National medals for Hanlon, Wright and Jordan
Sarah Millea (Celbridge) finalist in the 200m, with Loreena Harrison (3rd overall) and Leila Colfer.
Last weekend's National Senior Championships were run in a packed Morton Stadium with record numbers in attendance on both days.
Kildare athletes took home three national medals, all of them in the throwing events. Theo Hanlon (Suncroft) in his senior track and field debut finished second in the shot putt. Michael Jordan (Naas) took bronze in the Javelin and Holly Wright (Crookstown-Millview) secured bronze in the discus.
Rhasidat Adeleke clearly drew the crowds to Saturday’s events. In front of a packed stadium Adeleke gained an automatic qualification for the forthcoming European Championships in the 200m as she stormed to a new championship record of 22.80 seconds.
Andrew Coscoran won a stacked men’s 1,500m while Sophie O’Sullivan proved she was coming back into form as she took the ladies title.
Theo Hanlon (Suncroft) has had a fantastic season this year. The U20 athlete has been chasing the World U20 qualifying standard since January.
Improvements made in his shot putt have been remarkable as he has consistently thrown well over 18m. Contrast that to 2025 when he made the European U20 final, when 18m was an achievement.
Despite not attaining the world standard this year, his season ended on a high note when he took silver at the national senior championships.
The 19 year old made his championship debut last weekend, throwing the heavier 7.26kg shot putt. A first round throw of 15.80m put him into second place behind Irish Olympic and reigning national champion Eric Favors (Raheny).
While Favors continued to lead with his second round throw of 19.47m, Hanlon retained his second place right throughout the competition, improving his distance to 15.81m in the fifth round.
Callum Keating (North Cork) finished third with a best throw of 14.72m. This is a new personal best for Hanlon with the 7.26kg weight, one he will hope to improve upon in the coming years.
Michael Jordan finished third in the men’s javelin with a throw of 61.17m. The Naas AC athlete’s opening throw of 54.08 placed him second behind Oisin Joyce (Lake District) who was returning from an injury that kept him out of competition for the past year.
Jordan improved his distance to 56.89m in the second round. Last year’s champion Conor Cusack (Lake District) fouled both his first and second round attempts but threw a massive 69.09m in the third round to jump straight into the lead.
That third round seemed to produce the best throws for the top three athletes as both Jordan and Oisin Joyce also had their best performances in that same round.
For Jordan his throw of 61.17m was a new personal best bettering his old mark of 60.40m which he threw in Derby (England) in may of this year.
Taking bronze for the second year in a row and achieving a personal best at a national championships is quiet an achievement that the Naas AC athlete will be happy with.
It was bronze for Holly Wright (Crookstown-Millview) in the discus. Wright has been competing in the National Seniors for the past three years and took bronze in this year’s championships with a throw of 42.64m. This throw came from the first round, which proved to be her best throw.
The overall competition was won by Anna Gavigan (LSA) with a best of 51.51m with Tara Laverty (Carrick Aces) in second place. Wright was joined in the discus by her sister Cara who finished 6th with a distance of 38.53m.
It has been a magnificent championship for Kildare throwing athletes, with all three medals won coming from throwing events.
There was much excitement in the 200m. Rashidat Adeleke returned home to race the National Senior 200m in a last ditch effort to gain qualification for the European Championships. Her season thus far had not gone to plan.
That all changed in a meagre 22 seconds. It was pitted as the final of the day, with Adeleke and the in-form Sharlen Mawssley going head to head. Unfortunately Mawdsley had to pull up at 80m with a hamstring issue, leaving Adeleke powering swiftly down the home straight to record 22.80, a championship record and more importantly, European qualification.
Two Kildare athletes competed in the 200m. Ria Kelly and Sarah Millea (Celbridge AC). Kelly was drawn in the same heat as Sharlene Mawdsley and finished 5th with a time of 26.12 seconds, placing 18th overall out of 28 competitors.
For Millea it was a different story. In the toughest heat by far, where the top four qualified for the final based on times, she was drawn in the same heat as Rashidat Adeleke. The pace from the start was quick, Adeleke drawing the best out of her chasing opponents. Millea qualified for the final with a time of 25.00 seconds.
She finished 6th in the final, her highest ever placing in a national seniors. Both Millea and Kelly also competed over 100m, where Millea reached the semi-final and finished 4th.
Following Adeleke’s remarkable qualification for the European’s (on the penultimate moment), the men’s race was equally thrilling. A staggering entry of 52 athletes were divided over seven heats.
Amongst those competing were four Kildare athletes. Leading the Kildare contingent was David Oghuvbu (Naas AC). Oghuvbu was drawn in the first heat against the ultimate winner Benjamin Richardson.
