Tipperary athletes in medal contention ahead of the National Indoor Championships this weekend

The first national athletics championship of 2025 is imminent and Tipperary has plenty of interest across the weekend of action in Abbottstown in Dublin.

Tipperary Olympian, Sharlene Mawdsley, will compete in the National Indoor Athletics Championships this weekend and will be looking to continue her recent success on the track.

Mawdsley is the headline act for the championships. Likely to contest the women's 400m, the Tipp woman is also entered in the one-lap indoor event but stated her intention to "defend her indoor title" at a pre-European indoor Championship event on Tuesday.

At last year's edition of the national indoors, Mawdsley won the 400m in a time of 52.04 seconds, a world-class time that catapulted her to a final place at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow a month later, where she was subsequently disqualified for 'jostling'.

Saturday's 400m heats will be the first time the 26-year-old has raced in Ireland since February last year and represents a rare opportunity to see Mawdsley compete on the island despite proving her dedication to the green vest in the last 12 months.

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Elsewhere, Clonmel runner Sean Tobin is rumoured to be chasing the European Indoor qualifying mark of 7:43.00 in the 3000m event, which can be a difficult feat in a championship scenario.

He could receive a bit of help from the already qualified James Gormley, who is competing in his first National Championships qualified to run for Ireland and is well under the required time for the Europeans with a personal best set this year in Boston of 7:40.72.

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Moyne AC athlete Katie Bergin is expected to challenge strongly this weekend as she has entered into the 60m and 200m.

After excellent performances in her opening races of the 2025 season, a big weekend lies ahead for Bergin.