Mayo athletes among medal hopefuls at 123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships

The stars of Irish athletics will take to national competition this weekend as the 123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships take centre stage at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena this weekend.

In the field events, the women’s shot put event will see Michaela Walsh of Swinford AC go in search of her eighth indoor title in a row.

The Mayo athlete goes into the championships with a best of 14.11m this season but is capable of throwing over 15 metres, as was demonstrated with last year’s winning throw of 15.03m.

Ciara Sheehy (Emerald AC) – another who can go well beyond 14 metres – is expected to be Michaela's chief challenger.

Also in the field events, Eric Favors of Raheny Shamrock AC, an athlete with Mayo connections, looks a red-hot favourite in the men’s shot having already thrown 19.30m this season. He had an injury-interrupted 2024 and will be eager to make up for lost time this indoor season as he looks to regain his national title.

On the track, meanwhile, Seamus Clarke of Moy Valley AC will be among the main challengers as Olympian David Kenny (Farronfore Main Valley) in the men’s 5,000m walk. Kenny will be trying to make it five indoor titles in a row, but Clarke and the likes of Joe Mooney, Matthew Glennon and Matthew Newell will looking to make their mark too.

The action gets underway from 12 noon on Saturday (February 22), continuing on Sunday with the same start time.

Tickets for Sunday are already sold out and spectators should not travel to the venue that day without a ‘Sunday ticket’. A limited number of tickets for Saturday are still available. Both days of competition will be streamed live on the Athletics Ireland YouTube channel.

Further spice will be added to this weekend’s proceeding, with selection for the upcoming European Indoor Championships, which take place in Apeldoorn from March 6 to 9, up for grabs.