Rolling Hills Golf Club, Tucson, Arizona, USA
Friday February 19th 2021
Fearghal Curtin, Arizona State University & Youghal AC
With much of the US suffering from severe weather, extreme cold conditions, and many parts under a heavy blanket of snow, with many athletics meets in jeopardy, Fearghal Curtin, Arizona State and Youghal AC, ran the 8k Dave Murray Invitational Cross-Country in contrasting conditions with sunny weather and 19C.
Fearghal was in third place at the first split, moving up to second place for the rest of the race, finishing in 24:36.6, behind winner Victor Ortiz-Rivera (24:23.6), from the host University.
Individual Results
Splits
Fearghal Curtin, Arizona State and Youghal AC
Bryggen Sports Invitational, Manchester
Saturday 13th February 2021
Louise Shanahan, Leevale AC
Louise Shanahan ran 2:03.52, behind Ellie Baker (UK), who ran an indoor PB of 2:02.73, with Ireland duo Katie Kirk third in 2:04.49 and Ciara Mageean fourth in 2:04.40. Shanahan now has achieved the Athletics Ireland 800m qualifying standard of 2:03.85.
Kirk was inside the European Athletics standard of 2:05.50, but fell short of the higher standard stipulated by Athletics Ireland. Mageean has already achieved the mark, by virtue of her outdoor 800m Irish record of 1:59.69, set last summer. Mageean put her slight dip in form down to her reaction to the recent unexpected death of her coach Jerry Kiernan, which she said, understandably, had taken "more from me than I anticipated"
Meeting Val d'Oise, Eaubonne, France - Saturday Feb 13th
Elsewhere, at the Meeting Val d'Oise, Eaubonne, France, Iseult O'Donnell won the women's 800m, in 2:03.27, to also achieve the qualification standard.
800m 1 Iseult O'Donnell (irl) 2:03.27; 2 Charlotte Mouchet 2:04.18; 3 Narimane Amara (alg) 2:06.31; 4 Sara Benfares 2:06.32; 5 Meriem Sahnoune 2:06.74
IFAM (Flanders), Gent Belgium, Saturday Feb 13th
Nadia Power, with 2:02.83, stormed to victory in the 800m at the IFAM meeting in Gent, Belgium today, and had a margin of almost a second to spare on Tanja Spill (Germany). Claire Mooney was 6th, in 2:06.79
800m Women 1 Nadia Power (irl) 2:02.83; 2 Tanja Spill (ger) 2:03.75; 3 Elena Bello (ita) 2:03.91; 4 Mirte Fannes 2:04.62; 5 Diana Mezulianiková (cze) 2:04.76; 6 Claire Mooney (irl) 2:06.79
400m Men Vladimir Aceti (ita) 46.77 1h1; Samuel García (esp) 46.90 1h2; Robert Parge (rou) 47.26 2h2; Alexander Doom 47.32 3h2; Christian Iguacel 47.39 4h2; Yousef Karam (kuw) 47.53 2h1; Dylan Borlée 48.04 3h1; Luke Lennon-Ford (irl) 48.48 4h1
400m Women Andrea Miklos (rou) 52.54 1h3; Camille Laus 53.54 2h3; Imke Vervaert 53.65 3h3; Hanne Maudens 53.95 1h2; Sara Slott-Petersen (den) 54.03; Paulien Couckuyt 54.44 3h2; Margo Van Puyvelde 54.47 4h2; Sharlene Mawdsley (irl) 54.86 1h1
Womens 800m
More videos from IFAM Meet
And Today's action isn't over yet!
Siofra Clerigh-Buttner is up next tonight, in the 1500m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, in the USA
4:09.67 PB fror Clerigh-Buttner in Women's 1500m, placing her second on the Irish All-Time 1500m Indoor listings, behind Ciara Mageean (4:06.42)
Women's 1500m Results
This all leaves Irish selectors with the problem of deciding who goes to the European indoor Championships, which will be held in Torún, Poland, from March 5th to 7th. Ireland, as with all the other countries, can select four (4) athletes to go to the Championships, but only three (3) may run. Ireland has four qualifiers to date, with several more 'knocking on the door'. It's a great position for Ireland to be in, but it surely means that someone who, in spite of all the training and competition hurdles due to the pandemic, has achieved these high standard, will nevertheless be disappointed.
Laura Nicholson, Temple University & Bandon AC Runs 10:05.70
H-Town Speed City Series - Meet III - Saturday Feb 13, 2021
Womens 3000m Results
No Irish at CMCM Meet
Kingston, Rhode Island, USA, Thurs Feb 11th
3.000m 1 Lilly Tuck 9:30.10; 2 Laura Mooney (irl) 9.49.94; ... 4 Orla O'Connor (irl) 10:08.13
Michelle Finn, Leevale AC, ran a 4:15.23 PB to win the women's 1500m at the Meeting de l'Eure, in Normandy, France today. Michelle had a 10 second margin over Frenchwoman Flavie Renouard. Michelle's time brings her up to 14th on the All-Time Irish women's indoor 1500m standings.
Later, Togher AC's Liam Harris ran 3:56.31, behind winner Brian Fay, who ran a 3:41.73 PB, followed by Luke McCann, in 3:42.03, with the pair making all the running during the race.
January 27th 1985
Interview by Fr. Liam Kelleher from Marathon Magazine, March 1985, Vol 23, No 2
Top 3 - Herle 1st, Marninskie 2nd, Schweider 3rd
Christophe Herle
In Fermoy we have this evening Christophe Herle, winner of the Galtee Fermoy cross-country race of 1985.
Fr. Liam: Christophe a very good success today in Fermoy.
Christophe: That's right, I was very lucky with my performance here and I didn't think I could win this easily with all the good runners in the field, but after two laps I felt very strong, so I pulled away and had an easy victory.
Fr. Liam: Speaking to a number of athletes since the race, a number of them found it very difficult with the mud today.
Christophe: Yes.
Fr. Liam: How did you manage ?
Christophe: I don’t know, I think if you're in very good condition, it doesn't matter if it was very muddy but normally I'd rather have a course with not so much mud because my main event is track running, and I prefer drier conditions.
Fr. Liam: Does this augur well for you in Lisbon ?
Christophe: Right this year I’m concentrating on Lisbon for the winter because there are no Olympic games, no World championships, so you can concentrate on the winter time, but as you know the World Championships is a very tough race, all runners from 1500m to the marathon all run in one race, so you never know where you end up actually.
Fr. Liam: On each visit to Ireland, you seem to attract the rain.
Christophe: Yes, that's right, I do.
Fr. Liam: I recall Limerick, 1979, where you had an excellent run for threequarters of the race.
Christophe: Yes.
Fr. Liam: is that right ?
Christophe: Yes, I had problems with the mud again. I was in this (1979) running in the European Championships indoors, and I finished second there with a German record of 7.45, and I was really fast at this time, but running in the mud really changed. I had to change my style so I think till the last lap I was among the first five, who were behind John Treacy, running a group and on the last lap, I really lost some ground.
Fr. Liam: Do you plan to come back to Fermoy next year to defend the title ?
Christophe: Let's see, last year I spent about six weeks in the United States in California for training and two years ago I was in New Zealand, so I think it is a very important year. So I'd rather go to another place for training, with which would interfere with my running in Fermoy.
Fr. Liam: What are your track plans for 1985?
Christophe: Lowering my time for the 10,000m. I was fifth in the Olympics in Los Angeles, and just ahead of my personal best 28.03 which should be better.
Fr. Liam: Have you any hopes to competed in the European indoors in Athens ?
Christophe: No, I don't think so, I do some indoor racing, but mainly my aim is to run in World Cross Country Championships.
Fr. Liam: Do you intend competing in some of the permit meets which will be on this season ?
Christophe: What do you mean by the Permit Meets.
Fr. Liam: The Big Permit meets which are now sanctioned by the I.AA.F.
