Irish aces on parade in US

Ireland’s brightest middle distance runners will be on parade in the US this weekend.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird (Leevale AC) lines up for the featured Geoff Hollister men’s mile against five men who have run 3:50 or faster at the USA Track and Field Classic in Arkansas. He will be up against two-time world indoor silver medallist Daniel Komen (3:48.28), world outdoor silver medallist and US Open champion Silas Kiplagat (3:49.39), four-time NCAA mile and 1,500m champion Leo Manzano, 2010 fifth Avenue Mile champion Amine Laalou (Morocco) and the 2010 world junior champion Caleb Ndiku (Kenya).

David McCarthy (West Waterford/Providence), who set the New England Collegiate record at 3:55.75 a couple of weeks ago in Boston, will line up for the famous Wannamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in New York tonight. He will become the first Irishman to figure since Mark Carroll won it back in 2000. Eamonn Coghlan, Marcus O’Sullivan and Niall Bruton have won it, following in the footsteps of the 1956 Olympic 1,500m champion, Ronnie Delany.