Adewumi Adeleke receives the Sprints and Hurdles Athlete of the Year award on behalf of her daughter Rhasidat Adeleke, from Athletics Ireland President John Cronin and 123.ie Managing Director Elaine Robinson during the 123.ie National Athletics Awards ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin(Image: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile)

Ireland's track queen Rhasidat Adeleke the big winner at Athletics Ireland awards

by · Irish Mirror

Rhasidat Adeleke was last night named the 2024 Athlete of the Year at the 123.ie National Athletics Awards.

Adeleke, 22, took the top prize after breaking the Irish records at 60m, 200m, 300m indoors, and over 100m and 400m outdoors. Having turned pro in the summer of 2023, the Tallaght star just missed out on an Olympic medal in the individual women's 400m and women's 4x400m relay in Paris.

In the latter, she teamed up with Sophie Becker, Phil Healy and Sharlene Mawdsley to obliterate the Irish record - their time of 3:19.90 just 0.18 away from a medal.

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However Adeleke was vital to Ireland winning bronze in the mixed 4x400m at the World Relay in May, plus gold in the same event in the Europeans the following month in Rome - as well as silver in both the 400m and women's 4x400m.

The Texas-based athlete finished her season with third place in her debut Diamond League final. Adeleke also claimed the Sprint and Hurdles Athlete of Year Award, beating strong competition from Mawdsley, Sarah Lavin and Israel Olatunde, but her training schedule prevented her from picking up her awards in person.

Ciara Mageean was crowned Middle Distance Athlete of the Year Award ahead of fellow nominees Cathal Doyle, Mark English, and Sarah Healy. The Portaferry flyer started her season by lowering her own 800m record to 1:58.51 back in May, before going on to be crowned European 1500m champion.

That gold medal performance secured the third European outdoor medal of Mageean’s career, following her bronze in Amsterdam in 2016 and the silver in Munich in 2022.

Middle Distance Athlete of the Year Ciara Mageean with her award during the 123.ie National Athletics Awards ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry, Dublin(Image: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile)

The Endurance Athlete of the Year Award went to Fionnuala McCormack, who finished 28th in the Paris Marathon to become the first Irishwoman to compete in five Olympic Games.

Others to be nominated in the category included Nick Griggs, Efrem Gidey, and Cormac Dalton.

UCD’s Nicola Tuthill, 20, picked up the Field Athlete of the Year Award after capping an excellent year by making her Olympic debut in the hammer, where she finished just a metre shy of making the final. The other nominees were Eric Favors, Reece Ademola and Kate O’Connor.

Oisin Joyce won the under-20 Athlete of the Year Award after securing Ireland’s first ever throws medal in the javelin at the World Athletics under-20 Championships in Peru back in August.

The 19-year-old produced the performance of his life to win bronze, extending his own Irish under-20 record out to 73.89m to claim what was Ireland’s fifth ever medal at the championships.

Joyce fought off stiff competition for the award with Elizabeth Ndudi, Fintan Dewhirst, and European under-18 hammer throw champion Thomas Williams all nominated.

Olympians Sophie Becker, left, and Kelly McGrory with the Team of the year award on behalf of the Women 4x400m relay team during the 123.ie National Athletics Awards ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry(Image: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile)

The women’s 4x400m Olympic team of Kelly McGrory, Lauren Cadden, Rachel McCann, Becker, Healy, Adeleke and Mawdsley picked up the Team of the Year Award after finishing fourth in Paris, getting the nod ahead of the European gold medal winning mixed relay team.

Former World Championship silver medallist Gillian O’Sullivan was inducted into the Hall of Fame for 2024. The race walker is one of only five Irish athletes to medal at that level along with Eamonn Coghlan, Sonia O’Sullivan, Olive Loughnane and Rob Heffernan.

The Lifetime Services to Athletics Award was presented to Peter Hanlon, while Anne McHugh won Official of the Year. Neil Cusack was the recipient of the Special Recognition Award, while Peter McDermott received the award for services to coaching.

CEO of Athletics Ireland, Hamish Adams, said: “We have enjoyed a stellar year in 2024 including a record 70,000 registered members, and we look forward to building on this year’s successes heading into a busy 2025 and beyond.”

123.ie National Athletics Award Winners 2024

  • Hall of Fame: Gillian O’Sullivan
  • Lifetime Services to Athletics: Peter Hanlon
  • Athlete of the Year: Rhasidat Adeleke
  • Endurance Athlete of the Year: Fionnuala McCormack
  • Under 20 Athlete of the Year: Oisin Joyce
  • Sprint & Hurdles Athlete of the Year: Rhasidat Adeleke
  • Middle Distance Athlete of the Year: Ciara Mageean
  • Field Athlete of the Year: Nicola Tuthill
  • Team of the Year: Women’s 4x400m
  • Inspirational Performance on Irish Soil: Cathal Doyle (Morton Mile)
  • Special recognition Award: Neil Cusack
  • Performance Club of the Year: Leevale AC
  • Services to Coaching Award: Peter McDermott
  • Official of the Year: Anne McHugh
  • Development Club of the Year: Glenmore AC
  • Mountain Runner of the Year: Enda Cloake
  • Masters Athlete of the Year: John MacDermott
  • Ultra Runner of the Year: Sorcha Loughnane
  • Schools’ Athlete of the Year: Cian Crampton
  • University Athlete of the Year: Pierre Murchan
  • Member Federation Award: Amanda Hynes
  • Coaching Awards: Gary Ryan & Kay Bannon

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