Christophe: l think it doesn't make too much difference for runners. We choose what we like, not just like sprinters or jumpers, they weed the Grand Prix meets more than middle distance runners.
Fr. Liam: I heard a whisper this evening that you're going to come back to the Cork City Sports in July ?
Christophe: Maybe, I was asked last year to come here, but let's see, I make up my track plans after the Cross-Country season.
Fr. Liam: It's been a good race each year for a number of years, and the atmosphere is very, very good there, Thomas Wessinghage liked it very much.
A delighted Herle receives prize from Michael Murphy. Also included Fr. Michael O'Connell Adm.
Fr. Liam: Who did you expect before going into the race in Fermoy today to be your main opposition ?
Christophe: Actually, I know Steve Jones is ways running cross-country very, very coco and I never saw him running bad in a Cross-Country race and Eddie De Pau of Belgium. I didn't know anything about the Kenyan, and when you come to Ireland or Great Britain, you never know, they were good in cross-country.
Fr. Liam: How do you expect West Germany to do in the Men's Senior in Lisbon ?
Christophe: Actually, not very good, because we may have two or more three good runners, but after that - no.
Fr. Liam: When we are talking there about the World Cross Country, i just saw in one of the pictures in "Marathon", I didn't know it until you pointed it out to me that you just finished one place ahead of John Treacy in last year's race, you had a personal battle with Treacy, during the race or did it dawn on you that you were running togerher or was Limerick in your mind or anything tike that ?
Christophe: Actually, I was running with the leading group for almost half the race and then I had problems with my breathing because of the cold. I fell back and then I went with Cova and a Kenyan and I think there was a group a short bit behind with John Treacy in it. I think he tried to catch me with about 1 km to go and on the home straight I just got him again.
Fr. Liam: Speaking of John Treacy, were you surprised that he came back so well to run and get a silver medal in Los Angeles in the Marathon after the 10,000m in which he finished behind you ?
Christophe: Yea, I know I was surprised he didn't do better in the 10,000 and then doing so well in the Marathon. I think everyone was surprised at his performance. But as you see the good 10,000m runners were prepared for a marathon and can be very tough in the marathon.
Fr. Liam: Just sticking with the World Cross-Country. Do you think that John Treacy who has won twice has the ability to win again ?
Christophe: It’s very hard to tell. I think since Paris with the Kenyans, Ethiopians and the United States joining the Cross-Country World Championships, it's a much tougher event than it used to be. But John Treacy I think if he's in good condition, can finish among the first five five. You never know.
Fr. Liam: Do you expect to be up there and / suppose to Lopes on his home territory will be a big danger as well ?
Christophe: Right. Lopes and the whole Portugese team will be very good, with all of them preparing for it.
Fr. Liam: Do you think it will be more or less a track race when it's in a dry country like that ?
Christophe: I hope so!
Fr. Liam: I think it's in a race course ?
Christophe: Yes, but they have small hills and some obstacles.
Fr. Liam: Getting away now from the cross-country thing, do you think the changes in the IAAF. rules have helped sport from your point of view ?
Christophe: I think yes, a lot. I think it's very important. Our sport is almost professional now, but I'm not a professional. For running I think it has helped a lot, especially for the Western Countries. To make the attractive sport like running even more attractive, getting money from sponsors which I think is good for the sport.
Fr. Liam: Do you have an occupation in Germany ?
Christophe: Yes, I do. I'm an architect and I have my own office, and I have worked quite hard, but like next year, I'm going to have more free time for training.
Fr. Liam: Do you think you will ever move like John Walker and people like that, almost full time to the running ?
Christophe: No, I couldn’t. I think with running you don't have to train as much as a swimmer or a Gymnast, I think it's limited to two or three hours a day and then you can do something else.
Fr. Liam: I think Ronnie said that you competed about nine times in the World Cross-Country. What age were you when you competed in the first one ?
Christophe: I was in Germany - Dusseldorf in 1977. I was 22.
Fr. Liam: When did you begin in athletics ? In this country people, a tot of people begin very young like John Treacy. He's an exception to keep going, but I think in other European countries, people start later. When did you begin or how did you get involved in the sport ?
Christophe: I started in 1974 when I was 17 or 18.
Fr. Liam: Have you a background in sport before that ?
Christophe: I did sport, but not in the way I'm doing it now.
Fr. Liam: Was there any particular reason why you went into athletics ?
Christophe: I was staying in the U.S.A. in High School and they made me run.
Fr. Liam: When you found you were good at it, then you stayed at it.
Christophe: Right.
Fr. Liam: What do you enjoy most about the sport? This is very relaxed here, there's pressure obviously in places like Los Angeles. What would be the difference, say in a meet like this and something like Los Angeles or some major European Championship?
Christophe: In major championships you're concentrating the whole year on the Championship and this makes it very tough for your mind and you have to make up your mind to do all your training just for one meeting but like the race here and you think about it maybe one week before and then go there and race. So it's a lot less pressure on you actually, and if you don’t run good, nobody really cares, but in Los Angeles you care if you're not running well.
Fr. Liam: Had the German Federation an overall plan for many years before Los Angeles ?
Christophe: No I think our system is based on individuals, you have to make up your own decisions where to run and how you want to run and train. You get assistance from national coaches, but after all you still provide for yourself.
Fr. Liam: A question I'd like to ask is about advice for younger people, or are you at a stage where people ask for advice?
Christophe: I think when you concentrate on your own sport, on your own getting better, it is very hard to think about other people and coaching them. If you start coaching it is the end of your career. But we just founded a new club, close to Munich with the help of Nike and a lot of young people have come and asked me questions, and I help them, but not like coaching.
Fr. Liam: And what advice would you give then ?
Christophe: I like to advise them, that it's the most important thing to concentrate on what you really want to and not just to train and train, and think of the training as the most important thin you have to concentrate on are the races and not on the training. Be more relaxed while training and be more aware of competition.
Fr. Liam: Have you ever been plagued by any serious injuries?
Christophe: Not too much. I'm lucky like this. I had a very bad back injury in 1979 and I had some problems with my ankles, twisted ankley. But all in all I’m quite lucky.
Fr. Liam: This is a pretty free year for major championships. The Europeans are the next major meeting in Germany. Do you think on home territory now you're probably the host known after Tomas Wessinghage. Do you think that you can make a major breakthrough and maybe get a gold medal in I think it is Stuttgart, is it ?
Christophe: Yes, I think running at home is a little advantage, but it can be more pressure than running abroad. I think running in Europe is very tough with the East Germans and again maybe the Russians going out and the Italians. You never know what they do to their runners, and the Finnish (laugh).
Fr. Liam: Yes. I was just going to bring that question. I've spoken to a number of athletes recently and they have a lot of sympathy with Marty Vainio since he's at the cross roads now whether he is going to train or comeback, or write a story to save other people from what happened to him. What would your impression be?
Fr. Liam: Of the whole affair like. What happened in Los Angeles ?
Christophe: It's very curious about Marty Vainio. He was , it's so funny. I mean especially for the European Championships, in Athens where he got a bronze or silver medal, I don’t know, I think bronze, and the World Championships. In racing before this, he was real bad, not even running 8 mins in 3,000m races in Berlin. Only two weeks later, he won a bronze medal. I can't believe this in Helsinki. I don't know, but it's a pity. In long distance running taking dope is becoming more common.
Fr. Liam: Do you feel there was a similarity between Lasse Viren, Munich '72 and Montreal '76. I think he was more or less out of the mainstream of athletics in these four years.
Christophe: I think Viren was not taking anything for those 1972 Olympics, but certainly for '76 I think he took something. Still doping with blood - there can be little done about it.
Fr. Liam: A lot of people in future, are going to make a good living from the sport in depressed areas, particularly in Ireland, / think it would be a way out for a lot of people, but it's tough ?
