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Le Chéile International Preview: Entries Closing Soon
 
This year’s Le Chéile International will take place on Saturday 8th June and promises to be one of the highlights of the year on the Irish athletics calendar. Run in association with our meet partners, the Irish Milers Club, events will begin at 2pm and build up to the main International competitions across the afternoon. All track events from 100m to 3000m will feature on the programme, including for the first time the Women’s 100m Hurdles and Men’s 110m Hurdles, while the Long Jump and Shot Putt will be featured in the field.
 
For the first time in 2019, all of the sprint events at the Le Chéile International will be run as wind sprints, which guarantees following winds, and consequent fast times. As a result, the sprint entries are very strong and track records are certainly under threat. On the Men’s side, double defending champion Andrew Robertson (GB, 10.10, 20.76) returns to defend his titles, but will face stiff competition from Steven Muller (GER, 10.33, 20.46) and current Irish Champion, Marcus Lawler (10.30, 20.40).  In the Women’s sprint events, rising Irish star and European Junior Champion Gina Akpe Moses (11.46, 23.86) will fancy her chances of securing a home victory, but she will be hard pushed by Hannah Brier (GB, 11.39, 23.59).
 
In the middle distance events, the Men’s and Women’s 800m will take centre stage and we are once again expecting fireworks. For the second year running, the Le Chéile International is very proud to be hosting the Noel Carroll Men’s 800m, with last year’s runner up and European Junior medallist John Fitzsimons (1.48.09) hoping to go one better this year. He will face off against British University Champion indoors and outdoors this year, Alex Botterill (GB, 1.47.95), as well as Spencer Thomas (1.47.76) and Machmach Abdessalam (ITA, 1.48.39). Similarly, the Women’s 800m promises to be a closely fought affair, and will feature Scottish international Philippa Millage (GB, 2.05.19), while the Irish charge will be led by last year’s runner up, Alanna Lally (2.04.79) and Amy O’Donoghue (2.05.79).
 
The highlight of the field events promises to be the Men’s Long Jump, which has consistently delivered big performances over the last three years. Leading the entries is Ireland’s Sam Healy (7.63m), and he will be joined by two Le Chéile regulars, Jack Roach (GB, 7.71m) and David John Martin (GB, 7.40m). With such closely matched athletes,  this has all the hallmarks of a cracking competition.
 
For the second time, the event will also feature the Le Chéile International Team Trophy, which this year sees Team Ireland face off against Team GB and Team World. Having won the Team Trophy in convincing fashion last year, Team Ireland will be keen to defend their title and stake their claim as the dominant team. The final events counting towards the Team Trophy will be the ever-popular 4x100m Relays, with the three international teams squaring off for one final time.
 
Entries for all events (100m to 3000m, 100m/110mH, Long Jump, Shot Putt) are now open through the Irish Milers Club website (www.irishmilersclub.org). Races will be run on a graded basis so all levels of athlete will be catered for, but entries are filling up fast so don’t miss out. Get your entry in before next Wednesday, 5th June.
On the day, entry to the event will be free of charge for all spectators and there will be a live stream with nTrai and a live outside broadcast with KFM Radio, so there’s no excuse to miss out on what promises to be a super day of world class athletics! For more details, see www.lecheileac.com/international, and don’t forget to follow us on twitter for all updates: @lecheileintl

 

Le Chéile International 2019 to include Wind-Sprints!

This year’s Le Chéile International, on Saturday 8th June, will see all sprint events up to and including 200m run with a following wind! The direction of the races will be decided to ensure ideal sprinting conditions, and thus help to maximise all sprint performances.

Following on from this successful initiative at the Tón Le Gaoithe meeting and the Leevale Open Sports, we will facilitate fast times for all of our sprinters in this way. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to achieve a super-fast time. Make sure Le Chéile is part of your schedule for this Summer!

 

Le Chéile International 2019

LCI 2018

The 2019 edition of the Le Chéile International, in association with the Irish Milers Club, will take place on Saturday 8th June. It will once again feature a full programme of track events from 100m to 3000m, as well as the Long Jump and Shot Putt.

