It’s just over two weeks since the curtain came down on the track and field season for another year. For most athletes, the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo marked the climax of their year, one of the rare occasions when there were no more meetings or events afterwards.
Some athletes have already moved on to the cross-country season, and the promise of more medals to be won at the European Cross-Country in December. The indoor season won’t be long rolling after that, then it’s on to the outdoors. The cycle never sleeps.
Many athletes will have taken a holiday since Tokyo, a time to reflect on the past season and to start thinking ahead to 2026. There will always be areas to pick apart, and to come back, fitter, stronger and faster than before.
That’s the thing with track and field. No matter how good the performance, there’s always a sense that you can do better. That’s the motivation that keeps athletes returning year after year, tweaking their preparations and seeking out even just a fraction more of improvement. That could be in time or distance or height and ultimately the placing in the competition.
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It felt like Irish athletes kept on gaining momentum on the world stage this year, indoors and outdoors, so much so that you wished the season kept on going. Some athletes such as Cian McPhillips might well have enjoyed a few more races after Tokyo, others could have done with just one more chance to test themselves without the pressure of a championship final.
With no Olympics or World Championships next year, the big goal for many Irish athletes in 2026 will be the European Athletics Championships, which take place in Birmingham from August 10th-16th.
It’s also time for athletes to sit down with their coach and their support team to lay down the plans for next year and what they need to do to improve. After months of racing at a high level, it doesn’t take long for an athlete’s fitness to dwindle away. Over time, many athletes become more aware of this, try not to let themselves get too far away from general fitness at the end of each season.
It’s also around this time of year when the subject of Sport Ireland funding comes up for Irish athletes. I think many athletes here are in a privileged position that once they deliver results they are in a position to be funded in some way by Sport Ireland. This funding, or carding system as it is known, is not just giving athletes financial support but also a system to surround themselves with a high-performance support structure.
Things have changed a lot since my time when the funding was handed out a little more randomly and with a little more accountability required. Sport Ireland funding is available to all carded athletes, ranging from emerging junior athletes up to athletes delivering podium performances, which are worth the maximum amount of €40,000.
These financial rewards are on a tiered system, based on results achieved to get an athlete on to the system. In a sport like athletics, it’s not always as straightforward as in others’ sports that thrive on a centralised system. So it can often take some time to work out where an athlete will thrive best, and this is oftentimes outside the Sport Ireland system
The services will always be there, should an athlete need any support for nutrition, strength and conditioning, medical support and advice, with training and race planning through the evolving coach support systems.
Over the years we’ve seen many athletes thrive outside the system as they find it is better for them to train with a group that will help push them in training to the next level. As a result, they then have to build their own support structure in the location they decide suits them best for training.
But we have seen several home-grown athletes thrive recently, particularly in Kate O’Connor, Cian McPhillips and Nicola Tuthill. Next year will be another test for them, to continue what they have been doing to reach new heights and not plateau out for any great length of time.
It’s happened with athletes in the past that once they achieve a certain level they get comfortable with the supports and structures around them. All athletes need to be continually challenged to step up again and to maximise their potential.
There is always some debate around the pros and cons of training at home versus training abroad. For those outside of Ireland, I think it’s become a little trickier to manage the athlete, including for the high-performance manager who ultimately has the final say in what supports are needed and the athlete’s individual coaching structure.
It’s also important to get balance right, in mind and body, so the athlete is comfortable in their environment, whether that’s at home or not.
Sport Ireland has also improved its system so that once an athlete reaches funding status, there’s no longer the continual need to prove yourself to maintain your level of funding. It’s seen as a support structure to help the athlete grow and develop over an Olympic cycle and there is some wriggle room for injuries and setbacks without the need to rush out to race or get a mark on the board.
Still, the best athletes will never be focused on funding. They should already have all the motivation they need to drive forward each year, so the funding is only an added comfort should they need it.
Funding is never designed to be a living salary. It’s about allowing an athlete to prepare in a professional manner, avoid cutting corners and to lift themselves to levels where they are in a position to reach their full potential.
Ultimately, that’s what leads to a professional contract. Sometimes there is a sense that some athletes get a little bit too hung up on their funding and if that is the case then they’re not fully focused on what it is they really need to be doing to be the best athlete they can be. Not just doing enough to continue living the enviable athlete lifestyle.
