Kildare's Gleeson celebrates amazing run as he finishes schools' career
Cillian Gleeson won gold in the 5000m Senior Boys Photo: Perri Williams
Mark English broke his own national senior 800m record in Poland last week as Sharlene Mawdsley produced a season’s best over 400m at the Grand Slam Track event in the USA. Turning back the clock, both of these athletes would have over a decade ago, (slightly less in Mawdsley’s case) joined the one thousand or so, Irish athletes in Tullamore for the Irish Schools Track and Field Championships. While English and Mawdsely have moved on to be competitive on the World circuit as pro athletes, behind them a plethora of budding potential pro’s were exhibiting their talents at what was a glorious two days of schools athletics. Star of Kildare’s contingent has to be Cillian Gleeson, whose brave solo attempt at breaking John Treacy’s 51 year old 5000m record left him just two seconds short.
That was Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, it was back to Tullamore again for a third day, this time for the younger age groups. The Athletics Leinster Pairs and u12 and u13 championships filled the stadium with mostly primary school age kids, gaining experience at competition at a higher level. Clubs from around Kildare were well represented.
The weekend before the leaving cert has long been the preserve of the Irish Schools Track and Field Championships. From its origins as a one day event, it has now expanded to two days as more races (and age groups) have been added over the years. Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connaught – all coming together pitting a different mix of athletes against each other than the normal Athletics Ireland ages regulate. There is something about the schools track and field that continues to lure athletes and spectators in a special and positive way. It is not easy to qualify as each group contains a mix of ages. Athletes who have often gone on to compete on the World stage (even Olympics) may never have actually qualified for a schools All-Ireland, such is its competitiveness. Leinster in particular (which Kildare is part of) is one of the most difficult regions to emerge from. Just two qualify from sprinting events and three from middle distance.
While Saturday may have been billed as the main programme, Friday night was probably the more intimate and enjoyable of the two days. The encouragement and ability of the spectators and athletes alike to rally behind the athletes was certainly more evident. None more so that in the senior boys 5000m where an entire stadium focused on Cillian Gleeson (Celbridge AC). Gleeson competing for his school Colaiste Chiaráin in Leixlip made his intention well known that he was making an attempt at breaking the oldest record existing in the senior schools record books – the 51 year old 5000m record. Back in 1974 a young man called John Treacy, set a sensational 14.17 minutes for the 5,000m. This was just months before he boarded a plane and joined his brother Ray on scholarship in Providence. In just a few short years Treacy would become a double Senior World Cross-Country Champion.
In those intervening 51 years, despite a wealth of middle distance talent in Ireland, no athlete has ever managed to eclipse what John Treacy, that raw Waterford talent did on that day.
Gleeson, had a plan, keep the laps to 68/69 seconds – all 12 and a half of them. Keep the rhythm going. The focus strong. He knew going into the race he was most likely going to have to do a solo run. Especially since Noah Harris, his main Irish rival opted out of this year’s championships. By the end of the first 200m, he was already pulling away. Lap after lap the gap between himself and the peloton became wider as he hammered out 68 and 69 second laps. He was on target for the record at 3,000m. Then two laps later he threw in a 66 second lap. I could see his coach Feidhlim Kelly wince. “Too fast” he said. “He needs to keep the momentum”. The announcer Pierce O’Callaghan provided an excellent step by step commentary through Gleeson’s journey. This lent itself to an immersive experience, that engaged the spectators in that same journey. They willed Gleeson through each lap, as if they were doing it themselves. “Come on Cillian” could be heard around the track. They were already on first name terms with him after just 800m. Over the final kilometer, at which point he had lapped every athlete in the field, some more than once, Gleeson was visibly pushing his body to its limit. The crowd’s encouragement became more intense. All focused on getting the Celbridge athlete through his final moments. Going down the home straight the momentum increased, the shouts of encouragement got louder. Gleeson used every ounce of his energy system to propel himself towards that line. It became his singular vision, nothing else entered his periphery. He threw himself across the line, collapsing with exhaustion. 14.19 – just two seconds short of clinching that record. The closest anyone has ever come to breaking Treacy’s stronghold. 51 years will now become 52 should anyone attempt the same feat next year.
