Ciaran O Lionaird 3:34.43 1500 meters

The only sauce Ciaran is on has HP on the label and is administered with eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes and a fried slice.

Wearing Sketchers I bet!

Subtle troll?

I hope he isn't on anything as I like the lad but there's alot of suspicion over here in Ireland.he was a 340 man last year or so and now down to 334. It is possible but I hope he's clean.

Any body think he's on the juice?

Its a big pb, hes raced alot the last month?

just putting it out there! [Quote/]

yes...too big a jump too quickly...3.47 to 3.34 in one season???

What are you talking about? I haven't heard any suspicion of him in Ireland. Everyone seems delighted.

It's a big jump but he was due a really quick time (although this is quicker tha I thought he would go this year).

He's been running 3.40 1500's this summer but always in non-paced races where he has been either hammering it from the front or right in contention in a kicking race.

It would also be interesting to see where a guy who can't afford to pay to go to the World Student games can get the money to pay from PED's.

No absolutely chance he is dirty in my opinion but if he is, he will get caught. The Irish system is one of the strictest on the world, ask Cathal Lombard or Geraldine Hendricken. A performance like this will lead to focus from the ISP testers.

AFAIK, he's not entered or planning to enter London 5k. He's been tapered and focused on knocking out a good 1500m for quite a while now and I think feels himself his strength isn't where it needs to be any more to do himself justice over 5k (see his own replies on this thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056340872

).

In fact, I think there's a question mark over whether he plans to extend his season to Daegu (he was ready to call time on his season last week if he'd broken 3:40), although one would think the experience earned would trump being slightly past his peak at that point.

Scratch that. Just checked his twitter. He's chomping at the bit for Daegu (feel a bit stalkerish now)!

Ciaran was a very talented teenage runner who went to the states and got burnt out beating Nate Brannen and Nick Willis in training every season. He has always had the talent to have great performances like this but never had the patience to slowly work his way through a year and build a solid base, and make smooth transitions to each phase of training. He put far too much pressure on himself, and his results never even remotely reflected the type of workouts that he was doing in training. Running the 10k this spring, he obviously had a very nice base under him, and reportedly never did any track workouts, just tempo runs and strides. In europe he showed very good consistency racing up near the front in every race, and once he finally got in a race that was faster, he was once again up near the front. Time was just a reflection of the way the race was paced.

I think 80% of semi-elite are capable of similar type improvements (not saying 3.34, but 4-6 seconds off their best) if they are able to get a really good base in, and are not worried about chasing times all year to his a standard. The hardest part is getting in the perfectly paced race with perfect weather. You have to be fit, and ready for every opportunity, and that's what Ciaran seems to have done.

Will he be able to repeat this performance? My concern will be that he will now have the temptation to start stressing about his performances and training again, rather than enjoying the process that got him to this particular result.

Drugs? you have got to be kidding me if you think a kid suddenly got on the juice less than 48 hours away from closing his season with some beers at the bar. The only juice he was on was freedom from pressure! that can be a powerful drug!

That runningman is off his game, strange for someone who seems to be doing his best to promote the sport in Ireland to suddenly jump on the jealousy, sorry, cynical bandwagon, after a performance like this. Congratulations Ciaran, awesome runnin.

Thank you for an insightful post that clearly points out why some great young talents never make progress.

Very best to Ciaran.

The above comments do not represent RunningManAthletics. Ciaran is official the man and RM is a massive fan!

People commenting on this thread are f&$@ing stupid if they think he's on drugs for going from 3:48 to 3:34 in 1 year because he ran that 3:48 indoors when he was 17 in 2006. He has been injured on and off since the summer of 2006 and hasn't even ran more than half a dozen track races in the last 5 years until this season. There's a very good interview he did with Running Times before NCAAs this year that I would reccomend people to read to get a fair reflection on his running career (I can't give a link because I'm not on a computer.) The kid is insanely talented just ask Nick Willis about his potential.

Remember he wanted a 3:38 at ACC's vs Andrews, so the jump isn't as massive as you might think. I am just impressed with a 3:34 from this kid. He is no Tom Lancashire in terms of speed, as Tom could rip a 1:45 800m, but I doubt Ciaran could run 1:48, and he's within striking distance of his former colleague. Impressive, and with a 28-min 10,000m, perhaps he'll rip a 13:19 or so.

Congrats Ciaran, you have made the big time when people start questioning if you are doping.

I remember watching him run in Boston Indoor Games when he was in high school. The announcer was absolutely butchering his name, think he got second to Michael Coe maybe?

I do not think ciaran is on ped's although unfortunately it is kind of expected in this day and age for people to question such massive improvements. I hope he continues to improve and represent Ireland proudly.I just hope he doesn't become like alistair craig an drop out of races if he's not in the mix up front!best of luck to ya Ciaran, ur an amazing talent!

Drugs? you have got to be kidding me if you think a kid suddenly got on the juice less than 48 hours away from closing his season with some beers at the bar. The only juice he was on was freedom from pressure! that can be a powerful drug!

would it not make sense if you were on ped's to come across as all relaxed and content in finishing up your season,before going out and smashing your pb with an a qualifier.Perhaps this situation was rehearsed

Don't be so naive and easily fooled.

The boy doth protest too much me thinks!

Everyone has there begrudgers. the same person seems to be begrudging Running man athletics and Ciaran O'Lionard. I just hope they dont begrudge flotrack ireland next.