14-07-2025
Drogheda has plenty to cheer as talented duo Coscoran and Donnelly sparkle at the Morton Games
Two-time Olympian Coscoran, who is from Balbriggan but attended St Mary's DS and still runs in the colours of Star of the Sea AC in Julianstown, emerged triumphant in the Morton Mile as he set a meeting record.
The 29-year-old finished in a time of 3:51.12, with Cathal Doyle (3:51.26) and Darragh McElhinney (3:51.99) both running personal bests as they completed the podium placings.
Coscoran's time was six seconds faster than he achieved when he won the same race in 2022, and his steady progress was highlighted in May of this year when he placed second overall in the long distance events at the Miami Grand Slam Track meet to earn a €44,000 payday.
Coscoran will vouch that the willingness to step away from the shore and enter the deepest of waters is sometimes what separates a national class athlete from a solid club runner.
And so Tadhg Donnelly of Drogheda & District AC duly lined up for his race at the Morton Games on Friday night.
His head must have been buzzing as the Starter called the athletes to the line for the Albie Thomas Memorial 5000m.
The dilemma facing Donnelly was quite simple. A quality field packed full of international-class athletes, many with personal best times up to 30 seconds faster than Donnelly, made his task a daunting one, especially in front of his home crowd so to speak.
To hang back from the expected pace risked being left behind, whereas going with the pack risked imploding mid-race if logic were to win out on the day.
But cometh the hour, cometh the man, and Donnelly was up for the fight in spades.
An opening lap of 63 seconds had the field stretched out and the next 11 and a half laps were all about the pain that comes with hard, sustained pace running.
Going through the first mile in an eye-opening four minutes and 16 seconds, the pack were on for a projected 13:20 time, which isn't far off world-class running.
Despite the searing heat, with the mercury showing close on 26 degrees, Donnelly hung in and passed through two miles in about 8:42, much to the delight of the large group of supporters in attendance.
Going out on the last mile, with the pack well strung out, the lactic acid began to build up in Donnelly's legs, but he wasn't for giving in and dug deep into the well of pain that few runners have ever experienced.
Chasing hard over the last two laps, Donnelly crossed the line in 10th place in a new outdoor personal best time of 13:52, in a race that was won in a blistering 13:18.
Less than 36 hours later Donnelly was back on the track and won the Men's Irish Life Dublin Race Series Fingal 10K in Swords, in a time of 29:48.
He will soon return to America to resume his studies, and on last Friday's showing a sub 13:40 5,000m run is within reach if the conditions and race profile were to align.
