Athletics Ireland has announced its latest protocols around permitted events in light of the recent Government announcements and also rescheduled the National Track and Field Championships for late August.
Originally scheduled for this coming weekend, June 27th/28th, a month before the already postponed Tokyo Olympics, the Championships are now set for August 22nd/23rd at the Morton Stadium in Santry, and will also incorporate the Under-23 championships.
The National Juvenile Championships (Under-17/18/19) are now set for the following weekend, August 29th/30th at the same venue, with the Masters Championships set for September 6th. After that, the National Combined Events Championships are now set for September 12th/13th.
Recent announcements by the Government that allow for outdoor gatherings of up to 200 people from June 29th, and 500 people from July 20th, will also mean the resumption of restricted road running events, from those dates, within those entry numbers.
In a statement, Athletics Ireland noted that every event “will have their own unique set of Covid-19 challenges around social distancing, contact tracing, hygiene and participant management”.
It has also published a set of guidelines for road race event organisers and participants, adding: “We know that running provides great mental and physical health benefits for our society. We have a duty of care to ensure that our athletics clubs ensure that we operate within a safe environment.
“Our measures and procedures are under constant review and updated as advice from government, health authorities and governing bodies evolves in line with the gradual lifting of social restrictions. Note these protocols do not commence until this Monday the 29th June 2020 and are subject to change based on government guidelines.”
