Alexander Wallace – Leinster Masters champion
Alexander Wallace St Coca's AC (centre) Leinster Masters Champion Photo: Perri Williams
Breaking National Records has already started and we are just barely into the 2026 season. At the Track and Field Live in the National Indoor stadium, Dublin, Mark English lowered his own 600m record to 1: 1:15.80. A few days later English broke his own 800m indoor record while setting a stadium record at the CMCM Luxembourg indoor meeting. English lowered the previous record from 1:45.15 to a new mark of 1:44.65.
Galway’s Emma Moore was also in record breaking mode at the same meet, as she lowered the Irish u23 800m record to 2:02.34. While in Switzerland Sarah Leahy (Killarney Valley) smashed the twenty year old 50m record to set a new marker of 6.41. Several juvenile and senior athletes were in Abbottstown to witness English’s 600m record breaking feat as they too recorded good performances in their own right.
A double victory by John Paul Archbold (Newbridge) in the Senior Long Jump and 400m. Maya Rus (St Coca’s) demonstrated yet another victory in the u12 60m. Her explosive power ensuring she dominated the age group. The Live event was a pre-courser for the Athletics Ireland games later in the week where Olivia Smith (Newbridge) set a new personal best of 58.57 in the 400m.
Cross-Country still lingers with the Leinster Intermediate and relays being held in Carlow. St Coca’s Alexander Wallace once again proved invincible as he topped the Masters event, winning by over 20 seconds. Kildare juveniles held their own in the relays with Newbridge AC taking gold in the boys u14 and 16 and silver in the boys u12.
Finally some good news for Kildare as Patricia McLoughlin (Le Cheile) and Terry Shanley (Clane) have been included in the Athletics Ireland selection for the Anglo Celtic Plate to be held in Limerick this year.
Alexander Wallace defies age. The invincible St Coca’s athlete once again proved he is getting better with age. Swapping racing flats for spikes, Wallace eased his way to victory at the Leinster Masters Championships last Sunday in Carlow. A race that had over 100 finishers, and ages from over 35 to over 65. Wallace tucked in behind the early leaders for the first 2km, then hit the front.
Once he started his front running effort there was no catching him as he nimbly and deftly pushed ahead, looking very comfortable with the increased pace. Such is Wallace’s brilliance that aged over 45 he beat very good athletes, ten years his junior. Just last year the St Coca’s athlete won the European masters marathon championship, proving that his status is very much at a European Masters elite level with versatility on both the roads and country.
The Kildare men were very unfortunate in the county section, missing out on bronze medals by just three points. Joining Wallace on the county team were: Dean Ryan (Newbridge), who finished 18th overall, Rob McCabe (Newbridge) in 21st and Eric Boland (Newbridge) in 25th position. Fourth place seemed to be the order of the day for the Masters men as Newbridge AC finished 4th club, a meagre six points off bronze. Brian McGrath (Le Cheile) took bronze in the over 70 men’s race, which being shorter than the main men’s race was run in conjunction with the ladies event.
Gillian Clyne (Clane AC) was the first Kildare lady home in the masters ladies event. Clyne finished 6th overall but took third in the ladies over 40 category. Emma Boland (Newbridge) was next home in 9th position overall, taking 3rd in the ladies over 45 category. She was followed home by Alison Duff (Newbridge) in 17th. These three ladies combined well together to take the county to the bronze medal position in the masters over 45.
Colm Roche (Celbridge) has been a consistent performer this winter as he placed well in many cross-country events. On Sunday Roche finished in third place. The Celbridge athlete was disappointed with his fourth place back in October at the Leinster Novice. His performance last Sunday mitigated this disappointment as he maintained a constant presence in the top three throughout the 8,000m race.
Aaron Hanlon (Drogheda) was a clear winner over twenty seconds ahead of Jack Moran (Mullingar) with Roche ten seconds behind and gaining. These three were well clear of Jack McMahon (Ballyrohan) in fourth place. Kevin Byrne (Newbridge) who recently joined the club had a terrific run taking 5th place. Byrne moved steadily through the field to as the race progressed to attain his highest ever Leinster placing.