Christophe: It is tough I think to earn money in track and field. You have to be quite good. We have good support in Germany from our clubs, but I think you don’t have it over here. If you have to earn money you have to go maybe to Britain or other places to earn money. Getting the ticket and getting out there is a hard job.
Fr. Liam: Well I think we'll leave it at that and we hope to see you back at Cork 800 celebrations for the 5,000m / presume. Is that your favourite or the 10,000.
Christophe: I can't tell. I like to run 5,000m. It's faster and there's more moving around. But certainly 10,000m in a major race is more interesting.
Galtee Grange International Cross-Country Results - January 1985
Interview with Steve Jones - World Marathon Record Holder
Grange International Cross-Country of 1980 Recalled 40 Years On - Guest Article by John Walshe
Tom Burke Honoured at Cork Athletics International Awards 2020
Tom Burke Hall of Fame Induction
Tom Burke Interview at International Awards 2020
FERMOY'S DECADE OF RACING GLORY - Guest Article by John Walshe
Colorado, USA & Normandy, France
Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th February 2021
Adams State Open Meet, High Altitude Training Center, Alamosa, Colorado, USA
Adams State Open Results
Results od Adams State Womens Open 3000m 2021
Stephanie Cotter, Adams State University and West Muskerry AC
Stephanie Cotter, Adams State University and West Muskerry AC, ran an indoor 800m PB of 2:16.04, described as "a stunning performance" by ASU, at the Adams State Open yesterday, and Qualified for the NCAA Division II Finals. Stephanie does have a "PB" of 2:09.49 from February 2019, but that is not deemed official.
Stephanie Cotter's World Athletics PB Profile Feb 07 2021
Sunday February 7th 2021
Michelle Finn
Michelle Finn, Leevale AC, ran a 3k indoor PB of 9:02.34 today, at the Normandy League meet, at the Jesse Owens Stadium, in Val de Reuil. Michelle, who is coached by Feidhlim Kelly of Dublin Track Club, now moves up one place in the All-Time Irish Womens Indoor Rankings, to 10th, overtaking Roisin McGettigan.
Val de Reuil 2021 - Womens 3000m results
Michelle Finn's World Athletics PB Profile
Other Dublin Track Club Performances
Full Val de Reuil Results - Feb 7th 2021
Michelle was accompanied at the Val de Reuil meet by several othere from the Dublin Track Club, and there were several winners from the delegation: Brian Fay won the Mens 3000m in 7:53.62, a time that puts him in 14th place on the All-Time Irish Mens Indoor Rankings. Tadgh Donnelly placed 5th in the same race, in 8:25.17. Marcus Lawlor won the Mens 200m, in 21.36 sec - Marcus is currently 3rd on the All-Time Irish Mens Indoor Rankings, with a best of 20.92 sec. Marcus also ran in the mens 60m, placing 3rd, in 7.00 sec. Christopher O'Donnell won the Mens 400m in 47.39 sec, which places him 13th on the All-Time Irish Mens Indoor Rankings
Val de Reuil 2021 - Mens 3000m results
Val de Reuil 2021 - Mens 200m results
Val de Reuil 2021 - Mens 400m results
Val de Reuil 2021 - Mens 60m results
Rouen's Pole Vault (Perche) Elite Tour event will see current and former pole vault world record holders Renaud Lavillenie and Armand Duplantis clash for the first time this season.
Live stream live on Perche Elite Tour Facebook Page and on Eurosport 2
Livestream (ZDF Sports) - 16:20 - 19:00
Livestream (Not sure if this one works!)
Alternative Livestream - Needs registration
Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA - Fri Feb 5th 2021
Livestream (Subscription)
Livestream - 12:00 Sat & Sun
Nadia Power, Claire Mooney and Iseult O'Donnell run in the Women's 800m, Ciara Neville goes in the 60m and , while Sean Tobin and Paul Robinson both run in the Men's 3000m
Livestream - FFA - Fédération Française d'Athlétisme Facebook Page
PSD Bank Indoor Meeting Dortmund 2021 - Sun Feb 7th
Includes rarely run Indoor 2000m Steeplechase, featuring double European champion Gesa Krause
Livestream (€4.99) - 12:15 pm
Michelle Finn, Leevale AC, runs in 3000m at the Stade couvert Jesse Owens, Val-de-Reuil, France, on Sunday
Michelle Finn - Photo: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
The weekend kicks off with the Karlsruhe Indoor, at 7pm on Friday, and features Ciara Mageean, in the Women's 1500m, and Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) in the Men's 3000m. Then on Saturday, there is plenty of Irish interest in the ISTAF Indoor, with no less than fourteen (14) Irish listed in twenty one events
Later tonight, Friday 29th, Fearghal Curtin, Arizona State and Youghal AC, goes in Heat 2 of the Men's 800m, at the Texas Tech Invitational. The meet is covered on ESPN+, behind a paywall.
Fearghal Curtin - Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Vienna Livestream - 11:30am
There is Irish Interest listed in twenty one events, with fourteen Irish (names highlighted below) on the entry sheet
| 60m Round 1 | |
| Name | Country |
| Jan VOLKO | Slovakia |
| Markus FUCHS | ULC Riverside Modling |
| ZvonimirIVASKOVIC | Croatia |
| Aleksa KIJANOVIC | SERBIA |
| Kojo MUSAH | Denmark |
| Kayhan OZER | Turkey |
| Leon REID | Ireland |
| Gaylord KUBA DI-VITA | Belgium |
| Dean ADAMS | Ireland |
| Tomas MATUSCAK | Slovakia |
| Marcus LAWLER | Ireland |
| Frederik SCHOU-NIELSEN | Denmark |
| TilenOVNICEK | SLOVENIA |
| Ahac MORETTI | SLOVENIA |
| Brule BLAZ | SLOVENIA |
| Jakub BENDA | Slovakia |
| Nemanja BULAJIC | SERBIA |
| Maximilian MUNZKER | ULC Weinland |
| Andreas MEYER | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Luke BEZZINA | Malta |
| Daiyehan NICHOLS-BARDI | UNION St. Polten |
| Andreas UNGER | DSG Wien |
| David GOTTLINGER | 0TB-00 LA |
| Steve CAMILLERI | Malta |
| Alexander PENZENSTADLER | PSV Weis Leichtathletik |
| Stephan PACHER | VST Laas |
| Chinomnso NNAMDI | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Markus GRAU | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Philipp HERZOG | SVS-Leichtathletik |
| David VOGELAUER | UVB Purgstall |
| Klaus GRUNBART | LAG Genbock Haus RIED |
| 200 Meter - M | |
| Name | Country |
| Leon REID | Ireland |
| Liemarvin BONEVACIA | Netherlands |
| Jan VOLKO | Slovakia |
| Onyema ADIGIDA | Netherlands |
| Markus FUCHS | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Marcus LAWLER | Ireland |
| Jochem DOBBER | Netherlands |
| Jakub BENDA | Slovakia |
| Denis DANAC | Slovakia |
| Ramsey ANGELA | Netherlands |
| Markus KORNFELD | DSG Wien |
| Andreas MEYER | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Luke BEZZINA | Malta |
| Sebastian GAUGL | KSV alutechnik |
| Markus GRAU | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Andreas UNGER | DSG Wien |
| Leo LASCH | TGW Zehnkampf-Union |
| 400 Meter - M | |
| Name | Country |
| Liemarvin BONEVACIA | Netherlands |
| Pavel MASLAK | Czech republic |
| Yavuz CAN | TUR |
| Terrence AGARD | Netherlands |
| Jochem DOBBER | Netherlands |
| Batuhan ALTINTAS | TUR |
| Ramsey ANGELA | Netherlands |
| Patrik SORM | Czech republic |