2019 will also see the return of the Le Chéile International Team Trophy, with Team Ireland looking to defend their crown from the inaugural competition in 2018.

Please check back regularly for updates and announcements.

LCI 2016

 

 

Robinson announced as Irish Team Captain for Le Chéile International

Image result for paul robinson athlete

This year’s Le Chéile International takes place on Saturday 16th June in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, and for the first time will feature the Le Chéile International Team Trophy. This will see Team Ireland take on three international teams, Team GB Blue, Team GB Red, and a World Team, across 11 international events to try to claim the inaugural Team Trophy, kindly sponsored by Athletics Ireland. Following a similar format to the European Team Championships, each team will have two scoring members per event, with results counting towards the overall team score. The competition will finish with a Mixed 4x100m Relay, featuring two male and two female athletes from each team.

Kildare native and middle distance ace, Paul Robinson, has been appointed as Captain of Team Ireland and, with Captain’s scores counting double, he will play a crucial role in helping Ireland towards victory, and is looking forward to captaining his country. Each of the Team Captains will also have a Captain’s Pick, another star athlete who will score double points, and Robinson feels he has many worthy candidates to choose from. In his own event, the Men’s 1500m, Paul will face off against Rowan Axe, who had a breakout season in 2017, lowering his best to 3.38.12.

Two other middle distance events will also count towards the Team Trophy. The Women’s 800m, sponsored by the Irish Milers Club, will feature Claire Tarplee (2.03.29) and Katy Brown (2.02.33). And for the first time, the Le Chéile International will feature the Noel Carroll Men’s 800m, sponsored by Civil Service Harriers. This promises to be a cracking race, with 2017 Irish Indoor Champion Kieran Kelly (1.47.50) facing tough opposition from James Bowness (1.45.96) and John Bird (1.47.79).

The sprint events have also attracted top quality opposition for the Irish team, with recently crowned Commonwealth Games Champion, Harry Aikines Aryeetey (10.08), set to star in the 100m sponsored by FloElen Construction, where he will face the winner of the Irish Universities Championship, Travane Morrison (10.50). British Universities Champion, Diani Walker (11.45), will have high hopes in the Kildare County Council Women’s 100m, while Canadian Olympian Carline Muir (51.06) is the leading entry in the Women’s 400m. In the French Estates Men’s 400m, World Indoor Silver Medallist Conrad Williams (45.06) will challenge for the win as he lines up against some of Ireland’s top Junior athletes.

 
The Men’s Long Jump will take centre stage in the field events, as British Universities Champion Jack Roach (7.58) takes on 2016 Le Chéile Champion DJ Martin (7.40). The final event of the day will see the four international teams face off in a Mixed 4x100m Relay, with two male and two female athletes from each team carrying the baton around to hopefully secure Team Trophy glory.
 
Entries for the Le Chéile International will open this week through the Irish Milers Club website, www.irishmilersclub.org. Entries will be taken for all track events from 100m to 3000m, as well as the Long Jump and Shot Putt, for both Men and Women. Fields are expected to fill up very quickly, so please don’t delay and make sure you are part of a great day of athletics!
 
More details are available on our website: www.lecheileac.com/international, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @lecheileintl

 

2017 Le Chéile International Announced!

The 2017 edition of the Le Chéile International will once again take place at the Leixlip Amenities Centre on Saturday 15th July, in partnership with the Irish Milers Club. It falls right in the middle of a fantastically exciting month for Irish athletics, with five international events, including the IMC Belfast International and the Morton Games. Le Chéile will also provide athletes with the ideal opportunity to tune up for National Championships, which take place one week later.

A full programme of events is planned for both Men and Women, and regular updates will be provided here, so check back soon!

 

Stellar fields confirmed for Le Chéile International

The 3rd Edition of the Le Chéile International in association with the Irish Milers Club will take place on Saturday 30th July in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, and will build on the tremendous success of the last two years with some exciting new events and innovations.

