The Special Olympics Athletics Club started the day’s event with sprints races and turbo javelin throwing events. Each child or young person received a special t-shirt, goodie bag and certificate, which were presented by Mary Peters after her grand entrance.

First on the track for the Senior events was the Women’s 400m Hurdles, where Tir Chonaill Ac’s Lucy McGlynn set a new PB time of 1:00.86, followed by Lagan Valley AC’s Laura Frey, also setting a PB time of 1:02.32, with club mate, Erin McMahon gaining 3^rd place in a time of 1:07.05.

Next was an opportunity for some of NI’s U15 athletes to take their place on the track, with the U15 Girls 100m 1^st place going to Loughview AC’s Freya Boyce in 12.79, 2^nd place to Eadoin Lynch in 12.93 and 3^rd place going to Lagan Valley AC’s Anna Hogg in 13.05. First place in the U15 Boys 100m went to City of Lisburn Ac’s Arnar Brynjarsson in 11.28, just behind his PB of 11.27. Second place went to North Down AC’s Ryan Hamilton in 12.25 and third place was Orangegrove AC’s Ben Sykes in 12.30.

In the Field, we had the Women’s Hammer event, with Deeside AAC’s Amber Simpson throwing 60.53m to take the lead, with Ireland’s Michaela Walsh in 2^nd place, throwing 57.01 and Lifford Strabane AC’s Adrienne Gallen in 3^rd place with a throw of 48.16m.

After the unfortunate Easyjet flight cancellations leaving athletes stranded in the airport, the Men & Women’s Pole vault competition was combined with 3 men and 1 women jumping together. First place in the Men’s competition was Mathew Callinan Keenan, clearing 4.72m, followed by Conor Callinan, clearing 4.52m to take 2^nd place and Jamie Paul in 3^rd place, clearing 3.72m. The lone woman in the field was City of Lisburn AC’s Ellie McCartney, who cleared 4.22m, just shy of her Indoor PB of 4.24m.

Back to the track, and it was time for the Ambulant Women’s 100m, which saw Guidlford & Godalming AC’s Ali Smith (T38) who finished in a time of 13.76 to take 1^st place, with North Down AC’s Eve Walsh-Dann (T38) taking 2^nd place in a time of 14.42 and North Belfast Harriers’ Darragh Andrews (T20) in 3^rd place in 16.89.

DSD AC’s Jennifer Hanrahan took 1^st place in the Women’s 100m A race, in a time of 12.07, with Iceland’s Tiana Whiteworth in 2^nd place in a time of 12.10 and Olympian Youth & AC in 3^rd place in a time of 12.45.

The Men’s 100m A race was a hotly contested affair, with Tokyo Olympians Leon Reid and Marcus Lawler going head-to-head. The final result was Menapians AC’s Leon Reid in 1^st place in 10.62, while Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers’ Jordan Watson-Brown claimed 2^nd in 10.69, with Marcus Lawler finishing off the podium spots in a time of 10.78. The three men would compete later in the day in the Men’s 200m, where podium places would switch, with Ireland’s Marcus Lawler in 1^st place in 21.05, Jordan Watson-Brown in 2^nd place with a new PB of 21.10 and Leon Reid in 3^rd place in 21.25.

As part of the Belfast International, the top 20 Boys and Girls from the Flahavan’s Primary Schools Cross Country League, run a 1000m event, as the Flahavan’s Squad, which for many is their first ever track race. Megan Mullally came first in the girls event in a time of 3:18.29, with Maisie McVeigh in 2^nd in 3:21.07 and Lily Foster in 3^rd in 3:22.61. For the Boys, it was Caolan McGarry in 1^st place in a time of 3:09.76, with Fionn McCay in 2^nd in 3:14.64 and Cormac Leheney in 3^rd place in 3:15.23.

Out on the field, we had the Women’s High Jump, with NI Commonwealth Games athlete, Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley AC) soaring over 1.83m to take the top spot. In a joint 2^nd place was Thames Valley Harriers’ Pippa Rogan, who cleared 1.77m and Daena Kealy, who also cleared 1.77m; both women equally matched on count back.

Harrow Ac’s Jack Roach won the Men’s Long Jump competition with a jump of 7.69 (w/s +1.96), with Leevale AC’s Reece Ademola in 2^nd place with a jump of 7.38m (w/s -1.3) and Conliffe Harriers’ Keith Marks McCabe in 3^rd place with a jump of 6.92 (w/s -0.7).

DSD AC’s Kate Doherty set a new PB in the Women’s 100m Hurdles, with a time of 13.46 to take 1^stplace. In 2^nd place was NI’s Megan Marrs (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC) in a time of 13.77 and in 3^rd place was Niamh O’Neill in 14.32.

Next on the track was the Women’s 200m races, with Maltese Olympian, Charlotte Wingfield finished in 24.50 to take 1^st place, with DSD AC’s Jennifer Hanrahan in 2^nd place in 24.95 and City of Lisburn AC’s Jenna Breen in 3^rd place in 24.99.