The Kildare men’s team backed up well to take bronze medals behind Kilkenny and Dublin. Joining Roche and Byrne were: David O’Connor (Celbridge) in 9th place, Aidan Moloney (Celbridge), Derek Gilmartin (Celbridge), Tom O’Leary (Celbridge). Celbridge finished fourth club missing out on the bronze medal by just one point. Such is cross-country that ever place counts.
The Juvenile Cross-country relays are an event that bring together both distance and sprinters. A fun event to round off the cross-country season and prepare for the shorter track distances. The venue in Carlow proved the perfect location with firm, flat and fast surface making each race highly competitive. Newbridge AC were the dominant Kildare club as they took home two gold and a silver medal.
The proceedings got off to a good start with the boys u12 team of Tim Barron, Eirnin McElroy, Billy McCabe and Conor Farrell who took silver behind St Laurence O’Toole (Carlow). The Carlow team shining on home group. Dunboyne AC were third, with Newbridge having passed them on the second leg.
It was for Newbridge the boys that rose to the occasion on this iteration of the Leinster relays. The u14 team of Patrick Gunther, James Dooley, Sean Dennehy and Charlie McCabe were no match for the chasing Leinster teams. While Newbridge held their lead from the first change over (Gunther to Dooley), they were pushed on the second leg by a strong St. Abban’s team.
Motivated by the desire to do well, Dooley pushed hard in the closing stages of his 500m leg, once again pulling clear of the Laois contingent. From Dooley to Dennehy and finally Charlie McCabe, the boys in green had a decisive victory from St Abbans with Navan in third place.
It was much the same for the boys u16, as they too had a convincing lead from start to finish. Such was their dominance that a slight error on the second to third baton change did not create any dent into their performance.
Even the presence of national cross-country champion Daniel Green (Kilkenny City Harriers) could not snatch the lead from Newbridge. The team of Jack Brennan, Harry Boland, Oisin Byrne and Jayden Murphy took gold ahead of Kilkenny City Harriers and St Abbans.
Newbridge also had a girls u14 team while Celbridge fielded two girls teams u16.
Wednesday last saw two new Irish indoor records being set. In Switzerland Sarah Leahy (Killarney Valley) took down the twenty year old 50m record setting a new mark of 6.41. At home in Abbottstown, Mark English lowered the Irish Indoor 600m record to 1:15.80. English maintained a solo effort right throughout the race cheered on by the Track and Field Live supporters and competitors on the evening. Kildare were represented by several athletes on the night across a plethora of events.
John Paul Archbold (Newbridge) leaped 6.81m on his second attempt to top the long jump table by 77cm. The first of his two victories of the night. It was however, a double Kildare victory in the Long Jump. The ladies Long Jump was in the good hands of the Fleischer sisters of Celbridge. Vivian topped the table with 4.89m followed by sister Lydia who leaped 4.13m on the fourth round.
Caoimhe Farrell (St Coca’s) won her 60m heat. The u18 athlete recorded a personal best of 8.04 as she prepares for her season ahead. Farrell later topped her heat again in the second 60m series. Clubmates Tommy Walsh and Brian Kerrigan took part in the 800m finishing 5th and 7th in the first heat respectively. The star of the 800m was Robert Gleeson (Newbridge).
At 15 years of age Gleeson mixed well with the senior athletes, finishing third in the fastest heat, in a highly respectable 2:02.46. Gleeson has his eyes set on dipping below the magic two minute mark this year. Two Newbridge athletes recorded the fastest man and woman’s 400m of the night. After claiming gold in Long Jump John Paul Archbold cast off challenges from Piotr Maciorowski (Sligo) and Joss O’Connor (United Striders) to claim a well fought victory as he surged ahead to take the top spot with 52.06.