Top of the list is the inclusion of the Ronnie Delaney 1500m, which will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Delaney’s historic gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. The race promises to be a fitting tribute, with last year’s 1500m winner Tom Lancashire (GBR, 3.33.96) returning to face runner-up, John Travers (3.37.27), and one of the three athletes who broke the four minute mile barrier at the 2014 meet, Jordy Williamsz (AUS, 3.36.74). Ronnie will be on hand to present the prizes for the race, which is organised in association with Crusaders AC.

Last summer, Angela Petty (NZ) set a personal best when winning the 1500m at Le Chéile and followed this up by claiming the World Student Games title over 800m. Petty will return to Leixlip this year, this time to do battle at the shorter distance. Boasting a best of 1.59.06, Petty will be tough to beat, but the likes of Katy Brown (GBR, 2.02.33), Rowena Cole (GBR, 2.02.88) and 2014 Le Chéile winner Laura Crowe (2.00.93) will fancy their chances of causing an upset.

For the first time, the Le Chéile International will have international participation in the sprint events. On the Men’s side, the top Irish athletes will face tough overseas competition in the 100m, 200m and 400m. Leading entries in the shorter sprints include Jamaican 4x200m record holder Kevin Thompson (10.31, 20.66) and Northern Ireland’s Leon Reid (10.34, 20.62). Recent winner of the Belfast International, Theo Campbell, who boasts a best of 46.02, will fancy his chances over one lap, but will face stern opposition from home favourite and double European Indoor Champion David Gillick (44.77). In the Women’s sprint events, Phil Healy (11.49, 23.79) and Niamh Whelan (11.63, 23.30), who recently competed at the European Championships, will be joined by World-Junior bound Sharlene Mawdsley (11.80, 23.55) and Nigeria’s Stephanie Kalu (11.33, 23.57).

Having featured in every edition of the Le Chéile International, the 400m Hurdles will once again provide a highlight. 2012 African Games gold medalist Cristian Morton of Nigeria (48.79) leads the male entries. Haging just returned from the European Championships in Amsterdam, Paul Byrne (50.72) will be aiming for victory against the likes of last year’s runner-up Jacob Paul (GBR, 50.20) and Jack Lawrie (GBR, 50.85). Jessie Barr (55.93) will continue her comeback from injury in the Women’s 400m Hurdles and will face tough opposition from last year’s top two, Jess Turner (GBR, 57.00) and Shona Richards (GBR, 56.05), as well as Eva Duinslaeger (BEL, 57.64).

The Men’s Long Jump provides the final international event, and the solitary one in the field. David John Martin (GBR, 7.40) will hope to overcome the home challenge from Shane Howard (7.35) and Colm Bourke (7.29).

Outside of the international events, the meet will once again cater for all athletes across a full range of events, from 100m to 3000m on the track, and the Long Jump and Shot Putt in the field. The Irish Milers Club will once again ensure top quality organisation and efficiency on the day, and entries will open through their website on July 18th. One exciting addition for 2016 is the live streaming of the event in association with nTrai. They will provide full coverage of all races, including interviews and analysis across the 3 hours of the programme.

Further details and information regarding the 2016 Le Chéile International are available on our website at www.lecheileac.com/international. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, @lecheileintl, to keep up with all the latest news.

 

 

Le Chéile International 2016

This summer’s edition of the Le Chéile International will happen at the Le Chéile AC track and field facility in Leixlip, Co. Kildare on Saturday 30th July. Following on from the success of the first two years of the competition, it promises to be bigger and better than ever. It will once again be organised in conjunction with the Irish Milers Club who will bring their trademark organisation and efficiency, ensuring a well-run competition for athletes of all abilities.

One of the highlights of last season’s meeting was the track record in the Women’s 1500m set by Angie Petty of New Zealand. Petty went on to win the World University Games over 800m later in the summer, and this year there will be an International Women’s 800m at the Le Chéile International. Petty, who boasts a personal best of 1.59.06, has expressed her desire to return to Leixlip, where she will face off against some of Ireland’s best middle distance athletes, as well as some guests from the British Milers Club.

