Rising star Darragh McElhinney is the record breaker

KEEPING pace with Darragh McElhinney’s record-breaking times is as challenging as keeping up with the Glengarriff man on the track.

The 21-year-old has been sensational in 2022. It’s record after record. PB after PB. The Glengarriff athlete is showing why he is one of the hottest properties in Irish middle distance running right now.

He will be in action in the men’s 5000m at the European Athletics Championships in Munich next week. It’s a straight final in Tuesday’s evening session. Top eight is his goal, and given his form that’s achievable.

In late May he set a new 5000m PB – and also broke the 44-year-old national U23 5000m record – when he ran 3:17.17 in Belgium. He smashed the previous record, held by Irish legend John Treacy since 1978, the West Cork man taking nine seconds off it. Darragh is already seventh on the Irish all-time list. Many records have fallen this year.

Earlier this month Darragh broke his own national U23 3000m record when he ran 7:42.86 in Italy, breaking the record (7:44.01) he had set the previous month at the Cork City Sports, which bettered the previous record that he had also set. Notice a pattern. Darragh sets records, then breaks them.

Rewind to March and the UCD AC athlete, fresh from winning the national indoor 3000m title, set a new national U23 1500m indoor record of 3:39.63, beating a time by Frank Conway that had stood since 1989.

Between indoor and outdoor Darragh has set SIX new PBs so far in 2022. Outdoor, he has set PBs in the 1500m, one mile, 3000m and 5000m, and indoor he has PBs in 1500m and 3000m. He has also won TWO national senior titles this year – the indoor 3000m crown and outdoor 5000m title.

Darragh is only going one way: upwards. The senior Europeans are another step in his development. More experience. He is building towards something special in the years ahead.