Hanrahan targeting Euro qualification in Cork

At 27, Mark Hanrahan found himself at a crossroads.

Balancing a decent athletics career with a full-time job at John Buckley Sports, Hanrahan wanted more from his favoured sport, a burning desire to deliver on the potential he believed to be there.

In December 2012, Hanrahan, along with partner Laura Crowe, took the necessary leap of faith, dispensing with work commitments to concentrate full-time on athletics. A hip stress fracture put paid to his 2013 season and Hanrahan watched from the sideline as Crowe parachuted herself up the middle distance pecking order.

With no injury complaints entering the current season, Hanrahan’s 2014 tale reads much differently to its previous chapter.

Posting a lifetime best of 13.58.03 over 5km back in March, Hanrahan has moved himself within touching distance of the qualification standard (13.45) for the European Championships in Zurich in August.

“It is nice to wake up knowing running will be your only focus for the day. It was a big life adjustment to go full-time, but if you want it big enough you make those sacrifices,” said Hanrahan at last night’s launch of the Cork City Sports meet.

“This time last year I didn’t have a season. When I started off back in December of 2012 I was sick, then recovered, then picked up an injury. It was more or less just forget about 2013. It was frustrating when you invest so much into the sport. This year, thankfully, has been kinder.

“Laura and I spent three months in Australia earlier this year training with Sonia O’Sullivan and Nic Bideau’s group. That went very well. It was hugely beneficial. We spent a month then in America so it was a really good block of training. Now it is about racing and putting pen to paper.

“The 5km is what I am shooting for at the moment. I have a few more races before the deadline for Zurich and Cork would be one of those races to sharpen up for the 5km. I will run the 3km in Cork because I am running the mile and a 5km elsewhere so the 3km will fall nicely into my schedule.

“Athletics Ireland will send you on the B standard, but you would rather have the A standard going over, knowing you will be able to compete with the best of them.”

Despite achieving a personal best over 10km (29.33.80) last month, Hanrahan has no desire to seek the qualification standard for the longer distance.

“I won the 10km at Australia’s National Championships and I ran one or two 10km’s on the track as well, but they didn’t go according to plan, so that is why I am focusing on the shorter distance. The 10km is a harder event on the track because if you are having a bad day you can get badly isolated.”

Meanwhile, Cork City Sports meet director Dick Hodgins has promised a wealth of international talent for the July 8 meet.

“We have our biggest ever participation numbers and athletes are queuing up to compete,” he exclaimed.

“Such is the demand in the sprint races we are likely to have four 100m men’s races and three female 100m races. In the men’s 100m we have Mark Lewis-Francis, a former Olympic goal medallist in the relay, Derrick Atkins from the Bahamas who has run sub 10-seconds and Kemar Hyman from the Cayman Islands who has run 9.95.

“Olympic bronze medallist Javier Culson from Puerto Rico will go up against the in-form Tom Barr in the 400m hurdles, while we are still searching for suitable competition for Rob Heffernan in the men’s 3km. We are trying to get Mexican Eder Sanchez over. He beat Rob in the Mardyke a few years back and is a former World Championship medallist.”

Added chairman Tony O’Connell: “The demand to compete shows the growing reputation of the Cork City Sports meet. Interest is worldwide.”