| Mateo RUZIC | Croatia |
| Luke LENNON FORD | Ireland |
| Christopher O'DONNELL | Ireland |
| Oliver MURCKO | Slovakia |
| Vit MULLER | Czech republic |
| Simon BUJNA | Slovakia |
| ILYAS CANAKg | TUR |
| Bosko KIJANOVIC | SERBIA |
| Jure GRKMAN | SLOVENIA |
| AKIN OZYUREK | TUR |
| Tamas MATE | HUNGARY |
| Robert PARGE | Romania |
| Gregor GRAHOVAC | SLOVENIA |
| Amel TUKA | Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| Cillin GREENE | Ireland |
| Nout WARDENBURG | Netherlands |
| Martin KUCERA | Slovakia |
| Gustav NIELSEN | Denmark |
| Oguz AKGUL | Turkey |
| Berke AKCAM | TUR |
| Daniel AJIDE | HUNGARY |
| Mateo PARLOV | Croatia |
| Markus KORNFELD | DSG Wien |
| Florian HERBST | LAC Klagenfurt |
| Miroslav MARCEK | Slovakia |
| Felix EINRAMHOF | SVS-Leichtathletik |
| Leo KOHLDORFER | ULC Linz Oberbank |
| Nicolas SCHWAIGER | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Andreas WOLF | ULC Weinland |
| Leon KOHN | SVS-Leichtathletik |
| Niklas STROHMAYER-DANGL | Leichtathletik Akademie Eisen... |
| Tobias LUGSTEIN | ULC Riverside Modling |
| 800 Meter - M | |
| Name | Country |
| Jamie WEBB | Great Britain & N.I. |
| Thijmen KUIPERS | Netherlands |
| Simone BARONTINI | Italy |
| Raphael PALLITSCH | SVS-Leichtathletik |
| Renaud ROSIERE | Federation France |
| Stefano MIGLIORATI | Italy |
| Gabriele AQUARO | Italy |
| John FITZSIMONS | Ireland |
| Benediktas MICKUS | Lithuania |
| Abedin MUJEZINOVIC | Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| Christos KOTITSAS | GREECE |
| Conor DUNCAN | Ireland |
| Benjamin LOBO VEDEL | Denmark |
| Elias LACHKOVICS | SVS-Leichtathletik |
| Niklas ALTMANN | PSV Wels Leichtathletik |
| Markus PESCHKE | UAB Athletics |
| Manuel PECZAR | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Ivan VOJNOVIC | Croatia |
| Philipp HAFNER | LTU Graz |
| Fabian FERK | KSV alutechnik |
| 1500 Meter - M 30.01.2021 19:10 | |
| Name | Country |
| Andreas VOJTA | team2012.at |
| Istvan SZOGI | HUNGARY |
| Benoit CAMPION | France |
| Benjamin PIRES | France |
| Ramazan BARBAROS | Turkey |
| Luke MCCANN | Ireland |
| Andreas DIMITRAKIS | GREECE |
| Nick R JENSEN | Denmark |
| Andreas LINDGREN | Denmark |
| Conor DUNCAN | Ireland |
| Kevin KAMENSCHAK | ATSV Linz LA |
| Paul STUGER | KSV alutechnik |
| Mario BAUERNFEIND | KUS OBV Pro Team |
| Sebastian FREY | DSG Wien |
| Daniel KARNER | KSV alutechnik |
| Bernhard NEUMANN | DSG Wien |
| 60 Meter - W Round 1 | |
| Name | Country |
| Maja MIHALINEC | SLOVENIA |
| Ciara NEVILLE | Ireland |
| Alexandra TOTH | Allgemeiner TurnCountry Graz (... |
| Mathilde KRAMER | Denmark |
| Milana TIRNANIC | SERBIA |
| Astrid GLENNER-FRANDSEN | Denmark |
| Boglarka TAKACS | HUNGARY |
| Marie H LARSEN | Denmark |
| Luise OSTERGAARD | Denmark |
| Emma BOMME | Denmark |
| Charlotte WINGFIELD | Malta |
| Viktoria FORSTER | Slovakia |
| Zala ISTENIC | SLOVENIA |
| Jusztina CSOTI | HUNGARY |
| Sarah LAVIN | Ireland |
| Magdalena LINDNER | UNION St. Polten |
| Karin OKOLIE | Bulgaria |
| Vladislava TUKHAY | SLOVENIA |
| Aoife LYNCH | Ireland |
| Antonia KAISER | Sportunion IGLA long life |
| Johanna PLANK | TGW Zehnkampf-Union |
| Laura ZECHNER | TLC-ASKO Feldkirchen |
| Claire AZZOPARDI | Malta |
| Leonie SPRINGER | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Maxima KRAUSE | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Nina MAYRHOFER | SVS-Leichtathletik |
| Isabelle EDLINGER | UNION St. Polten |
| Patricia BRUNNINGER | ATSV Linz LA |
| Emily MARIEL | SVS-Leichtathletik |
| Muriel WOHLRAB | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Moyo BARDI | UNION St. Polten |
| 200 Meter - W | |
| Name | Country |
| Lieke KLAVER | Netherlands |
| Laura DE WITTE | Netherlands |
| Irini VASILIOU | GREECE |
| Maja MIHALINEC | SLOVENIA |
| Nicky VAN LEUVEREN | Netherlands |
| Femke BOL | Netherlands |
| Mette GRAVERSGAARD | Denmark |
| Ciara NEVILLE | Ireland |
| Alexandra TOTH | Allgemeiner TurnCountry Graz (... |
| Boglarka TAKACS | HUNGARY |
| Ina HUEMER | Sportunion IGLA long life |
| Evelin NADHAZY | HUNGARY |
| Andrea BOUMA | Netherlands |
| Magdalena LINDNER | UNION St. Polten |
| Eveline SAALBERG | Netherlands |
| Emma BOMME | Denmark |
| Aoife LYNCH | Ireland |
| Astrid GLENNER-FRANDSEN | Denmark |
| Charlotte WINGFIELD | Malta |
| Zala ISTENIC | SLOVENIA |
| Sara MATO | HUNGARY |
| Marie Helene POLT | DSG Wien |
| Nina MAYRHOFER | SVS-Leichtathletik |
| 400 Meter - W | |
| Name | Country |
| Lieke KLAVER | Netherlands |
| Femke BOL | Netherlands |
| Anita HORVAT | SLOVENIA |
| Irini VASILIOU | GREECE |
| Nicky VAN LEUVEREN | Netherlands |
| Laura DE WITTE | Netherlands |
| Agata ZUPIN | SLOVENIA |
| Andrea MIKLOS | Romania |
| Sara SLOTT PETERSEN | Denmark |
| Maja CIRIC | SERBIA |
| Sharlene MAWDSLEY | Ireland |
| Maureen ELLSWORTH | Netherlands |
| Susanne WALLI | TGW Zehnkampf-Union |
| Andrianna FERRA | GREECE |
| Andrea BOUMA | Netherlands |
| Eveline SAALBERG | Netherlands |
| Sophie BECKER | Ireland |
| Elpida-Ioanna KARKALATOU | GREECE |
| Sara MATO | HUNGARY |
| Katarina ILIC | SERBIA |
| Julia SCHWARZINGER | TGW Zehnkampf-Union |
| Anna MAGER | TS Bregenz-Vorkloster |
| Lena PRESSLER | UNION St. Polten |
| Elena RONCO | ATSV OMV Auersthal |
| 60 Meter Hurdles - W Round 1 30.01.2021 12:00 | |
| Name | Country |
| Ivana LONCAREK | Croatia |
| Karin STRAMETZ | SU KARCHER Leibnitz |
| Anja LUKIC | SERBIA |
| Sarah LAVIN | Ireland |
| Ozge CAN | Turkey |
| Mette GRAVERSGAARD | Denmark |
| Ivona DADIC | UNION St. Polten |
| Joni TOMICIC PREZELJ | SLOVENIA |
| Milica EMINI | SERBIA |
| Verena PREINER | UNION Ebensee |
| Petra REPASI | HUNGARY |
| Yvonne ZAPFEL | LT Bgld Eisenstadt |
| Chiara-Belinda SCHULER | TS Horbranz |
| Lena LACKNER | ATSV Linz LA |
| Christina JELLEN | LAC Klagenfurt |
| Nika ZUPA | Croatia |
| Sarah LAGGER | TGW Zehnkampf-Union |
| Viola SIMMER | LCA Umdasch Amstetten |
| Pauline LEGER | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Anja DLAUHY | ULC Riverside Modling |
| Iman ROKA | ATSV OMV Auersthal |
| Lena SPAZIRER | ULC Weinland |
Luke Lennon-Ford is down for the Men's 400m, even though he was due to run in the 400m, in Vienna ...as above
ISTAF Indoor Livestream - January 2021
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Abbotstown, Dublin
Sat 20th & Sun 21st 2021
Athletics Ireland Micro-Meet Indoor T&F Meet - Day 1
Saturday Morning Session (11:40am)
Saturday Afternoon Session (16:00pm)
Athletics Ireland Micro-Meet Indoor T&F Meet - Day 2
Sunday Morning Session (11:30am)
Sunday Afternoon Session (15:05pm)
Miramas, Bouches-du-Rhone, France
February 19th - 21st
Livestream also on Facebook
Dortmund, Germany, Feb 20th-21st
Apeldoorn, Netherlands, Feb 20th
Torun, Feb 20th-21st
Malmo, Sweden, Feb 19th - 21st
Feb 21st, Randal Tyson Track Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
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23/02/2021 Aarhus Indoor Gala Denmark
Spain 24/02/2021
Will be Streamed live on World Athletics
