World Relays - NI Athletes Help Secure Two World Championship Teams

World Relays, China

Following the 2024 season where she was close to but not quite making the first team squad for the World Indoors and Olympic Games, Rachel McCann (North Down AC / Ian Neely) ran two impressive splits of 52.38 and 52.89 for the Women’s 4x400m which qualified for the Tokyo World Championships on the second attempt with a win in their heat on day two of the competition. The strong team of Sophie Becker, Rashidat Adeleke, McCann, and Sharlene Mawdsley ran an impressive 3:24.69 to hold off the Australian and Swiss teams.

On day 1, 2024 European U18 bronze medallist Conor Kelly (Derry Track Club / Paul Miller), still only 17, led off the Mixed 4x400m Relay team who secured World Championship qualification with a Round 1 runners up finish to the USA. Conor set an impressive 46.31 split on the first leg and handed over to Adeleke before Cillin Greene and Mawdsley brought the baton home in 3:12.56.

In the Men’s 4x400m, Callum Baird (Ballymena & Antrim AC / Ian Neely) had his first run of 2025 taking responsibility for the second leg and posting the team’s fastest split of 45.94 seconds in their 6^th placed finish with 3:05.47.  The following day in Round 2 Connor Kelly led off the Men’s team in another impressive 46.40 split for a 7^th placed finish of 3:04.42.

Belfast Irish Milers

The sun was shining once again on the Mary Peters Track for the Belfast Irish Milers Meeting which as always brought a very strong level of international performances to Northern Ireland.

European age group standards were achieved by Jenna Breen (Euro U23 400) with a time of 53.59 and Emer McKee (EYOF 3000m) with a time of 9:37.46. ANI Academy graduate Breen, who took a BUCS silver medal last week, has now taken over two seconds off her PB in 2025.

Other top local performances on the day came from Niamh Carr (4.22.52) and Kirsti Foster (4:26.91) who were top 2 in the Women’s 1500m A and Callum Morgan (3.42.58) in the Men’s International 1500m. ANI Academy Athlete Clara Casey had a significant 800m PB of 2:09.68 when winning the Women’s C race as did James Armstrong winning the 400m B in a PB of 48.86 with Adam Courtney running 48.08 in the A race.

In the 3000m Hannah Gilliland ran a significant PB of 9:26.36 in the Women’s International. In the Men’s International 3k Jack O’Farrell, Neil Johnston and Tony McCambridge all broke 8.10 and U20 athlete Oisin McGloin won the A race with 8:25.44. U18 athlete Ben Sykes was 3^rd in the Men’s A 100m in 10.81, Craig Newell was 2^nd in the 200m A race with 21.94