Entry at the 100 finish gate. As a guideline entry permitted 10 minutes before your race time.
Please bring hand sanitiser, wipes and your own clearly identified drinks bottles.
Do not share any drinks.
Please please refrain from spitting.
Please no physical contact, no handshakes, no high-fives, no hoax, no hugs (try to restrain yourself!).
Remain lined up after your race so that the officials can record your name.
Do not approach officials looking for your finishing time (this will be published on the club website that night)
All athletes must leave the track using the gate located at the 1500 start as soon as told to do so by the officials (the only exceptions will be the top three in the championship)
Please as soon as you have completed your warmdown leave the stadium.
We must also discourage spectators at this time. The attendance at any venue, including competitors, officials and coaches cannot exceed 200. Bare in mind that there may also be some athletes at training. Also there are contact tracing requirements for spectators. Please therefore do not arrive to spectate, there will be other occasions in the future.
Officials please report to the Clonliffe car park for 7.00 pm.
Eoin Pierce had a winning start to his season winning the 3000 at the Belgrave Harriers Meet in the UK yesterday in 8.14.47. At that same meet former Clonliffe ladies captain ran an impressive 10.49.13. Also last night Eoin Taggart recorded a time of 15.10.77 over 5000 at the Dublin Graded Meet in Tallaght.
Eoin Pierce winning Belgrave Harriers 3000 last night
Athletics Ireland has confirmed that this year’s national senior track and field championships will take place in the Morton Stadium over the course of four days, Saturday the 22nd, Sunday the 23rd and then the following weekend Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th. The championships is spread over four days and then is broken into further sessions in order to comply with the current Covid 19 restrictions of a maximum of 200 individuals at any outdoor venue (these numbers include competitors and officials).
Athlete should review the attached document which sets out the schedule and contains very important information concerning medical questionnaires, most importantly for any overseas based athletes these athletes must comply with 14 day self isolation requirements, in addition of course there are currently local restrictions and athletes from those affected counties need to comply fully with government and health authorities directives.
Athletes should also note the recent directive from World Athletics concerning the you know what racing flats which can no longer be worn in a track race.
Please note that the championships are being held ”behind closed doors”this means that no spectators whatsoever including coaches are permitted to attend the event. From a Clonliffe Harriers perspective the club’s committee in order to assist Athletics Ireland with the running of the event and in particular to ensure compliance with government and health restrictions have agreed to the suspension over the course of the championships of the club’s stadium rights. This means that in addition to the cancellation of Clonliffe Harriers training on both Sunday mornings that the committee specifically instructs that club members cannot and ought not attend Morton Stadium for these championships. If a club member attends at Morton Stadium you will suffer the embarrassment of security telling you that you cannot enter the premises. Clonliffe members who are not therefore either competing at a particular session as an athlete or officially officiating are best advised to stay home have a cup of coffee and watch the live stream!
The club’s committee thanks all our club members for your cooperation with this issue during these challenging times.
There are also currently available entry lists which are huge. Obviously with the limited competition available there is huge demand from athlete to take part in these championships. If you have entered but for whatever reason are now not going to compete Athletics Ireland have requested that you notify them ASAP to assist them with the administration of the championships.
We wish all our members competing in this year’s National’s the very best of luck and that all pay absolute attention to all health directives and requirements and remain safe and well.
This Sunday, August 16 the club will host the Clonliffe juvenile track and field championships. The event will be held during the club’s normal Sunday morning training time (9:30 AM to 11:30 AM). There will be events on both the track and field events for the U/9’s to U/16’s follows:
Field events:Javelin – U/9/U/10/U/11.
Long jump
Shot.
Track events:
80 M – U/9/10/11
300 M – U/9/10/11
100 M – U/12/13/14/15/16
200 M – U/12/13/14/15/16
500 M – U/12/13.
Medals for the first three along with spot prizes and refreshments for athletes.
With the current government guidelines surrounding numbers gather at outdoor events restricted to a maximum of 200 only one parent can attend. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation on this important point. Parents must also read the Covid 19 page of this website and in particular the medical questionnaire and in the event of answering yes to any question neither the athlete or parent can attend the event. This is for the protection of all.
Please also ensure that the athlete brings with them hand sanitiser, wipes, tissues, own drink clearly identified for that athlete. Please also advise your child to in so far as is possible maintain social distancing, no handshakes or high-fives or hugs, no sharing of drinks.
Parents must contact Gladys in advance to confirm that their child will be attending and also to confirm the identity of the parents who will be attending and must give contact telephone number for contact tracing if needed. Parents also if attending please observe social distancing from other parents at all times. The cooperation of all is vital as the country continues the Covid 19 battle.
As today we mark the 50th anniversary of the first Morton Memorial Mile, see previous posting from Dominic Branigan, we set out some facts and figures which you may find of interest:
1st Morton Memorial Mile August 10th, 1970 was won by Kip Keino (KEN) 3.59.20
The most recent winner was Robert Domanic (USA) on August 21st, 2019 3.58.90.
In the 50 years since 1970 the Morton Mile has been held on 36 occasions.
The Morton Mile record & Morton Stadium record is 3.51.82, Will Leer (USA) on July 11th, 2014.
The most prolific winners with 3 each are Steve Scott (USA), 1979, 1980, 1981 and Will Leer 2010, 2012, 2014.