Serbia Feb 24th
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Yeoman Fieldhouse, Houston, TX, USA
Womens 3000m line-up. Laura Nicholson (Temple University/Bandon AC) runs
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Event Listings, inc Fields & Results
Large Irish contingent running: Louise Shanahan (Leevale AC), Joan Healy (Leevale AC), Amy O'Donoghue, Brian Fay, Paul Robinson, Andrew Coscoran, Nadia Power, Marcus Lawler, Iseult O'Donnell, Katie Kirk, Roland Surlis, Ellie Hartnett, Sarah Lavin, John Fitzsimons, Luke McCann, Sarah Mccarthy, James Holden, Ciaran Carthy, Ciara Neville, Patrick Tucker, Sharlene Mawdsley, Claire Mooney, Lauren Roy, Luke Lennon-Ford, Molly Scott
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January 27th 1985
Interview by Fr. Liam Kelleher from Marathon Magazine, March 1985, Vol 23, No 2
Michael Murphy, Mitchelstown Co-op sponsors presenting Steve Jones with his prize in Fermoy. Included also left to right: Fr. Michael O'Connell, Michael O'Dwyer, U.D.C., Tom Burke, Race organiser, Nelius O'Neill, Chairman, Fermoy and District Harriers A.C.
Fr. Liam: Here we are at the Galtee Cross- Country Race of 1985. We've Steve Jones, the man who really hit the world headlines last October when he won the Chicago Marathon in a world record of 2 hours 8 mins. 5 seconds. Steve, that must have been a real red letter day in your sporting career?
Steve: That's right! It was a great day for me in my athletic career, running career. It was something that I didn't really expect and at the end of the day it was really fantastic.
Steve: I've run 8 World Championships. Yes, 8, and New York has been very successful. I started off in 77 in Dusseldorf and I was 103rd and over the years I've kind of got better and better, in fact, the year after the 103rd I was 11th, so that was in Glasgow.
Fr. Liam: You improved on that in Limerick?
Steve: That's right. Yes, I was the only person that chased after John Treacy when John Treacy made his break in Limerick. I was the only one who went with him and at the end of the day it cost me a better place.
Fr. Liam: On that day you finished... ?
Steve: 7th.
Fr. Liam: Of course, vou had a good road and track record and you have a number of AAA's championships to your credit?
Steve: That's right. I've run in the A.A.A.'s championships several times. I had two seconds, a first and several thirds and fourths. I've won two 10km titles this year - one on the road and one on the track.
Fr. Liam: Steve, big time as I said in the beginning is nothing new to you. You started in which was the first major event for you?
Steve: Well, the first major event was the Welsh Championships in 1976 where I finished 7th. I just failed being selected for the World Cross-Country Championships in Chepstow and that failing selection, be it fair or unfair, has been an inspiration for me to continue running well and to make World Cross-Country Championships. That's where I started my career and it gives me most pleasure.
Fr. Liam: In track races you had the Commonwealth Games of 1978 and you competed of course in the 1982 Commonwealth, in between, what?
Steve: In between it's been A.A.A.'s and World Cross-Country Championships. Everything has been centred in the early days of my career on the Cross-Country Championships.
Fr. Liam: You ran in the 1982 Europeans in Athens and that was a very warm, humid night?
Steve: It'was very warm; not a major breakthrough in my career because outside the Commonwealth Games that was the first major game in which I participated. And the Commonwealth Games are very different to Olympic Games and European races. It's very friendly. The pressure isn't there as is in the major Games.
Fr. Liam: And what is your memory of Athens?
Steve: My memory of Athens was coming up the back straight for the last time.
I looked at the big screen and watched Cova and Schildhauer sprinting ahead, that was my memory and I was thinking to myself that was the first time that Cova had beaten me and he's winning the European Championships and since then he has gone on to win the World Championships and Olympics.
Steve Jones signing autographs
Fr. Liam: And then, of course, you went on to compete in Helsinki in the World Championships in 1983?
Fr. Liam: You went to Los Angeles then in the 10,000m in 1984 for the Olympic Games. Are you satisfied that that was the event you should have picked, in retrospect?
Steve: Yes. you can't go on retrospect. If you did than then the whole world would be — If only. I can't be like that. I prepared far the 10,000m and I went for the 10,000m. As it happens, when I got there I wasn't as prepared as I would have liked to have been. Several things happened to me before I went and one as I Wished second in a trial Then I happened to have another trial after that which you know, wasn't very conducive to running, well, in Los Angeles also, my coach retired from the sport about a month before Los Angeles because of personal and family commitments, so I will be the last person to say it was the wrong time, but when your family is involved I
You can't question that decision. He made the right decision. For seven or eight years I have been led by one person and every decision I have made, every act in running has been made by that one person. To be suddenly on my own is very unnerving. I'm a fully-grown athlete, I'm a man and yet being suddenly on my own is a great responsibility.
Fr. Liam: Then how did you get yourself together, mentally and Physically, before the great effort in Chicago7
Steve:Chicago? Okay, my coach retired from the sport and I had to pull myself together in Los Angeles. I didn't compete as well as I should have, I didn't compete to my full capacity, so I went home, relaxed, started training properly.
I had 6 weeks preparation for Chicago. I went to America and trained at altitude for 6 weeks; 7,000 feet altitude. I trained very hard. I raced 4 or 5 times then went back to altitude, and when I came to Chicago I was very very fit.
Fr. Liam:And what are your memories and how did you see that race developing. Can you briefly tell us how that race developed?
Steve: Yes, my memory of Chicago the morning of the race I jogged out to the start from the hotel with Jerry Kiernan, who was very very friendly to me. We'd known each other for a long time. The weather was raining and windy and very cold and I said to Jerry, a good time is out now. It does not matter. It’s just going to be a race between blokes. Jerry said don’t be too sure, a lot can happen in 26 miles. We warmed up together. We |did a few strides together, and that was the last time I saw Jerry until after the race. The race itself was exciting and all the way there were 10, 12 people together. It was really exciting, when I finished Jerry was one of the first to come and shake hands and say well done!
Fr. Liam: And did you find that you all shared the workload - were more people doing more work than others?
