Nick Griggs lowers his own Irish U20 3,000m record

Continuing his remarkable, record-breaking form, Nick Griggs improved his own Irish U-20 mark for the 3,000m with another class performance at the World Indoor Tour Bronze Meet in Manchester.

Still only 17, the Mid-Ulster AC athlete finished in fifth place in a time of 7:54:44, improving on his previous best of 7:57:38 set in February 2022. Fellow Irish athlete John Travers also went in the race, crossing in 8:34:28.

Thomas Barr also opened his season with a 48:13 in the 400m, while Sarah Lavin continued her fine start to the season with an 8:08 60m hurdles performance to back up last week’s 8:02 in Denmark.

On the US Indoor circuit Brian Fay, competing for the University of Washington, ran an impressive 3.52.03 for the mile, which ranks as the fastest time by an Irishman - indoors or out - since Mark Carroll’s 3:50.62 in 2000.

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Andrew Coscoran was also in action in the US, clocking a comfortable 2.19.25 for 1,000m to take the win in Boston: this performance moved the Star of the Sea athlete to second on Irish all-time indoor list behind Luke McCann’s 2.17.40.

Abdel Laadjel was also competing in Boston, running a news lifetime best of 13.50.03 for 5,000m to go 13th on Irish all-time list indoors, while Roisin Flanagan ran a lifetime best for 3,000m, running 8:53.53 in New York.

Kate O’Connor also broke the Irish indoor pentathlon record after two days of competition at the World Indoor Tour in Clermont, France, resulting in the Commonwealth Games silver medallist walking away with a points total of 4,396 in third place.

It continues a great 12 months for the Dundalk multi-event star, who last August claimed a heptathlon silver medal for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, her total here taking over from the national record of 4214 set by Grace McKenzie in Birmingham in 2019.