MARK ENGLISH will start the 800m as favourite at the GloHealth National Championships this weekend at Santry.
The Letterkenny native is fresh from his best outing of the season thus far when he clocked 1:45:49 at the London Anniversary Games last month to come fourth in a star-studded field. English, who represents UCD, is currently preparing for the World Track and Field Championships in Beijing, which run from August 22 to 30.
In terms of competition, English is expected to be tested most by Clonliffe Harriers’ Declan Murray, while Mark Hoy – from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh and member of Finn Valley Athletic Club – is taking part in the same event.
Karl Griffin (pictured above), also of UCD, won the 800m at the Morton Games last month in spectacular fashion to continue his excellent form of late. The Mountcharles native came home in a time of 1:47:47 having come sixth in final of the European U-23 Athletics Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, last month – where he was ahead of English. This weekend, though, Griffin will be competing in the 400m.
Brendan Boyce, like English, has already booked his place on the Irish team for next summer’s Olympic Games in Rio. The Milford native will be taking part in the 10K walk against the likes of two men he will join in Brazil – Rob Heffernan and Alex Wright.
Another conscript of a Donegal club expected to feature in Santry is Tori Pena, the Californian who is part of Finn Valley Athletic Club. She has four national titles to her name and last month in Rottach-Egern, Germany, cleared 4.50 metres in the pole vault to confirm her participation in both the upcoming World Track and Field Championships in Beijing and next year’s Olympics.
Mary McLoone from Cleengort, Lettermacaward, won the triple-jump at the National Indoors in Athlone in February – her eighth title and the Tir Chonaill Athletic Club member should be in the shake-up this weekend.
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