A first 5000 for Morton Games draws some world class athletes as they pursue qualifying times for the world championships, the qualifying time is 13.22.60 and also qualifying times for next year’s Europeans (13.42.0).

Already previous confirmed starters in this race include Jack Rayner and Stewart McSweyn of Australia.

There are a number of US athletes currently running 13.30 coming to Santry, including Joe Stilin, pb 13.32.21 along with a mile best of 3.58.66, Tommy Curtin who clocked a pb of 13.26.55 in Portland on June 1st, Brian Shrader, 13.29.13 along with another sub 4 minute miler recorded in the 2014 Morton Mile Andrew Colley.  The winner of last year’s Cork City Sports 3000 Reid Buchanan (USA) is a first time visitor to Morton Games.

There is a strong British presence with the winner of last year’s Albie Thomas 3000 Jonny Taylor coming back to Dublin along with English National Cross Country Champion Ben Connor and 10,000 specialist Dewi Griffiths who will not be afraid to front run and keep the pace fast.

A first Ethiopian to run in the Morton Games is Hiko Tonosa who has a PB of 13.31.09.

The  European challenge will be spearheaded by Morton Games regular Yannick Michiels (BEL), Dmitrijs Jurkevicks (LAT) and Portugal’s Helio Gomes, who ran 13.35.35 in mid June and over the weekend won the 3000 at the European Team First League Championship in 7.55.94.

There is also a very strong Irish presence in the big field including Donore Harriers John Travers, 5th in that same European Team race, who will come with European qualifying time very much in mind and Mark Christie (Mullingar). A most interesting starter will be Mick Clohisey (Raheny) who is a Rio Olympian having competed in the Marathon last year.