Ireland's best athletes are in town for the Cork City Sports

Many of Ireland’s best athletes are primed to take on international rivals at the 71st edition of the Cork City Sports at the MTU Athletics Stadium this evening.

The men’s 100m features Irish record holder Israel Olatunde, the 23-year-old who moved to Florida last year to train with Olympic champion Noah Lyles. Olatunde has a best this year of 10.23 and will be looking to edge closer to his national record of 10.12 in Cork.

But he will face a tough challenge to just be the leading Irishman, given the presence of Bori Akinola, who recently clocked a wind-aided 10.10 in London, the quickest all-conditions 100m ever run by an Irishman. 

US sprinter Coby Hilton, a semi-finalist at the World Indoors this year, is among the stronger international rivals, having run 10.24 recently in Austria. Japan’s Ippei Takeda, who recently ran 10.23 in Tokyo, will also feature.

In the women’s 100m, Cork sprinters Phil Healy and Lucy-May Sleeman will face a solid international field, among them Mexico’s Cecilia Tamayo Garza, who has a best of 11.21 and set her national 200m record of 22.45 back in 2023. 

Also in the field is Britain’s Mabel Akande, who has run 11.27, and Nigeria’s Knowledge Omovoh, who has a best of 11.26.

Nicola Tuthill will have lots of support in the women’s hammer, the Bandon athlete in outstanding form so far this year, smashing her Irish U-23 record with 71.71m in Finland. She will take on Norway’s Beatrice Llano and Estonia’s Anna Maria Ceh, who have both thrown over 73 metres this year.

The men’s 3000m is loaded with quality, led by Australia’s Stewart McSweyn, who has a blazing personal best of 7:28.02. 

The Irish challenge is led by rising star Nick Griggs, the former European U-20 champion who will look to get close to his Irish U-23 record of 7:36.59. 

Having been ruled out for several months this year due to an infection in his knee, the Tyrone 20-year-old came back with a bang last month, clocking a 3:55.97 mile in Belfast.

The men’s 800m will see Irish Olympian Cathal Doyle drop down in distance and test his speed against international rivals, including British duo Thomas Randolph and Henry Jonas who have both run 1:44. 

Cian McPhillips will be a strong contender for the Irish, the Longford athlete clocking 1:45.33 indoors back in February and opening his outdoor season with a third-placed finish at the European Team Championships.

The men’s mile features a slew of men who have run below 3:55, including Australia’s Matthew Ramsden who has a best of 3:51.23, and Ronan McMahon-Staggs, who grew up in California but switched his allegiance to Ireland in 2023. 

He ran a mile in 3:51.85 in Seattle earlier this year, where he is a student at the University of Washington. 

There will be lots of support behind Leevale’s Charlie O’Donovan, who clocked a mile best of 3:56.96 in May.

Australia’s Danielle Shaw and Britain’s Abigail Pawlett look the standout names in the 100m hurdles, both holding personal bests of under 13 seconds, while the home charge is led by Carlow’s Molly Scott.

The action begins at 5.30pm with the women’s hammer and concludes with the men’s mile at 9pm. 

Tickets are available on Eventbrite from €17 for adults, €11.70 for students and OAP’s, with free ground admission for U12s.