While Gleeson lay exhausted on the track, his heart pumping as the sweltering evening heat descended upon his already heated body, the entire stadium applauded his brave solo run. Back in 1974 John Treacy did not have a solo run. He had the benefit of other athletes pushing him to extend his limits. This puts the magnitude of Cillian’s effort into perspective. It has got to go down as one of the most memorial moments in the 2025 schools athletics. Not just for Cillian Gleeson’s attempt on the record, not just for his solo run – but for how the Irish athletics fraternity rose to Cillian’s moment, an acknowledgement of their passion, compassion and desire to see athletes excel. This is what athletics is and should be.
The main programme on Saturday saw three further gold medals for Kildare. Theo Hanlon (Suncroft) representing Kildare Town Community School managed to overhaul arch rival and reigning schools champion Andrew Cooper to take the Senior All-Ireland shot putt title. Using their unperfected spin, both athletes only managed two legal throws out of five, each. In round two, Cooper spun a superb 17.49m to command an almost two meter lead. A succession of foul throws from Hanlon in the second and third rounds, left him somewhat worried. Then came the big one. From an almost two meter deficit, the Suncroft AC athlete moved into the lead with just one centimeter to spare. To say the final round was tense was an understatement. First Hanlon spun another foul throw, Cooper thought the title might be his to retain. Until his throw too was off balance and declare void. Theo Hanlon was declared All-Ireland schools champion for 2025.
There were further throws gold medals too. Meave Moore (Newbridge AC) took the Junior Javelin title with over half a meter to spare from Kate Longan (Blackwater CC) in Waterford. Moore’s winning throw of 31.90m came in the fourth round after a succession of 31 meter plus attempts in the earlier rounds. The talented Newbridge AC athlete was joined by Grace Garvey (Scoil Mhuire, Clane) in the competition. Garvey was unfortunate as she was just 19cm from a bronze medal.
The final gold medal of the day came from Blessed Nleya (Athy College). The Crookstown-Millview athlete was in flying form from the start of the minor 100m. Quick out of the blocks he was already ahead by the 20m mark. Retaining his lead to the end, a delighted Blessed had to look to the electronic results board for a reality check. He finished two tenths of a second ahead of Eoghan Foley (Bandon Grammer).
There were three magnificent silver medals; Ella Hanlon (Cross and Passion, Kilcullen) in the Junior Discus and JP Archbold in the Inter Long Jump. Hanlon has been a prolific medalist on the shot putt podium the past few years. This year turning her attention to the discus has yielded dividends. The Suncroft AC athlete was up against the might of Emma Reid (Bangor), a year old and a year more experienced. Tittering around the same mark for the first few rounds, Reid came into her own in the final two rounds, where she soared ahead. Hanlon was for the most part throwing consistently in the low 30s, cumulating with a best throw of 31.68m, five and a half meters ahead of Anna Kelsie (Presentation, Kilkenny).
JP Archbold (Patrician Secondary School) set a new Leinster Long Jump record a little over two weeks ago. Jumping further than he had imagined possible coming into the season. While Saturday’s silver medal jump was not his personal best, it was pretty much up there with it. Improving with each round, Archbold “saved the best until last” as he leaped 6.78m to take silver, behind Ryan Onoh (Cork). There is plenty more in the Newbridge athlete. He has the Leinster Championships along with the Tailteann Games to up those centimeters further before the season season or even the month is out.
Noah Treacy (St Pauls, Monsterevin), took silver in the Junior Javelin. The Kildare AC athlete threw 45.01in his second round. This put him just 15cm shy of the gold medal which was claimed by Sam Kingston (Skibbereen). Treacy has made the javelin his signature event after a series of medals over the past two years.
There were plenty more medals, all of them bronze and ten in total to be explicit. The Keaney twins, Rachel (Newbridge College) and Ronan (Patrician SS) matched bronze medals. In a race that saw many athletes succumb to the folly of the water jump, Rachel Keaney for the most part, avoided a complete immersion. The race was won by Lucie Cawley (Mercy, Sligo) in a new championship record. Keaney chased hard in the final lap and narrowed the gap on Emma Brennan to two seconds. Alas, she had to settle for bronze as she just ran out of track. Moments later her brother Ronan ran a closely contested race, where he lost out to the more experienced Patrick Duffy over the final 200m.
