Two of Ireland’s top sprint stars will return to action in London today as Marcus Lawler and Bori Akinola compete at the BFTTA Outdoor Series 5. Both athletes are entered in the men’s 100m at Lee Valley Athletic Centre, while Lawler is also scheduled to contest the 200m later in the afternoon.
It will be their first competitive appearance since the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, where both reached individual semi finals before helping Ireland qualify for the men’s 4 x 100m relay final.
Akinola has enjoyed an impressive 2026 season. The UCD AC athlete broke the Irish indoor 60m record with a time of 6.54 seconds in February before reaching the semi finals at the World Indoor Championships.
He later reduced his outdoor 100m personal best to 10.19 seconds and carried that form into Birmingham. Akinola won his opening European Championship race in 10.39 despite running into a strong 2.8 metres per second headwind. It was the fastest time across the opening round.
Akinola came even closer to his best in the semi final, clocking 10.38 into another headwind to finish fourth. He missed out on a place in the European final but ended his individual campaign among the leading sprinters at the championships.
Lawler also progressed from the opening round of the men’s 200m. The Clonliffe Harriers sprinter finished fifth in his heat in 20.94, placing him 11th among the 13 athletes who advanced by time.
He returned later that evening and finished eighth in his semi final in 21.11. Lawler’s season’s best remains the 20.79 he recorded in Malaga during June.
Akinola and Lawler subsequently combined with Seán Aigboboh and Israel Olatunde in the Irish men’s 4 x 100m relay team. Ireland finished fourth in their heat in a season’s best of 39.13 before placing seventh in the European final.
Lee Valley is familiar ground for Lawler, who ran 20.91 over 200m at the third BFTTA outdoor meeting in June. Today’s programme gives him another opportunity over the distance, along with two possible outings over 100m.
Lawler and Akinola have been drawn together in the final heat of the men’s 100m first round, setting up an intriguing all Irish match up at Lee Valley.
Below is when Marcus a and Bori are set to take to the blocks along with results and streaming links:
⏰ 12.30pm – 🏃♂️ Marcus Lawler – Men’s 100m - R1- Heat 24
⏰ 12.30pm – 🏃♂️ Bori Akinola – Men’s 100m - R1- Heat 24
⏰ From 1.20pm – 🏃♂️ Marcus Lawler – Men’s 100m - R2*
⏰ From 1.20pm – 🏃♂️ Bori Akinola – Men’s 100m - R2*
* Subject to Qualification
📄 Starting List
📺 Watch Live
📊 Results
We wish Marcus Lawler & Bori Akinola the very best today in their first races back since the Euros.
Images: Perri Williams