Clubmate Olivia Smith recorded the fastest senior 400m as she clocked 59.62, the only female athlete running a sub 60 on the night. Mia Lennon (Newbridge) competed in her first mile indoor event and finished 7th in the senior ladies. Rounding out the senior programme were Mary Hanlon (Celbridge) and Niamh Cleary (St Coca’s) who took part in the 200m.
The juveniles had their share of success too. The talented Maya Rus (St Coca’s) clocked 8.67 in the girls u12 taking first in the second heat along with winning the overall competition. Rus was the only athlete u12 to run under 9 seconds. So fast was her time, no u12 boys could surpass it and only two girls u14 ran faster. St Coca’s were certainly out in force over the 60m distance from u12 to u16. Four u12 boys took part with Harry Naughton winning the second heat and finishing third overall. Matthew Ennis (St Coca’s) was one of several Kildare athletes in action over 600m and 800m. Ennis worked hard throughout the four lap race finishing fourth in 2.18, marginally off third place.
Crookstown-Millview girls u14 4x200m relay team were clear winners, some four seconds ahead of Portmarnock in second. Their second team was just one second off third place.
The AAI Games were held in Athlone last Saturday along with the National Combined Events. Olivia Smith (Newbridge) had a personal best over 400m clocking 58.57 to take first place in heat 3. Smith finished 8th overall, very close to some notable senior athletes. The u18 athlete has improved substantially over the past year and should challenge for medals at the Leinster juvenile championships next month.
David Oghuvbu (Naas) was back in action again after his winter hiatus. Oghuvbu won his 60m heat in 7 seconds. A time that gave him 7th place overall. This was a good season opener for the Naas athlete. Saoirse Ballasty-Byrne took part in her first AAI games securing second in her 60m heat. Ballasty-Byrne is another juvenile athlete who will be hoping to make an impression at the Leinster Juvenile Championships next month. Elsewhere athletes from Celbridge, Le Cheile and others from Newbridge and Naas competed in their first race this season.
In the National Indoor Combined Events, Kildare was represented by athletes from Eire Og, Newbridge, Suncroft and Naas.
Starting with the girls u14 pentathlon, Ava Waugh (Eire Og) finished 5th overall. Waugh was just 11 points off the bronze medal as she secured 666 points. Her clubmate Emily Creamer-O’Meara finished 9th. The event was stacked with thirty-one athletes taking part. Testament to the increasing popularity of the combined events since Kate O’Connor came to international attention in 2025. Waugh’s strongest event was the Long Jump where she leaped 4.58m to take second overall.
Thirty-four girls u15 were entered for the u15 pentathlon where Amber O’Connor (Eire Og) finished 9th. O’Connor scored well in the 800m where she finished 3rd. Numbers were once more high in the girls u16 with twenty-five taking part, including three from Kildare. Anna Dillon (Newbridge) finished 9th, Isabel Burns (Suncroft) was 14th and Olivia Keyes (Naas) finished 19th.
Cian D’Rosario (Clane) and Max Drennan (Naas) were amongst the eighteen u14 boys pentathlon entrants. Drennan finished 9th and D’Rosario 13th. Harry Kearney (Naas) was the sole county u15 participant. Kearney finished 6th in a very competitive field.
Ireland has announced the team selections for this years Anglo Celtic Plate. Patricia McLoughlin (Le Cheile) has once again been selected as part of the ladies team. Patricia has a long association with this event having been selected on multiple occasion in the past decade. She will be joined by Sinead Egan (Galway) and Julie McNamee (Donegal). A new addition to the selection is Terry Shanley (Clane AC) who is one of six athletes who have gained selection for the men’s race. Terry will be joined by Ciarán McGonagle (Letterkenny), Rob Kelly (Raheny), Matthew Collins (Portmarnock), Barry McCarroll (Slieve Gullion Runners), Seán Meehan (Cherry Orchard). A Kildare man has been selected as Team Lead: John O’Regan (Le Cheile) while the race director is Anthony Lee (Donadea). The competition will be held in Ireland this year, with the University of Limerick hosting the event on Saturday March 21st.
