The Morton mile will provide a fitting finale to Friday's Morton Games. This is the most iconic race in Irish athletics, and the one that Irish athletes want to win. The Morton mile has a lineage going all the way back to 1958 when Herb Elliott won the mile at the “Clonliffe August Sports” in Santry Stadium on 6 August setting a world record with five athletes all running sub 4, the first time in history that this had happened.

Following the untimely passing of the legendary athletics promoter Billy Morton in December 1969 his club, Clonliffe Harriers, introduced the Morton Memorial mile. The first winner of the Morton mile was Kip Keino (KEN) in a time of 3.59.20, the first sub- 4 Morton mile and since then this race have has proved to be the most prolific producer of the magical sub- 4 in Ireland. The running total stands at 188 and includes legends of the mile such as Steve Ovett, Sydney Maree, Mike Boit, John Walker, Eamonn Coghlan, Ray Flynn, Frank O'Mara, Marcus O'Sullivan and Rod Dixon to name but a few.

Previous winners of the Morton mile have included many of those names. There have been two three-time winners in Steve Scott (USA) and Will Leer (USA). Last year's winner was Ireland's Andrew Coscoran in a new Stadium record of 3.51.12.

This year's Morton mile field includes two previous winners, Cathal Doyle, Olympic 1500 semifinalist in Paris, who won this race in 2024 in 3.52.06, and is a 4 time in a row 1500 National Champion. and 2018 winner Sam Prakel (USA). The American has quite a superb record in this race in addition to winning he has finished 2nd on two occasions and 3rd once. Prakel's fellow American Davis Bove set his PB of 3.51.08 indoors at Boston University in January and will be amongst the favourites.

Britain's Adam Fogg has the fastest PB in the race standing at 3.49.62. Fellow Britons Henry Mcluckie, 2021 European U/20 bronze medallist, has a 3.53.99 PB and another Morton Games regular, Piers Copeland, the British 1500 indoor champion in 2022 and 2024, PB 3.54.12 will also toe the line.

There is a quartet of Australian athletes. Jackson Sharp, who will be familiar to regular Morton Games goers, he set his PB of 3.53.20 in this race last year. Alex Stitt, PB 3.54.20, Thomas Diamond PB 3.52.49 and Jack Anstey PB 3.51.51 who won gold in this year’s World Cross Country Relay..

There is a particularly strong Irish entry, in addition to Doyle, there is James Gormley who has competed at the world indoors, with a PB of 3.53.38, Ronan McMahon-Staggs, PB 3.51.85, James Dunne PB3 3.55.28, Liam Lyons, 3.54.98 and Colin P Smith who recently joined the sub- 4 club posting 3.57.62 in Copenhagen at the end of last month.

A Dutch athlete has never won the Morton mile. Might Noah Baltus be the athlete to put that to rights? He won the Dutch national 1500 championships in 2022 and indoor championships in 2023. He has a PB of 3.52.47.

The 2026 morton Mile is probably the strongest and deepest mile field assembled for a Morton mile, every athlete in the field has ran sub 4. Two questions will be answered at 9 PM. Who is the 2026 Morton Mile champion and could we possibly see that running Morton mile sub- 4 total reach 200?

This will be a great finale to what is going to be a fantastic track and field meet. It really is a night of stars.

Tickets: https://eventmaster.ie/event/42VRh4rFEe