Athletes set off during the historic mile record attempt staged at Croke Park as part of the GAA’s Tailteann Games commemoration at half time of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final between Limerick and Cork. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
By Cian Murphy
Today’s attendance at Croke Park was a record crowd to witness a mile race in Ireland and one of the largest in the world, according to athletics officials.
The 82,000 at the thrilling Cork-Limerick hurling semi-final were given an additional half-time treat when a recreation of a mile race was staged as part of the centenary commemoration of the Tailteann Games at Croke Park in 1924.
American Luke Houser from Seattle, the NCAA Mile champion, justified his favourite tag when he surged through on the last of the five laps ran at Croke Park to win in a time of 4.10.39.
Irish runners completed the podium with Shane Bracken of Swinford A.C. in Mayo (4.10.88) and Seán Tobin (4.11.79) of Clonmel A.C. in Tipperary hot on his heels.
All three were inside the previous record which had stood since 1966 when the late Kerry Olympian Tom O’Riordan had run a mile at Croke Park in 4.12.06 as part of a Tailteann Games athletics championships staged at GAA HQ.
A slow pace in the opening lap was blamed for a failure to break the four-minute mile barrier, but the action was well received by the packed stadium and proved a novel and fitting way of bringing the Tailteann Games history of Croke Park to life.
For Houser, who only landed in Ireland on Saturday morning, the win and the occasion was yet another landmark moment in the 23 year-old’s exciting career to date.
“It’s my first time in Ireland so my first time in Croke Park and I just thought it was amazing, the crowd was great, the biggest crowd I have ever run in front of by far and just super cool. I had never seen hurling before either and it was really exciting, I thought there was going to be a great comeback there and it was great to see it.
“Running on grass is a lot different to the track, it saps your legs a lot quicker. We came through the first 300 and I was already hurting, and my legs were burning. My plan was to go with the pacer and then make a big move and I was hurting and hanging on but it worked out, so I was delighted.”
At the GAA presentation to the OFI, celebrating the centenary of Team Ireland at the Olympics are, from left, athlete Mark English, Ard Stiúrthóir of the GAA Tom Ryan, OFI CEO Peter Sherrard, athlete Phil Healy and artist David Sweeney at the GAA presentation to the OFI at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Houser, who has a personal best of 3.51 for a 1500m on the track, has just completed his studies in the University of Washington and has signed a professional contract with Brooks. His focus will be to make Team USA for the 2028 Olympic Games in L.A.
But he has not turned down the prospect of protecting his new Irish crown.
“It was super cool to break the record and for sure I would love to come back and defend it,” he added.
The novel race was part of the GAA’s day of athletics commemoration to mark the centenary of the Tailteann Games and also wish the 2024 Team Ireland all the best ahead of their departure for Paris next Wednesday.
GAA Director General Tom Ryan presented Olympic Federation of Ireland CEO Peter Sherrard with an artwork commissioned from painter and former Dublin hurling captain David Sweeney from Ballyboden St Endas. He is a grandson of Jack Sweeney, who coached Ronnie Delaney to his gold medal for Ireland in the mile at the Melbourne Olympics of 1956. Also, in attendance were elite Irish athletes Mark English from Donegal and new European champion Phil Healy from Cork.
This year marks the centenary of an official Team Ireland presence at the Olympics. The first ever Team Ireland in 1924 had a strong GAA connection with footballers Larry Stanley and Seán Lavan travelling to competes in the high jump and sprinting and with Ireland’s participation having been secured by GAA Central Council member JJ Keane from Limerick.