Ciarán Ó Lionáird got his outdoor season off to a great start at the Stanford University Invitational in California last Friday night. Competing in the 10000m, his debut in this event, he finished a very strong 2nd in 28:32.30. This qualifies him for both the NCAA Championships and the World University Championships in Shenzhen, China in August. In recent years, only Martin Fagan and Alistair Cragg have run faster over the distance.
This is a great boost for Ciarán at the beginning of the track season after the disappointment of the European Cross Country Championships last December.