Belfast can look forward to its second international athletics meeting this summer with the Lagan Valley club celebrating the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s first sub-4 minute mile at the Mary Peters Track next weekend.
Obviously, the mile event will take central stage. Once regarded as exceptional, a sub-4 clocking has become less special with the advent of the carbon spikes. In 2023, 92 men broke what was once considered to be an impossible barrier and 46 so far this year are under 4:00. Last athlete to run under four in the province of Ulster was Mexican record holder Juan Luis Barrios who recorded a time of 3:59.44 in Letterkenny almost exactly ten years ago.
Despite it being now a common occurrence, only 17 Ulster athletes to date have joined the once elite sub-4 club and the last one to do so on home ground was Davie Wilson at the Mary Peters in 1991. The organisers have lined up sub-4 performers Max Wharton, John Travers, Australian Tom Moorcroft, and Thomas Moran in attempt to bridge the gap back to Wilson with the prospect of adding at least half a dozen others who are well capable of the timing.
Thanks to support from the Belfast City Marathon, the meeting has attracted an entry of over 350 athletes representing not only every corner of the British Isles and Ireland but also four European countries as well as Australia, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA.
The extensive programme also includes field events and the NI & Ulster mixed medley relay championships with Letterkenny AC expected to defend the title they won last year in the inaugural race of its kind run locally. Aside from the elite mile, other highlights should include both the men’s and women’s 400m contests, the women’s 800m, and the graded miles.
The field events feature City of Lisburn’s Ben Fisher and Erin Fisher in their respective long jumps, Lifford-Strabane AC’s hammer sisters, and English javelin thrower Lexx McConville. Events kick off at 12.00 noon and should be complete by 4:00pm
The BMC events are being supported by Belfast City Marathon while Willowfield TH, City of Lisburn, Championchip Ireland and Running Bubble will be adding sponsorship to the Lagan Valley-promoted events. Entries are currently being taken on-line at www.laganvalley.co.uk but close on Sunday.
Belfast can look forward to its second international athletics meeting this summer with the Lagan Valley club celebrating the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s first sub-4 minute mile at the Mary Peters Track next weekend.
Obviously, the mile event will take central stage. Once regarded as exceptional, a sub-4 clocking has become less special with the advent of the carbon spikes. In 2023, 92 men broke what was once considered to be an impossible barrier and 46 so far this year are under 4:00. Last athlete to run under four in the province of Ulster was Mexican record holder Juan Luis Barrios who recorded a time of 3:59.44 in Letterkenny almost exactly ten years ago.
Despite it being now a common occurrence, only 17 Ulster athletes to date have joined the once elite sub-4 club and the last one to do so on home ground was Davie Wilson at the Mary Peters in 1991. The organisers have lined up sub-4 performers Max Wharton, John Travers, Australian Tom Moorcroft, and Thomas Moran in attempt to bridge the gap back to Wilson with the prospect of adding at least half a dozen others who are well capable of the timing.
Thanks to support from the Belfast City Marathon, the meeting has attracted an entry of over 350 athletes representing not only every corner of the British Isles and Ireland but also four European countries as well as Australia, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA.
The extensive programme also includes field events and the NI & Ulster mixed medley relay championships with Letterkenny AC expected to defend the title they won last year in the inaugural race of its kind run locally. Aside from the elite mile, other highlights should include both the men’s and women’s 400m contests, the women’s 800m, and the graded miles.
The field events feature City of Lisburn’s Ben Fisher and Erin Fisher in their respective long jumps, Lifford-Strabane AC’s hammer sisters, and English javelin thrower Lexx McConville. Events kick off at 12.00 noon and should be complete by 4:00pm
The BMC events are being supported by Belfast City Marathon while Willowfield TH, City of Lisburn, Championchip Ireland and Running Bubble will be adding sponsorship to the Lagan Valley-promoted events. Entries are currently being taken on-line at www.laganvalley.co.uk but close on Sunday.
Belfast can look forward to its second international athletics meeting this summer with the Lagan Valley club celebrating the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s first sub-4 minute mile at the Mary Peters Track next weekend.
Obviously, the mile event will take central stage. Once regarded as exceptional, a sub-4 clocking has become less special with the advent of the carbon spikes. In 2023, 92 men broke what was once considered to be an impossible barrier and 46 so far this year are under 4:00. Last athlete to run under four in the province of Ulster was Mexican record holder Juan Luis Barrios who recorded a time of 3:59.44 in Letterkenny almost exactly ten years ago.