Steve: Well, in a marathon it is very hard to share the workload. I was inexperienced. De Castella, Lopes, they were experienced. Whatever they did was O.K. by me. I just followed along. I didn't sit behind anybody. I did not shelter in the wind, I did not shelter in the rain. If there was somebody in front I was by the side of them. I did not go into the lead and force the pace. I was a 10,000m runner, the marathon runners were in front. They knew exactly what to do and I knew they wanted to go for a fast time or record, whatever, and if it should show Deek picked it up.
Fr. Liam: At what stage did you make your decisive move?
Steve: I was contemplating in making the move at about 18 or 20 miles. We got to 19 miles and somebody in their wisdom, only thinking of the athletes, put a water station there that shouldn't have been there, on the corner of the street. You know, that's the last thing you want at the corner of a street - a water station!
So you turn the corner and there's a water station there and Geoff Smith and Kamel collided. Kamel fell over and I caught Jeff and helped him up and we all carried on to the real water station. So then I thought to myself, it's time I had a move now because we were all getting crowded, we were tripping over each other. That's what I thought. I made a few surges, one or two people responded, one or two people did not. And I did it again and I just said. Right, make a decision, let's go for it, and that’s what I did. I made the decision and I just went
Fr. Liam: And you knew over the last few miles that victory was yours?
Steve: Well, it's very difficult because what with the experience of the people, Lopes, De Castella, they had experience, a lot more than my experience in relative terms. I've raced Lopes a lot of times and I know that if you run against him, Lopes, you haven't won until you have crossed the line.
Fr. Liam: Steve, looking back on your performance and maybe on the performance of John Treacy in finishing 2nd in the Olympic Marathon, is there something in it that you got to race only very lightly in marathons to gain major success?
Steve: I don't know until I do another marathon and find out how I performed. I won't be able to answer that question. Okay, as a 10,000m runner I performed very well on that marathon but reluctant as I am to change my training and to change my attitude, it is changing very slightly, so maybe next time I go into a marathon I'll go in not as a 10,000m runner but as a world marathon record holder.
Maybe it will be a bit tougher next time or maybe even John's will be a bit tougher, so, he had not a marathon before Los Angeles but he was a very very fit person and that's all he need to be to do it. Maybe his attitude to his next marathon, wherever it may be, European '86 or wahtever, it will be slightly different, you know, and the pressure will be on John. Before, the pressure was not on John, but next time it will be.
Fr. Liam: Was it a personal surprise to you to see John gaining a Silver Medal in L.A.?
Steve: No, we ran together. We were in the same heat in the 10,000m in L.A. We were talking to each other. We wanted to run 28.27. If I went in front of John he would say go easier, there is no need to do that. John was very very fit and I realised that and all the people that know John, you know, Nick Rose, myself and the rest of the 10,000m runners, we all realised that John was very fit and if there was anybody in with an outside chance then it was going to be John Treacy and that's what happened.
Fr. Liam: Steve, where do you see your career going at this stage and for the rest of 1985?
Steve: Well, for the rest of 1985 I might do a marathon in April or early Springtime. I'm not quite sure yet, but my next definite marathon will be Chicago in October and I would like to perform as well as I have been in previous years on the track again this Summer and record personal bests for 5,000m and 10,000m.
Fr. Liam: You've been to Cork in 1984, are you hoping to come back for the big year - Cork 800 this year - for the celebration 800 years of Cork?
Steve: Yes, I would hope to. It's very difficult for me because I'm in the Air Force and things aren't very easy for me to negotiate to come to Ireland. But I came last year, and I've been all over the world running Eastern world and the Western world and I've never met such friendly people in all my life and I was really overwhelmed by the friendliness that I met in Cork last year and if for nothing else, that is one of the reasons I want to come back.
Fr. Liam: And did you meet it in Fermoy this week?
Steve: Yes, the weather didn't spoil anything for the people. I had a tremendous amount of people shouting for me on that course today.
Steve Jones negotiates ditch with Eddie De Pauw
Fr. Liam: Getting back to today's race, what were your views of the event? Christoph Herle was quite an impressive winner.
Steve: Yes, well, he decimated the race. He just took off when he wanted to take off and he didn't look back. He just carried on and carried on. I was a little surprised because Christoph is a strange sort of person. He doesn't usually go like that. He usually sits in behind and when you have a sprint finish! He loves a kick. But I was very impressed with Christoph. The West German, Schneider, was a bit of a surprise. I was disappointed because for over two-thirds of the race I was in front of him and with De Pauw the sat behind me and they just sat on me all the way round. If we could have worked together we might have made a bit of an impression on Maminski and putted him back a bit. But they weren't prepared to do it. I put my head down and kept trying but, anyway, they wouldn't help me.
Fr. Liam: I think it's true to say that the Fermoy event has gained a good reputation internationally?
Steve: Yes, in the past you've had tremendous depth of international crosscountry running. To think De Castella was 4th the last time it was run! For a man of that calibre to finish 4th in any race is a tremendous sort of a lift for any organiser. Well, for anybody! But you've had it again this year. I mean Christoph Herle, Maminski, Schneider, and Eddie De Pauw who won the World Cross- Country championships as a junior in Limerick.
You've got a fantastic depth of international running there and there's not another race in Europe that can boost that sort of depth. It's incredible.
Fr. Liam: Well, thank you, Steve. I think' Liam has some question to ask you at this stage and you've been very informative up to now.
Fr. Liam: What I want to ask you, Steve, there in relation to what you said, your coach for personal reasons which you elaborated on gave up about a month before the Olympics. Could you fill us in on his work with you before that?
Steve: My coach was Bob Wallace and we worked very well together. We'd been together for 8 years, for 7 or 8 years and all of a sudden he had a personal family problem that he had to retire from the sport. Honestly, I don't really want to elaborate any further.
Fr. Liam: There's no need just apart from that. But then you said you had to prepare on your own for the Olympics. Did somebody give you any advice then or since then?
Steve: No. To be honest, basically I just followed my coach's old training sessions. I'm experienced enough to know what should be done, what shouldn' be done. It was just the other thing of the inexperience, of being on my own more than anything else. Okay, I knew what work to do. I knew when to do it, I knew what races to do, where not to do it. But to be for 8 years guided by a person and suddenly find yourself on your own ... !
Fr. Liam: At the eve of the Olympic Games?
Steve: Yes, it is very disconcerting, I suppose.
Fr. Liam: Did you get any advice for the Marathon in Chicago from other people. Who advised you to go to high altitude training. Obviously this was something new in your training?
Steve: It was something regarding my family more than anything else. My agent in America was looking after me and the year before he had recommended that I stay at this place at altitude because there was an apartment available for me and my family and this year I did exactly the same. With regard to preparation for the Marathon in Chicago, I had been in touch with John Treacy over in Boston and he sent me his diet sheets and his preparation sheets and he was a very very good help to me. A great help, although I didn't follow his diets 100% because it was very difficult being out living away from home with my family and we couldn't all eat the same thing, so we used to go out eating.
It was a great help to me and I would follow his advice to the end. He advised me to the best of his ability. He advised me on what he did for Los Angeles and as well as I could I followed it. Also, Charlie Speeding gave me a lot of advice as well so I had two Olympic medallists in the background giving me advice which I found was an invaluable help to me in Chicago.
Fr. Liam: Yes. From listening to you and speaking to you, you're very unassuming and quiet about the whole thing. Does the extra pressure now, because of what you did in Chicago, make life a little bit more unpleasant when people like the likes of me now, maybe, running after you and trying to get interviews for magazines and things like that and other commitments. Is that more difficult or is it something that you don't like or you do like?
Steve: Well, I don't like it. No, there are not many athletes who do like the interviews, the TV interviews and magazine and papers. But you've got to be quick to realise that you are part of a sport and people want to share this part of it with you. They're not busybodies. They're not interfering. They're people who love athletics and people who are athletes and really you owe these people who support you a debt because of what they give you and you owe some explanations to people who follow you and run in your footsteps or whatever to do it. The inter- j views and that sort of thing doesn't affect me at all. It's the presentations and the dinners and the drinks and whatever, they're the things that really get you down at the end. But the things like the interviews, you just share an experience with other people and that's important.
