Gerard O’Donnell following his dream

Athletics: The national indoor championships take place in Athlone this weekend with two headline acts having travelled very different paths to star in the midlands and then, hopefully, on the European stage next month.

Carrick on Shannon AC’s Gerard O’Donnell and UCD’s Mark English will be expected to win the 60m Hurdles and the 800m, respectively, but it is O’Donnell’s story which is the most heartening for club runners everywhere.

English, now 21, has always been in the limelight and delivered on some of his talent with a bronze medal over 800m at the European Championships in Zurich last August. Only a few minor bumps have stunted his ascent to world class territory. The UCD medical student will compete on Saturday in the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham’s newly renovated Barclaycard Arena in a world class line-up. He will then run the 800m final at the GloHealth championships on the Sunday in Westmeath.