Announcing the Griffith Avenue Elite running field

The Griffith Avenue Mile Organising Committee are delighted to confirm some of Ireland's top short distance running athletes are participating in the upcoming timed run on Sunday September 22nd.

We are privileged to have the following great short distance runners joining us:

Shane Healy, Joseph Lyons, Emma O’Brien, Eleanor Alexander, Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill, Daniel Caines

Of course, these runners are part of what is a wider community event with a fun run for all levels of runners also taking place on the same course. 

A summary of recent achievements by each of these athletes follows. We wish them all the best for what promises to be an exciting timed run for all!

David Leavy (Belfast)
David is a Paralympic 1500m runner from Belfast. He has PB for the mile of 4:45

He was a finalist in the 2018 IPC European Championships in Berlin. He is currently targeting the IPC World Championships in Dubai in 6 weeks time.


Niall Cornyn
Niall is one of the top triathletes/ duathletes in the country having represented Ireland on 3 occasions this year. World U23 Duathlon Championships in Pontavedra, Spain in April finishing 6th, European u23 Duathlon in Romania in July finishing 5th and made his represented Ireland at senior level for the first time in World Cup Duathlon in China in August finishing 4th. He has a best time for 1500 of 4.05.


Philip O'Doherty
Masters has just won a European bronze medal for Ireland in Cross Country in Jeselo , Italy last week.


Shane Healy
23 years after competing in the Atlanta Olympic Games in the 1,500 meters, where he reached the semi final Shane has now established himself as one of the leading athletes in the Men’s Over 50’s category in the World. 

In recent times, Shane ran an amazing 4:22 to become the World Record holder in the mile for over 50’s, but it was short-lived, the record now stands at 4:19. Two weeks ago, he set a M50 World’s best time of 4:19 for the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York and now is competing in the Griffith Avenue Mile in Dublin. 

In February of this year at the All Ireland Master’s Cross Country, Shane was the winner in the over 50’s category representing his club Metro/St Brigid’s A.C. At the World Master’s Championship in Poland in March, he wars a member of the Irish Team that won Bronze Medals in the 8km Cross Country event. 

Shane’s personal best for the mile is 3:59.23 (1994) and 3:35.29 for 1,500 metres (1997).

2019 results:
3:59.17           1,500m           Belfast
8:49.71           3,000m           Cork

It has been a good 2019 with M50 world records and sub 4 minutes at 1,500 metres. This is an athlete who lives by the mantra ‘nothing is impossible’.


Joseph Lyons (Tallaght A.C.) 
Joseph has a personal best of 3:59.12 for 1,500 metres (May 2019) and a personal best for 800 metres of 1:52.53 (Gainsville, Florida). In the All Ireland U23 Indoors in Athlone, in January 2019, he finished 6th in the 800 metres in 2:02.44.  

Two results from June 2019 at 800 metres: (a) 1:54.93 (Loughborough, England) & (b) 1.55.11 (Belfast, Irish Milers Meet)


Emma O’Brien
A headline from the Wicklow People says it all ‘The Future is Bright for Talented Emma O’Brien. She is one of the brightest athletics talents to emerge from this country in recent years.

Emma finished as top Irish runner and in 8th place at the European U20 Cross Country Championships in Tilburg, the Netherlands in late 2018. Before that finished in 2nd place in the National Junior Cross Country in Abbottstown.


She first competed in the European Junior Cross Country when she was just 16 years old. She started running when she was 14 in Dominican College, Wicklow. In 2019, she set a personal best in the 3,000m of 10 minutes 03 seconds when competing in the Irish Universities Championship in Athlone.

She is also a World Champion in Surf Life Saving and is a champion Surf Rescuer as well and has representing Ireland and World and European championships.

Eleanor Alexander (Clonliffe Harriers)
Eleanor has a personal best at 1,500 metres of 4:26.78 and in August at a graded meeting in Tallaght she ran her first 3,000m track race in a fine time of 10.32.47 for 5th place.

 

Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (Dunore Harriers)
Her personal best’s are 4:40.10 for 1,500 metres and 17:15.39 for 5,000 metres on the track.   In the Dunshaughlin 10k Road Race in June, she finished in 5th place in 36:46 and at the National League in Santry in July, ran 4:45.17 for 1,500 metres. At the National Track & Field Championships she was 7th in the 5,000 metres in  17minutes 30 seconds (Emma O’Brien was 8th at 17:51).  

In September 2018, at the Rathfarnham 5km, Sorcha had a  commendable finishing time of 17 minutes 1 second.


Daniel Caines (Sprint Coach) Solihull UK
At the World Indoor Championships in Lisbon in 2001, Daniel was the winner of the 400 metres in 46:20.

At the European Championships in Munich in 2002, he took Bronze in the 400 metres in 45:28 and was a member of the victorious 4X400 metres British relay team.

At the World Indoors in Birmingham in 2003, this time it was Silver in the 400 metres in 45:43 and Bronze in the 4x400 metres relay team.

Finally, at the Olympic Games in 2000, he was a member of the 4x400 metres relay team which finished in 5th place.