Six Irish athletes will take to the streets of Copenhagen today as the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships get under way.
Sarah Healy and Laura Nicholson open the Irish programme in the women’s Road Mile at 9.10am, with Andrew Coscoran and Cathal Doyle following in the men’s race at 9.30am. The focus then turns to the 5km, where Brian Fay and Darragh McElhinney compete at 1.40pm.
The championships bring together 496 athletes from 85 federations. The Road Mile and 5km world titles will be decided on Saturday before the Half Marathon takes centre stage on Sunday morning.
Healy and Nicholson Open the Irish Campaign
Healy returns to championship action after finishing fifth in the 1500m final at last month’s European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
The UCD athlete has since clocked a season’s best of 3:57.42 over 1500m at the Silesia Diamond League and will now turn her attention to the roads of Copenhagen.
Nicholson joins her in a strong women’s field featuring two time world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu, American Addy Wiley and Australia’s Linden Hall.
The women’s Road Mile begins at 9.10am Irish time.
Coscoran and Doyle Take On a Loaded Men’s Mile
Coscoran arrives in Copenhagen following the finest championship performance of his career. The Star of the Sea athlete claimed European 1500m bronze in Birmingham last month, securing his first senior international medal.
He also produced an outdoor mile personal best of 3:49.68 in Oslo in June. Saturday’s field includes world 1500m champion Isaac Nader, Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse and world indoor 800m bronze medallist Mohamed Attaoui.
Doyle will make his first appearance in an Irish vest since being brought down in the European 1500m semi final. The Clonliffe Harriers athlete now gets another championship opportunity over the Road Mile.
The men’s race starts at 9.30am Irish time.
Fay and McElhinney Face a Major 5km Test
Fay and McElhinney return to international competition after representing Ireland over 5000m at the European Championships.
They face one of the deepest fields of the weekend. World 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier leads the entries after running 12:51 for 5km in Lille earlier this year, while Olympic 5000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune are also set to start.
The men’s 5km gets under way at 1.40pm Irish time.
World Athletics Road Running Championships Day One
⏰ 9.10am - Sarah Healy and Laura Nicholson - Women’s Road Mile
⏰ 9.30am - Andrew Coscoran and Cathal Doyle - Men’s Road Mile
⏰ 1.40pm - Brian Fay and Darragh McElhinney - Men’s 5km
📄 Start Lists
📺 Watch Live: Men's & Women's Road Mile (Registration required)
📺 Watch Live: Men's & Women's 5km (Registration required)
📊 Results
We every Irish athlete in action in Copenhagen today the very best of luck.
