Christie can’t wait for Mardyke after double weekend celebration
A three time national junior cross-country champion, he finished fourth and sixth in the European juniors and last year broke John Treacy’s national junior 3,000m record with an 8:04.48 run.
Up to this season he had run very few 1,500m races. He once won the junior 1,500m at the BUPA Cork City Sports. Last year he ran 3:46 and this year, in his first race, he ran 3:44.
“I knew after that I had a good one in me but having it and being able to produce it are two different things,” he said. “It qualifies me for the European under-23 championships in Erfurt in three weeks time and also for the world student games in Turkey.
Now he is excited about the 3,000m at The Mardyke on Saturday when he will get involved in Craig Mottram’s attempt on the Australian record.
Twice Olympic 5,000m silver medallist, Paul Bitok, spearheads the Kenyan challenge and he’ll be joined by the Irish record holder, Mark Carroll, Michael Kipsiro from Uganda, Mondor Rizki, from Belgium, Ireland’s Keith Kelly, Gary Murray, the national cross-country champion and Christie’s clubmate, Martin Fagan. Yesterday Dan Lincoln, who retained his American steeplechase title over the weekend, confirmed his participation, saying he is ready to break 7:40.
The organisers will bring in a pacemaker, David Lelia from Kenya to make sure the early pace is right for the record.
Australian, Lachlan Chisholm, who won the 1,500m at Solihull was added to the 1,500m field but Alan Webb, winner of the 1,500m at the US trials was switched to the 800m, which will feature Ciaran O’Connell who won the 800m in 1:49.64 at Solihull.
Danny Carcy installed himself as a medal favourite for the European junior championships when he won the B 1,500m in a new best time of 3:44.11, while Joe Sweeney qualified for the European under-23 championships with a 14:10.58 run in the 5,000m.
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