There have been 149 sub 4 minute miles recorded in the Morton Mile.
The most sub 4’s recorded in the one race was 12 in 2017.
The 100th Morton Mile sub 4 was recorded by Hamish Carson (NZD) July 11th, 2014.
The country with most Morton Mile wins is the USA with 14.
The Morton Mile has been won by Irish athletes on 12 occasions.
There have been 3 Clonliffe winners: Frank Murphy 1971, Dave Taylor 1987, Niall Bruton 1999.
The next Morton Mile will be held on July 9th, 2021.
1st Morton Mile, August 10th, 197036th, and most recent, Morton Mile, August 21st, 2019.Robert Domanic (USA), current Morton Mile Champion
50 years ago today: The Inaugural Morton Mile – Monday 10th August 1970. (By Club Historian Dominic Branigan) . Following the death of long time Club Hon Sec Billy Morton in December 1969 Clonliffe Harriers decided that his many years of service, not only to the club but to Irish athletics in general, should be duly commemorated. Having brought many of the worlds greatest athletes to Dublin over the previous quarter of a century, and culminating in the miracle mile of August 1958, it was decided that a race over this distance and named in his honour, would be staged every year on his beloved Santry track.
Just over 12 years from the “Miracle Mile” an International Sports meeting was held in Santry on 10th August 1970, the highlight of which was the staging of the Inaugural Morton Mile. In the forward to the event programme club President Mattie Hewson stated : “Many fine tributes were paid to Billy, both before and after his death, all of them richly deserved. The best tribute we can pay to him is to endeavour to carry on his great work for athletics by developing our athletes in the club, in the country, and internationally, as well as preserving and improving our stadium. The memory of Billy’s great courage and charity is a tremendous help in achieving this goal. Billy’s immortal phrase was “everything will be all right”. It will be”.
True to form, the line up for the first Morton Mile consisted of a stellar field headed up by then Olympic 1500 metres gold medallist Kip Keino and European 1500 metres silver medallist, Clonliffe’s own Frank Murphy. Also on the start line was then USA 1500 champion Marty Liquori who had also run in the Olympic final in Mexico. The host club provided Clonliffe international and current club president Paddy Marley along with rising star Tom Gregan,
The full line up was as follows :
1. F. Murphy Clonliffe Harriers
2. P. Riordan Leevale
3. J. Dooley DCH
4. B. Geraghty UCG
5. R. Power Limerick
6. T. Gregan Clonliffe Harriers
7. P. Marley Clonliffe Harriers
8. K. Anderson Sweden
9. K. Keino Kenya
10. A. Kupczyk Poland
11. S. Waskiewiez Poland
12. M. Liquori USA
The track looked in excellent condition but earlier rain had made the possibility of very fast times more difficult. As the field set off, Keino, as was his normal tactic, sat at the back until things had settled down but by the end of lap one, run in a slow 61 secs, he had taken the lead. As they reached the halfway point in 2.01 Keino was still in front and at the bell Frank Murphy was his only serious challenger.
As they entered the final lap the massive crowd urged the local clubman on and with 300 to go Frank made his move and built up what looked like a lead which would relegate the Olympic champion to second place. Down the finishing straight the Clonliffe man was still in command but with a mere 50 yards remaining Keino made one last surge which carried him to victory by the proverbial “width of a vest.” The Kenyan’s time was 3.59.20 with Murphy running 3.59.30 and while the time was not, even at that time, exceptionally fast, the excitement of a close run race, “thrilled a bursting at the seams attendance”. The 21 year old American Marty Liquori was a distant third.
While the host club did not provide the winner of the centrepiece event, the Clonliffe ladies did take home some honours when Ann O’Brien won the 3000 metres from her sister Nuala, while in the 800 a Clonliffe clean sweep was led by Claire Walsh who was first across the line in a time of 2.07.30. She was followed home by her sister Jean O’Neill while third place was filled by 15 year old Jean Appleby whose 2.13 got her inside the qualifying time for the European Junior Championships. And so ended yet another memorable night of athletics of which the legendary Clonliffe Impresario would have been proud. The Santry track, made world famous in 1958, had now begun a new era of top class athletics.
The Morton Mile had set a standard which has continued, and indeed has been improved upon, over the intervening 50 years. The Morton Games, which was inaugurated 10 years ago, and which was built around the Morton Mile, is now Ireland’s premier Track and Field event and has attracted many of the world’s top athletes thus continuing to fulfill the dream of Billy Morton so many years ago.
At Morton Stadium in brilliant weather yesterday several of the club’s athletes took part in the Athletics Ireland Field Events Festival. There was a club record equalling by Shannon Sheehy in the high jump of 1.70m (Shannon had already set this in the first graded meet in Santry a few weeks back) There were wins for Stephen Rice in the javelin with a best throw of 68.44 and Eoin Sheridan with a 51.71 winning throw in the discus. The extraordinary Frances Mansfield took was 12th in the senior discus (13.00) and 9th in the hammer (2kg) with 19.00, as there was no masters categories.
Niall Counihan was 2nd in the triple jump (12.49) and Shannon Sheehy 3rd in a quality High Jump as above. Rolus Olusa was 4th in the pole vault (4.20) and young Nicole Lapiy, who is a U/18 athlete, was 6th overall in the women’s pole vault (2.50)
