The 2023 Belfast Irish Milers Meet in association with Tripadvisor will see many international athletes including Ciara Mageean, Ethan Hussey, Nick Griggs and Israel Olatunde open their track season in Belfast, on Saturday, May 13.

The Tripadvisor Women’s International 800m will feature Ciara Mageean, Irish 1500m record holder and double silver medalist at the 2022 European Championships and Commonwealth Games. 

The New Balance Manchester athlete will face tough opposition from last year's Belfast Irish Milers Meet winner, and current Irish 800m record holder, Louise Shanahan. Both Irish athletes will be joined on the start line by Irish Olympians Sarah Healy and Nadia Power. Other Irish interests include 2:00.18 athlete, Georgie Hartigan and Iseult O’Donnell.

The Irish athletes will battle against a strong British contingent, headlined by Scotland’s Lynsey Sharp. 

Sharp competed in the 2012 Olympic Games and has won Commonwealth Games and European Championship medals. She is joined by Isabelle Boffey, a former European U23 and U20 800m gold medallist, who holds a personal best of 2:00.25 set during the 2023 Indoor season. Other British interests include Abigail Ives.

Nick Griggs
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Nick Griggs

The Jim Kennedy Memorial Men’s International 3000m will feature Ireland’s Nick Griggs. 
Griggs finished second in the 2022 Spar European Cross Country Championships junior men’s race in Turin and will compete against England internationals Mark Pearce and William Battershill in Belfast. 

Both Pearce and Battershill are coached by former British steeplechaser Luke Gunn. 
Pearce holds the fastest 3000m time of the trio, however his 7:52.36 was set back in 2021. Battershill's 7:55.99 time dates back to 2020, while Ireland’s Nick Griggs posted a 7:53.40 3000m last year. All three hold 5000m personal bests around the 14-minute mark.

The men’s international 800m will feature Britain's Ethan Hussey. Hussey won the men’s 1500m at the 2022 Belfast Irish Milers Meet, before winning a bronze medal in the 800m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, later that summer. He will face tough competition from 1:44 800m runner Archie Davis from England and Welsh athlete David Locke. The Men’s 800m also features other international athletes.

Dutch athlete Marissa Damink will be the favourite in the Women’s 1500m at the Belfast Meet. 

Damink finished second in the Dutch National Indoor Championships in a time of 4:10.88, before placing fifth in the 2023 European Indoor Championships 1500m heats. 
Recent Irish National Indoor and Outdoor 1500m champion, Carla Sweeney will be hopeful of a fast time in Belfast, following her 4:16 personal best set last year. 

Also in the field is Spanish athlete Carla Masip. Masip finished fourth in the Spanish Indoor Championships in February of this year.

The men’s 100m looks set to be one of the fastest 100m on the island of Ireland.

Featuring European Championship finalist and Irish 100m record holder, Israel Olatunde. 
Olatunde won last year's Belfast Irish Milers shortest event in a time of 10:35 before clocking 10:17 to break Paul Hession’s record later that summer.

The men’s 100m also sees the return of the top three at the 2022 Belfast Irish Milers Meet. Robert McDonnell finished second to Olatunde with two-time Irish National Indoor champion, Joseph Ojewumi finishing third. The start list also includes Toluwabori Akinola and Christopher Sibanda.