Despite it being now a common occurrence, only 17 Ulster athletes to date have joined the once elite sub-4 club and the last one to do so on home ground was Davie Wilson at the Mary Peters in 1991. The organisers have lined up sub-4 performers Max Wharton, John Travers, Australian Tom Moorcroft, and Thomas Moran in attempt to bridge the gap back to Wilson with the prospect of adding at least half a dozen others who are well capable of the timing.
Thanks to support from the Belfast City Marathon, the meeting has attracted an entry of over 350 athletes representing not only every corner of the British Isles and Ireland but also four European countries as well as Australia, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA.
The extensive programme also includes field events and the NI & Ulster mixed medley relay championships with Letterkenny AC expected to defend the title they won last year in the inaugural race of its kind run locally. Aside from the elite mile, other highlights should include both the men’s and women’s 400m contests, the women’s 800m, and the graded miles.
The field events feature City of Lisburn’s Ben Fisher and Erin Fisher in their respective long jumps, Lifford-Strabane AC’s hammer sisters, and English javelin thrower Lexx McConville. Events kick off at 12.00 noon and should be complete by 4:00pm
The BMC events are being supported by Belfast City Marathon while Willowfield TH, City of Lisburn, Championchip Ireland and Running Bubble will be adding sponsorship to the Lagan Valley-promoted events. Entries are currently being taken on-line at www.laganvalley.co.uk but close on Sunday.
Belfast can look forward to its second international athletics meeting this summer with the Lagan Valley club celebrating the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s first sub-4 minute mile at the Mary Peters Track next weekend.
Obviously, the mile event will take central stage. Once regarded as exceptional, a sub-4 clocking has become less special with the advent of the carbon spikes. In 2023, 92 men broke what was once considered to be an impossible barrier and 46 so far this year are under 4:00. Last athlete to run under four in the province of Ulster was Mexican record holder Juan Luis Barrios who recorded a time of 3:59.44 in Letterkenny almost exactly ten years ago.
Despite it being now a common occurrence, only 17 Ulster athletes to date have joined the once elite sub-4 club and the last one to do so on home ground was Davie Wilson at the Mary Peters in 1991. The organisers have lined up sub-4 performers Max Wharton, John Travers, Australian Tom Moorcroft, and Thomas Moran in attempt to bridge the gap back to Wilson with the prospect of adding at least half a dozen others who are well capable of the timing.
Thanks to support from the Belfast City Marathon, the meeting has attracted an entry of over 350 athletes representing not only every corner of the British Isles and Ireland but also four European countries as well as Australia, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA.
The extensive programme also includes field events and the NI & Ulster mixed medley relay championships with Letterkenny AC expected to defend the title they won last year in the inaugural race of its kind run locally. Aside from the elite mile, other highlights should include both the men’s and women’s 400m contests, the women’s 800m, and the graded miles.
The field events feature City of Lisburn’s Ben Fisher and Erin Fisher in their respective long jumps, Lifford-Strabane AC’s hammer sisters, and English javelin thrower Lexx McConville. Events kick off at 12.00 noon and should be complete by 4:00pm
The BMC events are being supported by Belfast City Marathon while Willowfield TH, City of Lisburn, Championchip Ireland and Running Bubble will be adding sponsorship to the Lagan Valley-promoted events. Entries are currently being taken on-line at www.laganvalley.co.uk but close on Sunday.
ULSTER’S SUB-4 MINUTE MILERS
| 3:55.0 | Jim McGuinness | Antrim | 1977 |
| 03:55.7 | Nick Griggs | Tyrone | 2023 |
| 03:55.9 | Gary Lough | Antrim | 1995 |
| 03:56.4 | Steve Martin | Antrim | 1986 |
| 03:57.6 | Gareth Turnbull | Antrim | 2002 |
| 3:58.28i | Oisín Ó’Gailín | Donegal | 2024 |
| 03:57.8 | Paul Lawther | Down | 1983 |
| 03:58.4 | Sean O’Neill | Antrim | 1987 |
| 03:59.2 | Derek Graham | Down | 1966 |
| 03:59.4 | Peter McColgan | Tyrone | 1986 |
| 03:59.5 | James McIlroy | Antrim | 1998 |
| 03:59.5 | Gary Murray | Donegal | 2005 |
| 03:59.7 | Mark Kirk | Antrim | 1986 |
| 03:59.8 | Seamus McCann | Antrim | 1988 |
| 03:59.9 | Allen Graffin | Antrim | 2000 |
| 03:59.9 | Brian Treacy | Antrim | 1999 |
| 03:59.9 | Davey Wilson | Antrim | 1991 |
IRISH RUNNING NEWS 
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