Fr. Liam: I suppose it helps as well to have a good, settled family life. There's a lot of mileage made in the media about the family thing. How many children have you?
Steve: Two boys.
Fr. Liam: Yes. The two boys being with you in Chicago and they watching the cartoons when you were running in the marathon, that's nice as well?
Steve: That's right. My boys watch the cartoons in America even when I'm running in the marathon as well. My wife was switching it back and forth, she would be watching the marathon. But they didn't miss a thing. You know, the kids are very perceptive. If that was on the other side they saw a little bit of Daddy, a little bit of Donald Duck. But you get home and they know I'm pretending to be Steve Jones. You could say to my little son, the youngest one, he's 3 and a half. He said "Ladies and gentlemen. I'm reading out the winner, Mr. Steve Jones". And they never missed a single thing even though they watch the cartoons, everything else they have taken in. They love it.
Fr. Liam: In your home country, in Wales, the Welsh are normally associated with rugby and things like that. Athletics even in Ireland is a kind of second-rate sport in a sense that it's not really a spectator sport except at major championships. Has that struggle motivated you more than anything to reach the top and now that you have reached the top are you accepted in the same level as Barry John or, Gareth Davis or somebody like that?
Steve: Yes, I think I am now. It's been very frustrating over the last 8 years because I've been fairly outstanding in my event in running. Apart from, you know, other athletes in Wales, I’ve been outstanding. I've won this and I've won that. I've competed in this Games and that Games and yet the standard of athletics behind me hasn't risen. You know, any other sport like in basketball, in football, if you've got an outstanding leader, an outstanding person then the standard of the play, the game that's behind you, lifts up, but that had not happened in Wales in the last 8 or 9 years. But now it has. Look, Jones has done this, it's great, there's a resurgence. You saw it with the Junior Dale Rixon winning.
Somebody said to me in work the other day: I read The Echo, the local paper, and they said it's between you and Terry Holmes now who gets the most recognition. You or Terry, while before it was Ian Rush, Terry Holmes, Gareth Edwards or Barry John, but now Steve Jones, an athlete, another sport, is getting on the back page and we're both hogging the paper, you know, and that's what I've done now, not just a record, but everything. It’s all lifting up.
Fr. Liam: Do you ever find training boring or do you train on your own or are there a group of you together?
Steve: I train 95% of the time on my own whenever I can. Before I went to Chicago I trained once a week down in Newport with the Newport Harriers, with the club. I run with Neil Hardy, Neil Norsfield and people like that, James Nill, Roger Greaves and that helped me quite a bit because they are track athletes. I'm not a track athlete, you know. Okay, I've done all the Games but I'm not a track athlete. I'm a blood and guts cross-country runner and road runner. They are track athletes so I do a bit of speed training with them, but 95% of the time It's all on my own. I don't get bored at it, no, because I've got ambitions and I've got targets and they are what I focus on. You can't afford to get bored if you get bored. You lose your way.
Fr. Liam: How did you actually come into the sport and at what age did you take it seriously and how did you get involved in the sport?
Steve: Well, I got involved in the sport with a Cadet Corps at home. It's very much like Sea Cadets. And I started competing as a 15-year-old in three competitions a year. I got a bit of crosscountry and it was great.
Fr. Liam: How did you do at that stage?
Steve: I wasn't very good, you know. I smoked a bit, I drank a bit, I did all the things that kids do and it's great. I don't regret anything because I enjoyed myself as a kid, now I enjoy myself as an adult. But when you're a kid you do things, as you know yourself, that really are not good for you but you do enjoy them. But I wouldn't say to anybody, go out and do that or go out and do this, because some of the things you do are wrong, but I enjoyed it. I don't regret anything I've done.
Fr. Liam: And at what stage then did you realise you had potential and you started to win races, at what age?
Steve: Potential I trained hard for. I trained for a year or two but I joined the Air Force. As a 20-year-old I entered the Welsh Championships in 1976, I finished 7th, the Championships were in Cardiff and the World Championships were in Chepstow. I finished 7th. I didn't get picked for the Welsh team. I couldn't believe it.
Fr. Liam: You said that, yes.
Steve: So I said right. I said to the manager that from now on you have to pick me and since then that has been that way. The initial motivation from then on was you have to be picked, and I've done it from there.
Fr. Liam: What do you enjoy most about the sport of athletics? I know it's a loner event. I know most people think that. What do you enjoy most about the sport?
Steve: I enjoy everything about it. I enjoy the training because it's hard and its character building. I enjoy the self- motivation I achieve out of it.
I enjoy meeting people. I enjoy travelling to countries, different countries, to compete. Okay, some countries you can't speak the language and there are different barriers between you and other athletes. But what I enjoy immensely now is to watch people from my country, from Wales, performing even better. Dale Rixon winning to-day, that was, great, and Wendy Ore, she finished 6th in the ladies'. You don't get people like that very often from Wales.
Steve Jones signing autographs up to 2 minutes before his race
We're not a running community. We're not a running country. The national sport is other sport. It's great to see, it's great to come away with these people and enjoy yourself.
Fr. Liam: Do you think that there will be a bigger clampdown, which obviously there will be, after Los Angeles on the medical side of the thing, the drug thing - what would your comments be on that?
Steve: I don't know whether you want to print my comments or not?
Fr. Liam: Yes. I'd like to.
Steve: If people want to take drugs then that's up to them. You know, I really honestly think that because it doesn't take anything away from me. I know myself I don't take anything. I don't take any drugs. I take the odd vitamin here, the odd vitamin there, like any athlete does, whether at the top of the scale or the bottom of the scale. I take the vitamin pills but I don't take anything else and when I go away from a track race and run 27.39 or if I come away from a World Cross-Country and finish 3rd or even break a world record - I've done it because of the hard work I've put in. What anybody else wants to do that's entirely up to them.
Fr. Liam: But you don't obviously approve of that?
Steve: No, I don't approve of it. I don't approve of it at all. I think it's terrible that people should have to do it but what's the point in banning them, in hav- running community. The national sport is other sport. It's great to see, it's great to come away with these people and enjoy yourself.
Fr. Liam: I think that's a fair comment. Maybe a question which might be of value to me because I have a very keen interest on the younger people, again to encourage them. You're going to give them tremendous encouragement. What is your main advice to younger athletes growing up?
Steve:Well, ever since I've been running I've set little targets for rhyself. They've not been easy targets, but they've not been targets that are away out. Now when I was 18 years old I didn't say to myself I'm going to break a world record, I did not say to myself I'm going to beat the guy next door. I set reasonable little targets for myself and those are little targets that you've got to aim for and when you reach that target set another little target, another ambition and when you reach that set another ambition and you'll find that all throughout your career. You should have a gradual incline on your standard of running, standard of performance.
Fr. Liam: Obviously, by what you've done in Chicago you know you established what we call immortality. You'll be remembered forever by people who are involved in athletics. Is there any final ambition or your overall ambition. Is the one thing that you would like more than anything else to achieve in athletics?
Steve: I don't really think there is. I just want to fulfil my little ambitions. You know, run a personal best on the track andIor finish 2nd in a World Cross-Country Championship or even break the world record again. As long as I improve at the same rate as I have done over the last few years and I would be very pleased if I can move with the times, I’ll be very pleased. I don't set ridiculous ambitions and I don't set easy ambitions as long as I can stay within my own little group of ambitions I will be okay.
Fr. Liam: Coming up over the next three years after this year you have the Europeans, you've the World's and you've the Olympics. Are they in the back of your mind or it's not the end of the world if you don' achieve any of those things in the track, gold medals in any of those events?
