Could Morton Games, Dublin’s Track and Field International Meet, be more aptly named ‘Morton Games the Gateway to Success’? It is amazing to see the number of athletes who have competed in recent Morton Games who have since gone on to enjoy great success.
In recent years spectators at the Morton Games have had the good fortune to see some of the world’s best athletes in action. It is interesting to see what these athletes have achieved since their visit to Santry:
In 2012 Nick Symmonds (USA) finished 5th, from a standing start (!) in the Morton Games 400. Symmonds then went on to the London Olympics where he finished 5th in the world record 800m final in a time of 1.42.95. At the 2013 world championships he won 800 silver.
Matt Centrowitz (USA), won the 800 at the 2012 Morton Games in 1.47.72, in London a matter of weeks later he was 4th in the 1500m final and at the 2013 world championships won 1500 silver.
Will Leer (USA), winner of the 2012 Morton Mile and has gone on to win the U.S. Indoor 3000m and Mile titles in March 2013. This year he won the Wanamaker Mile and was a 6th place finisher at the World 1500m Indoor Championships this year.
Ben True, the 2012 Albie Thomas 3000m winner went on in 2013 to finish 6th, the U.S.’s highest place finisher in a long number of years, at the world cross country championships and on May 4th this year ran a 5000 PB of 13.02.74 at Palo Alto.
Gabrielle Anderson (USA) was a winner of the 800m at Morton Games in 2012. In the spring of this year she won the US 3000m Indoor title.
Also competing in the 2012 Morton Games and indeed in 2013 was Katie Mackey(USA) who since competing at Morton Games has dramatically lowered her PBs across every event running 2.02 for 800 in August 2013, 4.04.60 in May of 2013 and on the 4th of May this year running 15.04.74 for 5000.
Moving on to the 2013 Morton Games Andy Vernon (GBR) who was 2nd in the Albie Thomas 3000, in his PB of 7.42.75 has since gone on to winning bronze at the European Cross Country in Belgrade in December 2013 and on the 4th of May last ran 13.11.50 for 5000, Hassan Mead, who was 3rd behind Vernon at last years Morton Games 3000, where he also PB’d at 7.46.18 has also dramatically lowered his PB since, running 13.02.8 at Palo Alto on the 4th of May this year.
Carina Horn (RSA) was 3rd in last year`s women`s 100m, Carina this year was a semi finalist in the World Indoor 60m.
Closer to home of course Ireland’s Mark English who PB’d over 800 at the 2013 Meet went on a couple of weeks later to run sub 1.45 – 1.44.84 and to compete in both the world championships last year and the world indoor this year.
Finally, the best until last, Chanelle Price (USA) 2013 a 9th place finisher in the 800 in Santry, 2014 World Indoor 800 Champion!
Maybe Race Promotor Billy Morton was right all those years ago – maybe it is the oxygen rich air in Santry!
Keep an eye on www.mortongames.ie for updates. Please also follow Morton Games on Twitter.