In the Women’s 1500m, Carla Sweeney took 1^st place in 4:26.46 following a well controlled race against UCD AC’s Ellie Hartnett in 2^nd place in 4:27.44 and Dromore AC’s Rebekah Osborne in 3^rdplace in a PB time of 4:30.34. The Men’s 1500m, originally having been split into two races, was then combined, with Kieran Kelly of Raheny Shamrocks AC winning in a time of 3:47.99, just ahead of Annadale Striders’ Neil Johnston in 3:49.82 and Finn Valley AC’s Sean McGinley in 3:51.49.

A regular fixture of the Belfast International, the Mike Fulton Memorial Mixed Discus competition, held in the Mike Fulton Discus cage, saw Niamh Fogarty throwing 50.85m to take 1^st place overall, with Clonliffee Harriers’ Eoin Sheridan in 2^nd place with a throw of 48.54m and Anna Gavigan in 3^rd place, throwing 42.30m.

Torque Racing Club’s Mark Millar, recently selected for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, competed in the 800m Wheelchair event, against team mate Harry Turkington, to take 1^st place in a time of 1:54.56, with Harry in 2^nd place in 2:32.18.

Team New Balance and Tokyo Olympian, Ciara Mageean won the Women’s 800m in a time of 2:01.34, with Herne Hill Harriers’ Katie Snowden hot on her heels in 2^nd place in a time of 2:02.34, and Claire Mooney in 3^rd place in 2:04.96. India’s Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath won the Men’s 800m A race in a time of 1:48.24, with Kevin McGrath closely behind in 2^nd place in 1:48.55 and Annadale Striders’ Conall Kirk in 3^rd place in 1:49.15.

Next on the track was the U17 events, with invited athletes from across NI & Ulster getting their chance to compete in the 800m events. First up were the U17 Boys with Ben Warnock claiming 1^stplace in 2:01.77 and Enniskillen Running Club’s Frank Buchanan in 2^nd place in 2:02.17, with City of Derry Spartans, Louis Cole in 3^rd place in 2:03.08. For the Girls race, Ballymena & Antrim Ac’s Eobha McAllister took 1^st place in 2:21.64, with Lagan Valley AC’s Lily Rimmer in 2^nd in 2:24.32 and North Down Ac’s Lucy Cheatley in 3^rd place in 2:28.14.

Finn Valley AC’s Lauren Callaghan jumped 5.92m (w/s -1.5) to win the Women’s Long Jump with KiiKii Brown (Leeds City AC) in 2^nd place, jumping 5.74m (w/s -0.2) and City of Lisburn AC’s Erin Fisher in 3^rd place jumping 5.58m (w/s +0.8).

The Men’s Hammer was won by Liverpool Harriers’ Osian Jones, throwing an impressive 70.02m, with Clonliffe Harriers’ Simon Galligan in 2^nd place, throwing 60.29m and Lifford Strabane Ac’s Brendan O’Donnell in 3^rd place with a throw of 58.82m.

On the track, it was time for the Women’s 5000m event, with Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill taking the lead in 15:58.52 and Ide Nic Dhomhnaill in 2^nd place in a PB of 16:03.44. Mid Ulster Ac’s Grace Carson came 3^rd in a time of 16:12.81.

The 400m events had four athletes apiece, with NI-Canadian, Ryan Hegarty winning the Men’s in a time of 49.44, with Willowfield Harriers U20 athlete, Jakob Hamilton in 2^nd place in 50.48, Letterkenny Ac’s Eoin Kelly in 3^rd place in 51.77 and Cathal Ryan in 4^th place in 53.69. The Women’s event went to Enfield & Haringey AC’s Mary Abichi in 54.80, with North Down AC’s Rachel McCann in 2^nd place in 56.76, Tir Chonaill Ac’s Lucy McGlynn in 3^rd place in 57.04 and Hollie Kilroe in 4^th place in 5723.

The final field event of the day was the much anticipated Men’s Javelin competition, with some of GB, NI and Ireland’s best throwers set to compete. Birchfield Harriers’ Benji Pearson threw 67.82m to claim the top spot, from Lifford Strabane AC’s Gareth Crawford, who threw 66.35m to take 2^nd place. In third place was Conor Cusack who threw 64.39m.

The day’s events were rounded out by the two 3000m Team Races, with NI club teams, competing against International and local individuals, for those top spots. In the Women’s event, it was an Annadale Striders one and two, with Hannah Gilliland in 1^st in 9:44.68 and Robyn Mckee in 2^nd in 9:54.68. They were followed by Ballymena Runners’ Eimear Nicholl, who claimed 3^rd place in 10:08.96. In the Men’s event, Libya’s Sawan Barwhal claimed 1^st place in 8:08.22, with local athlete, John Paul Williamson in 2^nd place in 8:37.13 and Annadale Striders’ Johnathan Spratt in 3^rd place in 8:37.33.