
Fifth in ten-part series: Liam O’Brien a specialist in steeplechase and longevity
Fifth in ten-part series highlighting the best Irish masters performances. In July 1995, 1984 Olympian Liam O’Brien ran an impressive 8.48.65 for 3000 metres steeplechase (M40-44) at the World Masters in Tailinn, Finland. This Irish masters record has stood for more than twenty years with no sign of being touched

Podcast:Elites and Masters Fighting for an Audience
We look at two main talking points in this week’s podcast: do Masters athletes deserve more respect and why are elite runners not getting the limelight in favour of human interest stories. The Irish National Masters Championships were on last weekend and many felt like second class citizens despite it

Fourth in ten-part series: Noel Carroll’s masters record just one of his numerous contributions
Almost twenty years after Noel Carroll competed in the Tokyo Olympic Games [46.8 in 400M first round], the late Irish athletics icon and two-time Olympian ran 50.60 for M40 400 meters on June 15, 1983. How does that time rank? For starters, it is an Irish masters record and, for

Third in ten-part series: Christine Kennedy’s elite career spans 35 years and counting
Some elite masters athletes never enjoyed success as senior open athletes and many outstanding senior athletes retire long before they becomes eligible to compete as masters. Former Irish international Christine Kennedy is one of those athletes who can point to equally successful careers as both an open athlete and also

Second in ten-part series: 800M World masters champ Joe Gough no ordinary Joe
Second in ten-part series: Joe Gough no ordinary Joe. This series focuses on the Top Irish masters performances of all time. While awaiting my 800 preliminary race at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, I struck up a conversation with one of the other Irish competitors. As we parted ways,

First in ten-part series: Irish masters performances for the ages
First in a ten-part series highlighting the best Irish masters performances. My first memories of watching track and field date back to the summer of 1976 when my dad and I watched Ireland’s Eamon Coghlan advance through the rounds of the 1500 meters at the Montreal Olympics. The outcome has

Masters athletes not immune from doping or cheating
Written by Joe Conway Athletes are never too old to cheat. Perhaps the most intriguing and somewhat amusing case doesn’t involve doping, but rather an athlete who claimed to be ten years older than he actually was. According to the WMA, [Brazilian] Francisco do Carmo de Oliveira’, a Civil Servant,
Triple crown Thie-peat and mission complete!
James Thie’s blog couldn’t have worked out better – well perhaps some world M35 records but three world titles is not to be sniffed at. Jumping the Gun would like to give James a special thanks for blogging daily since last Tuesday. We hope our Eoin Callaghan’s, marathon blogger, adventure
Thie for Three?
Here’s James Thie’s blog on qualifying for the 1500m final to set up the triple crown at the World Masters Indoor Championships in the M35 category in Budapes. James Thie World masters Indoor Championships Final day of the finals…Thie for Three?????? 30th March Yesterday was a much more chilled out day
Two down, one to go for Thie’s world masters triple crown
Wales may be lagging behind Ireland in the rugby this season but there is no stopping Welsh dynamo James Thie on the track in Budapest. He’s well on his way to a triple crown having won the 3,000m and 800m – he goes into Sunday’s 1500m as the fastest qualifier