Athletics Ireland are delighted to announce that Catherina McKiernan, regarded as one of the world’s best ever cross country athletes, will be honoured with the Hall of Fame Award at this year’s National Athletics Awards on Wednesday November 23rd at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry.
The county Cavan native enjoyed her first major cross country success in 1988 when she won the Irish schools cross country title. From there, her career as a cross country runner blossomed, winning silver at the World Cross Country Championships four years in succession from 1992 to 1995. In 1994, Catherina won gold at the inaugural European Cross Country Championships in Alnwick, England.
Catherina represented Ireland at the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1996. In 1997, she moved up to the marathon and ran the fastest debut ever by a woman at the time, when she won the Berlin Marathon in a new Irish record of 2.23.44. Catherina would go on to win the London marathon in 1998, while also bettering her Irish record at the Amsterdam Marathon in a time of 2.22.23NR which still ranks top of the Irish all-time list.
11 November 2018; Catherina McKiernan during the Remembrance Run 5K 2018 at the Phoenix Park in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
The nominations for this year’s National Athletics Awards were also announced today. This year’s awards will celebrate the many successes of Irish athletes during 2022, while also commemorating the exceptional volunteer base who are the bedrock of the sport. The Athlete of Year will be selected from the athletes named as winner of the U20, U23, Endurance and Track and Field category.
Irish athletics has enjoyed a stellar year and the 2022 nominations are sure to draw much healthy debate over the coming weeks as we build up to the awards ceremony on November 23rd.
Superb medal-winning-performances from Ciara Mageean and Mark English at the European Athletics Championships will live long in the memory, while the new generation of Irish athletes also made their mark on the season, with the record-breaking pair of Israel Olatunde and Rhasidat Adeleke announcing their arrival on the major championship stage in style over the summer.
25 March 1995; Catherina McKiernan with her silver medal following the IAAF World Cross Country Championships at the University of Durham in Durham, England. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Kate O’Connor joined Ciara Mageean in claiming a superb Commonwealth Games podium, while the the relay teams continued a remarkable string of major championship final appearances at World and European level this season – exploits that are sure to inspire future success in the event.
A truly record-breaking season has seen over seventy-five records fall across all disciplines over the last 10 months, eclipsing the previous record high of sixty-one records from the 2011 season.
U20 Athlete of the Year Nominations
- Dean Casey – Ennis Track Club
- Nicola Tuthill – Bandon AC
- Nicolas Griggs – Mid Ulster AC
- Reece Ademola – Leevale AC
U23 Athlete of the Year Nominations
- Israel Olatunde – UCD AC
- Kate O’Connor - Dundalk St Gerard's AC
- Rhasidat Adeleke – Tallaght AC
- Sarah Healy – UCD AC
Endurance Athlete of the Year Nominations
- Brendan Boyce - Finn Valley AC
- Brian Fay – Raheny Shamrock AC
- Darragh McElhinney – UCD AC
- Efrem Gidey – Clonliffe Harriers
- Fionnuala McCormack – Kilcoole AC
Track & Field Athlete of the Year Nominations
- Ciara Mageean – City of Lisburn AC
- Louise Shanahan – Leevale AC
- Mark English - Finn Valley AC
- Sarah Lavin – Emerald AC
Other awards to be presented on the day include: Club of the Year, Services to Coaching, Lifetime Services to Athletics, Official of the Year, and many more.
Event Information:
- Date: Wednesday November 23rd 2022
- Dress Code: Smart
- Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry
- Tickets can be purchased https://eventmaster.ie/event/3K88Hx4tZW
