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It will be the last chance for many to see Irish athletes in competitive action before they head to the Olympic Games and the 6th Morton Games was officially launched by one of those athletes Ciara Mageean in Dublin yesterday.
She will compete in the 800m at the Games, which take place in Santry on Friday July 22nd.
Others taking part include Thomas Barr in the 400m hurdles where he will face an international field including the 2013 world champion Jehue Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago; and the 2015 men and women’s 800m World University champions Shaquille Walker from the USA and Angie Petty from New Zealand.
Despite being Dublin’s only international track and field event, and the long and rich history of the Morton Mile which attracted Steve Ovett, Kip Keino and Eamon Coghlan in its day there is still no major sponsorship around the event.
Given the tribulations that the sport has suffered in recent months it could, or might even yet, be a good opportunity to reward an existing sponsor in the shape of GloHealth or Aviva. The event itself is managed by Clonliffe Harriers and the National Sports Campus of which the Morton Stadium is now a part and while neither brand nor organiser have a direct link, could there have been a way found to make a connection?
Both brands have been supporters of athletics at different levels, have a strong national profile and could have built support for the event into one or more of their own marketing programmes.
It may be that other sponsorships were close to coming to life that would have taken over but in the absence of a brand it could have been a good chance to reward a loyal sponsor with something unexpected.
Speaking at the launch Minister of State for Sport Patrick O’Donovan said: “Now in its sixth year the Morton Games has well established itself as one of the premier track and field events in the country.”
“I am delighted to be here launching it in the company of Ciara Mageean, Ireland’s latest European Championship medal winner.”
“The Morton Games is a fantastic opportunity for the Irish public to come and show their support for our athletes and to witness some of Ireland’s top international athletes in action as they compete against athletes from across the globe.”
The Morton Games will commence with a pre programme at 5.30 p.m. with the international athletics commencing at 7 p.m. and concluding with the iconic Morton Mile itself at 9 p.m. It promises to be an exciting night of sport in the Morton Stadium Santry.