In the Men’s 800m, Karl Griffen and Niall Tuohy showed the overseas athletes the way home last year, with Griffen eventually winning in 1.48.05. This event will again be one of our International highlights, with Abraham Kiplagat of Kenya (1.43.77) set to feature.

Over the last two years, we have witnessed some top quality hurdling with Thomas Barr in 2014 (49.91), Sebastien Rodger in 2015 (49.84) and Jessica Turner (57.43) all setting blistering track records. Barr has since joined Petty as a World University Games Champion and we are expecting similarly high-quality fields and performances over the 400m Hurdles in July.

For the first time this year, we will also have a sprint as one of our International events, with the Men’s 100m set to take centre stage. Kenyan champion Mike Nyang’au (10.23) and Jamaican 4x200m indoor record holder Kevin Thompson (10.31) are set to take to the blocks to challenge the cream of Irish talent. Having come “From the depths of hell” in the recent IUAA Championships, Phil Healy will switch back to the shorter sprints and will start as one of the favourites at Le Chéile.

An exciting new development for 2016 is the live streaming of the event, which will be produced and broadcast by our streaming partners, nTrai. The entire programme will be available to view online, ensuring that all athletics fans can enjoy what promises to be a spectacular day of world-class athletics.

For more information on the Le Chéile International, and the latest news and updates, visit our website at www.lecheileac.com/international and follow us on Twitter @lecheileintl.

 

2nd Le Chéile International, 13th June 2015

The 2nd Edition of the Le Chéile International was held under glorious sunshine on Saturday June 13th and proved to be even more successful than the first. It featured over 250 athletes representing 10 different nations from around the world. This included 20 athletes from overseas, who challenged some of Ireland’s top performers.

The performance of the competition saw Angela Petty of New Zealand set a new track record and personal best in the Women’s 1500m, overcoming a trio of Irish athletes who are destined for the Rio Olympic Games, as well as some stiff international opposition. Petty used the Le Chéile International as the springboard for her season, which saw her crowned World Champion at the World University Games in July.

A star-studded field lined up in the Men’s 400m Hurdles, which featured no less than five international guests. Undaunted by Thomas Barr’s scintillating track record from 2014, the athletes flew around the track. Eventual winner Sebastien Rodger of Great Britain smashed Barr’s previous record, stopping the clock at 49.84secs.

There was further success for Great Britain in the Men’s 1500m and Women’s 400m Hurdles, with Tom Lancashire and Jessica Turner taking the spoils. However, the overseas athletes didn’t have it all their own way in the International Events. In the Men’s 800m, Irish Champions Karl Griffen and Niall Tuohy showed the way home to competitors from Denmark, Great Britain and Latvia, with Tuohy also recording the fastest time of his career.

The success wasn’t limited to the International events however, with over 30% of the athletes who competed running their fastest times ever! There was a wonderful atmosphere throughout the day and a great sense of occasion, helped by the great weather and the music and live broadcast provided by KFM. The majority of athletes and all of the spectators went away happy. Michael McGovern of the Irish Milers Club commented that it was “probably the best Irish Milers Club Meet ever.” High praise indeed for an event which is still in its infancy.

Reflecting on the event, Race Director David McCarthy said, “We’ve had such a brilliant day and couldn’t have hoped for it to go any better. When you see so many athletes producing personal bests and seasons bests, and when the spectators are entertained so well, it makes all of the hard work so worthwhile. We are extremely grateful to all of our sponsors, to KFM and to the Irish Milers Club. We’re already looking forward to next year, when we can scale even higher heights!”

 

 

Barr sets new National Record

Just a week before he defends his title at the Le Chéile International, Thomas Barr finished 4th at the Rome Diamond League and, in doing so, lowered his own National Record for the 400m Hurdles to 48.65secs. This improves on the mark of 48.90secs that Thomas set in Geneva in June 2014, and further strengthens his position as European Number 1. Barr will be hoping to go even quicker when he takes to the track in Leixlip on Saturday and, with a high-quality field assembled, there is every possibility we will see more fireworks in the one-lap hurdles!