Further bronze medals came from Eoghan Gallagher in the Junior 80m hurdles, while Senan Markey (St Farnans) took bronze after a closely fought battle in the racewalking, Stepping down to the 400m, a speedier and stronger Jack Gilmartin (Salesian College) ran a storming 400m to take home bronze in a time of 52.51.
Ryan O’Neill (Gael Colaiste Cheatharacht) finally broke through the magic 40m barrier to take third in the Junior boys javelin. After a series of high thirties throws in the first four rounds, the Newbridge AC athlete, finally crossed the line with his fifth round throw of 40.54m to take the bronze. Max Crampton cleared 1.58m on his first attempt to take bronze in the minor high jump.
Sarah Kiernan (Our Ladys Terenure) had a battle on her hands In the senior girls 400m. Having already defeated Maria Zucherenko this year, her aim was to stay ahead of the Wicklow girl. However, Zucherenko was back to better form and took the title. It was a hard won title as Kiernan, Zucherenko and Emer Brennan engaged in a three way push for power and speed down the home straight. The Naas AC athlete was just four hundredths of a second outside the PB she set at the Leinster schools two weeks ago. Two more Naas AC athletes took the bronze medal podium positions. Aoibhinn O’Sullivan in the pole vault and Isobel Kearns in the Senior Javelin. The final bronze medal went to Alex Heaney (Clane AC) in the senior High Jump.
Holly Wright (Cookstown-Millview) has been selected to represent Leinster at the CSIT Games in Loutraki, Greece next week. Holly will take part in the shot and discus. The Wicklow native, has been a multi medal winner at National level for many years in shot and discus, favouring the discus. Leinster is the chosen region to represent Ireland in these long running games, that date back to 1913. With its roots in the Labour movement, the games were founded in Belgium to provide opportunities for the ordinary working citizens to participate in International Sports. With “Sport for all” being its mantra it was a contra to the Olympic movement which was seen as a preserve of the elite class at the time. Ireland has been taking part in the CSIT games for over seventy years. Before Leinster was handed the Irish mantle, the NACA, were the regular participants.
It was back to Tullamore for a third day last weekend, with Sunday being the Leinster Children’s Games and u12 and 13 Championships.
O Jane Istu Bangura (Clane) set the day off to a flying start as she took the u12 sprint title. Racing over 60m she was one of three Clane AC athletes to make the final. O’Jane beat strong opposition from Kelly Moyo (Banagher) and Lucy O’Connor (Mullingar). 72 athletes took part in this event, which went through heats, semi-finals and finals, making O’Janes win all the more significant.
Cillian McManus (Naas) took silver in the u12 boys sprint with another large contingent of athletes toeing the line. McManus was joined in the final by clubmate Dylan Byrnes who finished 8th.
It was bronze for Ailbhe Byrne (Suncroft) in the girls u13 600m. Charlie McCabe (Newbridge) matched that bronze in the boys u13 600m. It is tough on the athletes having to run two 600m races on the same day.
Jayden Lambe (Newbridge) took home bronze after a series of excellent throws in the shot putt, that saw him edge out Kilkenny’s Caolan Bambrick by just 3cm. It was also bronze for Sarah Cousins (Suncroft) in the girls u12 shot putt.
The Pairs competition is based on the combined times or distances of two athletes and in operation for u9, 10 and 11. The first Leinster pair medal of the day went to Newbridge AC. The combined forces of Ollie Byrne and Cian Davies produced a bronze in the u11 60m. Suncroft AC went one better in the girls u11 600m. The combined efforts of Laoise Byrne and Lily Galloway took silver with plenty to spare over third placed Kilkenny City Harriers. Naas AC went one step further to take gold in the u11 boys 600m. Jerome Griffin and Fionn Sheridan both ran really well in the heats to claim the top prize in the final. Two Kildare teams featured in the boys u10 500m. Clane AC took silver and Newbridge bronze.
The field events featured more silverware. St Coca’s took bronze in the girls u10 long Jump. Kildare AC took gold in the boys with Clane AC taking bronze. Naas were 2nd in the u9 girls. Naas AC proved to be the strongest club in Leinster when it came to the Turbo Jav. They took gold in the girls u11, 10 and 9. With silver medals going to the boys u11 and bronze to the boys u10 and a second team in the girls u9.