Steve: No. I've said in interviews before, the people like Sebastian Coe's, Steve Ovett’s and maybe Eamon's and John Treacy’s, gold medals, that's all they want. Gold medals or silver medals or bronze medals. But that's not what the sport is about. The sport is about everybody. If you can just achieve, if you can go to these races and do a personal best then you've achieved something. My ambitions aren't to win gold medals or win any medals, my ambitions are to enjoy my sport to enjoy the company I’m with and to run as well as I ever have run.
Fr. Liam: Fantastic note to end on, Steve. Thank you.
Steve: Thank you very much.
Galtee Grange International Cross-Country Results - January 1985
Interview with Christophe Herle Winner of Galtee Grange International Cross-Country 1985
Grange International Cross-Country of 1980 Recalled 40 Years On - Guest Article by John Walshe
Tom Burke Honoured at Cork Athletics International Awards 2020
Tom Burke Hall of Fame Induction
Tom Burke Interview at International Awards 2020
FERMOY'S DECADE OF RACING GLORY - Guest Article by John Walshe
Massive 8:02.95 Indoor 3000m PB for Fearghal Curtin
NCAA Arkansas Qualifier, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
Friday February 5th 2021
Fearghal Curtin had a another huge performance last night, coming second in the Mens 3000m, in a massive PB of 8:02.95, at the NCAA Arkansas Qualifier, held in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
8:02.95 places Fearghal up to 44th in the All-Time Irish Men's 3000m standings. Fearghal, who's preferred distance is 5000m, but has mixed a wide spread of distance recently - 800m just last week - previously ran 8:17.06 in Nashville, in January 2018
Mens 3000m Results
Fearghal Curtin, Arizona State and Youghal AC
1:54:46 Indoor 800m for Fearghal Curtin
Lubbock, Texas, USA
Friday January 29th 2021
Fearghal Curtin made a big step-down in distance last night, when running in the Men's 800m, at the Texas Tech Invitational Meet, held in the Sports Performance Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Mens 800m Results
Normally running 5,000m or 3,000m, with occasional forays at 1,500m, Fearghal dropped further down, to 800m last night, running 1:54.46, to finish 12th overall, from 19 starters. Fearghal's time was just 0.09 secs off his indoor 800m best of 1:54.39.
Fearghal Curtin's PB's
Fearghal Curtin, Arizona State and Youghal AC
This article, by John Walshe, appeared on EchoLive! website, on Wednesday January 27th 2021
Results of Athletics Ireland Registered Events - April 2014 - May 2016 (on Old Cork Athletics website)
Results of Athletics Ireland Registered Events - May 2016 to date
Race Calendar / Fixtures List - Athletics Ireland Registered Events
Comprehensive Calendar of Registered Athletics Ireland events in Cork
This article, by John Walshe, appeared on EchoLive! website, on Wednesday January 27th 2021
Wheelchair competitor Jerry Forde sets off from the start of the Cork Business House Athletics Association 6k race at Little Island, in January 2016. Over 400 runners took part. Photo: Larry Cummins
THE first few weeks of January would normally see the Cork road races kicking off with a huge turnout at the FMC four-mile at Little Island setting the scene for a hectic season ahead.
But, giving the present situation, it now looks like it will be many months before any sort of a regular race can take place.
Over half-a-century ago, road races were few and far between. One iconic event that still stands out from that era is the Youghal Round-the-Houses held at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
This took place for the first time on the night of December 31, 1966. It would go on for another 10 years before moving to New Year’s Day up to 1985 with a further two races taking place at an earlier hour on New Year’s Eve in both 1986 and 1987.
Maybe the idea of a race at midnight came from the famous Brazilian San Silvestre race in Sao Paulo which had started in 1925, or from a similar event called Nos Galan first held in 1958 in a small town in the Welsh valleys by the name of Mountain Ash.
That New Year’s weekend of 1966 was certainly a cold one with a temperature of 17.8 Fahrenheit (- 8 Celsius) recorded in Cork, according to the Evening Echo.
The Echo also reported that a ‘large crowd’ of 30 runners had set off from Youghal Post Office over three laps which totalled almost four miles.
The clear winner was 18-year-old local man Stephen Hennessy with John O’Brien of Ballymore just beating Jack O’Callaghan from Hilltown into second. The Grange club easily won the team prize from Youghal.
Stephen Hennessy receiving a commemorative award, as a member of the Cork Senior All-Ireland winning Cross-Country team of 1968, from Paddy Buckley, Chairman, Cork Athletics County Board, at the Board's Annual Awards (January 2020)
Although of tender years, winning races was nothing new to Stephen Hennessy. Just 12 months before, at the age of 17, he had led his club home with an emphatic victory in the Cork County junior cross-country title at Blarney. Unlike today, the junior grade then was based on standard rather than age and Hennessy won from Paud Murphy of Kildinan and also led his Youghal clubmates to the team award.
The numbers in that first Youghal Round-the-House would probably have been bigger but for the fact that the 1966 County junior was taking place the following day at Cobh. That race saw two more of Cork’s rising stars fight out a thrilling contest with victory going to another 18-year-old, Richard Crowley from Blarney, ahead of Donal Walsh of the Fr Mathew club.
Amongst many triumphs, Richard Crowley would go on to win the New Year’s Eve race at Youghal on a number of occasions. In the 1974 encounter, he had to contend with a young man who had already gained a junior bronze medal at the World Cross-Country in Italy the previous March. John Treacy, still only 17, would win another junior bronze in Morocco the following year before going on of course to win the senior world title in 1978 and 1979.
That night in Youghal, Treacy, Crowley and Denis Noonan (Clonliffe) were together for four of the five miles before the Villierstown youngster broke and simply sprinted away for victory, his winning time recorded as 23:12. Liam O’Brien took the individual novice prize and led his Midleton club to the team title.
Marion Staunton (now Lyons), won the women’s race from Joan Fleming (UCC) and Rose O’Brien (St Finbarr’s). Martin Drake was the winner of the boys U13 race and along with club-mates Charlie O’Sullivan, John Dempsey and Ger Flanagan took the team prize for Youghal.
When the Round-the-Houses moved to New Year’s Day in the early 1980s, the main race was for novice athletes only. On the first day of that decade, Derek Grant from Waterford and Pat Whyte of the Midleton club ran shoulder to shoulder until the final 600 metes of the five miles when Grant pulled away to win impressively.
First junior was Tony Gilbert (St Finbarr’s) who finished ahead of the Youghal duo of Ger Flanagan and Denis McCarthy. Bridie Hartnett of Midleton won the women’s race from Sandra Curley (Youghal).
A feature of those early races – which would be unheard of nowadays – is that no times were recorded, apart from, on rare occasions, the winner. It was only at the start of the eighties that the digital wristwatches where people could time themselves became easily available.
It was certainly a very different era to that of the measured courses and chip timing we are so used to today.
Other Guest Articles by John Walshe
Midleton AC Virtual Club Challenge - Guest Article by John Walshe
Cork Cross-Country of 1980 - Guest Article by John Walshe
Cork Marathon Magic in 1986 as Marion Lyons Wins - Guest Article by John Walshe
The 1985 Cork 800 Marathon - Guest Article by John Walshe
Tullamore Man Won First Cork Marathon - Guest Article by John Walshe
Pioneering Women of Cross-Country - Guest Article by John Walshe
Grange International Cross-Country of 1980 Recalled 40 Years On - Guest Article by John Walshe
Youghal AC's London Emer Casey 10k Exploits
30 Years Ago - Liam O'Brien Wins Cork County Senior Cross-Country Championship
50 Years Ago - When John Buckley Beat The Olympic Champion
40 Years Ago - Jerry Murphy Wins Munster Marathon Championship
Aoife Cooke Runs 55:17 in Mallow 10 2019
Steeplechase Legends Meet at Antrim International
Unique National Double for McGraths
Dick Hooper Speaks at St Finbarrs AC Function