Oghuvbu finished a creditable 4th place in 22.66 as the athletes raced into a headwind. James Sullivan (Celbridge) finished 7th in heat 4. Just moments later in heat 5, Kevin Migge (Naas) finished 4th. The final Kildare competitor to take to the starting blocks was Shane Kennedy (Celbridge) who also recorded a 4th place finish.
The final was a race that featured Sean Aigboboh (Tallaght AC) who has been recording fast times in the USA all season. Also qualifying was Waterford born Benjamin Richardson (Waterford AC), has transferred his allegiance from South Africia to Ireland and will be eligible to compete for Ireland in 2027.
Wearing the blue and white of Waterford Richardson challenged Sean Aigboboh down the home straight and won the 200m final. Adam Murphy started well, running in lane eight, a lane most athletes hate as you run blind for most of the race. Rounding the bend into the straight, the pace ramped up with Aigbobhoh and Richardson going head to head.
Jack Gilmartin (Celbridge) raced in the 400m. Gilmartin finished 6th in the heats and ended his journey there. This was Gilmartin’s senior championship debut and he will learn a lot from his first experience of mixing with Ireland’s best.
The final was won by the reigning champion Jack Raferty (Donore) who had to work hard right to the line to get ahead of Andrew Egan (Galway) with Sean Doggett (Athenry) finishing 3rd. The ladies race produced an upset with Rachel McCann (North Down) taking the title ahead of the pre-race favourite Sophie Becker (Raheny).
Aoibhinn O’Sullivan (Naas) made her championship debut in the pole vault. O’Sullivan cleared 2.60m on her second attempt to finish in 10th place. The winner was Claire Walsh (Abbey Striders) who won her first ever championship medal. Walsh cleared 3.65m on her first attempt. Una Brice (Leevale) was second with Meave Corkery (Middleton) in third.
JP Archbold (Newbridge) rounded off his season with a fourth place finish in the men’s long jump. Archbold’s best jump came in the fourth round where he leaped 6.87m. The positive he can take from last weekend’s championship is he managed to get five legal jumps.
Archbold has struggled with getting his “mark” this season despite his incredible improvements in his personal best. The senior championships marks the end of what has been a long season for the Newbridge AC athlete.
Archbold managed to achieve a season’s best of 7.42m, a significant improvement upon his best from 2025. Now well within the 7m mark, Archbold will look for continuous improvements on this and hopefully make future European championships.
The middle distance events over the weekend may not have yielded medals but none-the-less the athletes competed with distinction in what has been a glorious weekend of middle distance running. Meave Caffrey (St Coca’s) competed in the opening round of the 1500m.
Caffrey recorded a time of 4.33.13 to finish in 10th place in her heat. The final was won by Sophie O’Sullivan who gave a dominant display of running leading from gun to tape in a new championship record of 4.06.62 breaking the 31 year old record set by her mother Sonia back in 1996.
Second was Laura Nicholason (Bandon) with Jodie McCann coming with a last minute burst to overtake Eimear Maher (DSD) to snatch the bronze.
The men’s 1500m was won by Andrew Coscoran. It was a close fought race with Coscoran pulling away from the pack over the final 100m. He had to work hard to shake off Cathal Doyle, with Nick Griggs finishing 3rd.
In the men’s 800m Rob Hewison (Kildare AC) qualified for yet another national final in the 800m. Hewison finished 3rd in his heat, with 9th overall, his time being good enough for a spot in the final.
It was a fast final with Cillian Kirwan (Raheny) pushing to an early lead. Kirwan was eventually caught with 200m to go by Cian McPhillips who powered effortlessly down the home straight to take gold in a time of 1.47.76 minutes. The much heralded duel with Mark English never happened as English was a late withdrawal from the heats on Saturday.
Kirwan finished second with juvenile athlete Bobby Moore (Bray Runners) being the surprise 3rd place finisher. Hewison finished 11th in the final having stayed well up with the leaders for most of the race. The ladies race was won by Madison Mooney of Tullamore who upset the odds by beating last years champion Alex O’Neill who finished 3rd. The in-form Emma Moore finished 2nd.
The 5000m race produced another thriller. Jack O’Leary (Mullingar) led the field, pulling away from the main pack. Darragh McIlhenny chased him down to ultimately take the gold.
It was not without a fight back from O’Leary who eventually ceded for silver. Brian Fay finished 3rd. The ladies race was won by Niamh Allen who produced a level of speed that is new to her, to outkick Fiona Everard and Danielle Donegan.
The championships saw a special event being held this year. An event that plays homage to reigning European 1500m champion Ciara Mageean.
Mageean having been diagnosed with terminal cancer since her European win, invited juvenile athletes from clubs across the country to run 300m with her.
Scores of such athletes turned out to “Run with Ciara” last weekend, the track swarming with young athletes was a sight to behold and testimony to Ciara’s popularity as an athletic figure in Ireland.