 

Entry to the Le Chéile International is FREE OF CHARGE for all spectators. Events kick off on Saturday 13th June at 2.30pm at the Leixlip Amenities Centre. So why not come along to see what promises to be a spectacular afternoon of world-class athletics? Full details are available on our website at www.lecheileac.com/international

 

Stellar Fields Assembled for Le Chéile International

European leader and Irish record holder Thomas Barr (48.90) leads the entries for the Le Chéile International, which takes place in Leixlip, Co. Kildare on Saturday 13th June. Barr will line up alongside Irish number two, Jason Harvey (50.16), to take on some of the top British and European hurdlers, including Sebastien Rodger (GBR, 49.19). This race will also feature a European Record attempt, as Aramis Diaz (ITA) attempts to better his own European Masters record of 51.23 secs.

In the Women’s 400m Hurdles, Ireland’s best will again take on all-comers in what promises to be a really exciting event. Jessie Barr (55.93) and Christine McMahon (56.97) will face international opposition from the likes of Shona Richards (GBR, 56.16) and Frida Persson (SWE, 57.83).

Top quality international fields have also been assembled for both the Men’s and Women’s 1500m. In the Men’s race, 2014 sensation John Travers (3.37) will face off against Tom Lancashire (GBR, 3.33) and Kevin Batt (3.59 Mile), while the Women’s entries are led by Alison Leonard (GBR), who last week secured Olympic qualification over 800m. She will face tough opposition from Melissa Courtney (GBR, 4.11) and Kerry O’Flaherty (4.14).

The Men’s 800m will be another highlight of the event, with three athletes taking to the track who competed at the European Indoor Championships in Prague in March. Karl Griffin (1.47.39) leads the Irish charge against James Bowness (GBR, 1.47.59) and Nick Jensen (DEN, 1.48.85).

 

Return of the Le Chéile International

Saturday 13th June will see the return of the Le Chéile International for its 2nd Edition. Last year’s event, staged on a balmy June evening, produced some spectacular performances including a sub 50 second clocking in the 400m Hurdles, and no fewer than three athletes dipping under the magical 4-minute mile barrier. This season’s event, again staged in conjunction with the Irish Miler’s Club, promises to be bigger and better and sees the return of many of the 2014 winners to the Leixlip venue.

Thomas Barr certainly lived up to his ever-improving reputation last year, staving off tough opposition from Australia’s Ian Dewhurst to win the Men’s 400m Hurdles in 49.90secs. He will return to defend his title in 2015 facing strong opposition from, amongst others, British No. 1 Niall Flannery.

This year, the Women’s 400m Hurdles has been added to the International programme and Jessie Barr, Thomas’ older sister, will line up alongside Britain’s Meghan Beesley and Vera Barbosa of Portugal, both of whom were ranked in Europe’s top 8 last season.

As for the middle distance events, there will be International fields in both the Men’s and Women’s 1500m. The Women’s race promises to be one of the most competitive on Irish soil this summer. Irish Champion, Ciara Mageean, takes to the start line with two Le Chéile winners from 2014, Laura Crowe, who won over 800m last year, and Maria McCambridge, who captured the 1500m.

In the Men’s field, John Travers returns to Le Chéile after the most successful year of his career in 2014. He will be joined on the start line by Britain’s Tom Lancashire, who boasts a Personal Best of 3.33 for the Metric Mile.

As well as the International events, there will be a full programme of graded events, organised and run by the Irish Miler’s Club. Famous for their legendary efficiency and time-keeping, the Miler’s will invite entries for the following events in early June:

100m, 200m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, Long Jump, Shot Putt

These events will cater for male and female athletes of all levels.

The Le Chéile International kicks off at 2.30pm on Saturday 13th June and will once again be free of charge for all spectators. So why not come along and witness what promises to be a great night of athletics? Full details are available at www.lecheileac.com/international