Strong Start to the Indoor Season for UCD Athletics at AAI Indoor Games

Posted 20 January 2026

UCD Athletics Club enjoyed an excellent start to the 2026 indoor season at the recent AAI Indoor Games, with a series of standout performances, victories and personal bests across the track and field.

The event marked the first major indoor outing of the season for many athletes, and UCD competitors made an immediate impact with strong results throughout the programme.

Sprint Success and Personal Bests

There was a confident win for Bori Akinola in the Men’s 60m in a time of 6.69. In the women’s sprint event Aisling Kelly recorded a new personal best of 7.49 seconds in the Women’s 60m, a promising early-season performance.

Middle-Distance Highlights

UCD AC enjoyed particular success in the middle-distance events. Kevin Woods claimed victory in the Men’s 800m in 1:55.19, while Renée Crotty finished second in the Women’s 800m, clocking a personal best of 2:11.29 in the process.

The Women’s 1500m also delivered excellent results for UCD AC, with Ellie Hartnett taking the win in 4:24.43. Teammate Kate Nurse also impressed in the same race, producing a personal best time of 4:27.50.

Impressive Performances Over 400m and in the Field

One of the standout runs of the day came from Darragh Murphy, who made a successful step up from the 200m to the Men’s 400m, finishing with an impressive time of 48.77.

In the field events, Rihanna McCarthy claimed victory in the Long Jump (5.77m), rounding off a strong day for the club across multiple disciplines.

These performances underline a very encouraging start to the indoor season for UCD Athletics Club, with athletes showing strong early form, depth across events, and plenty of promise for the weeks ahead.

A photo gallery from the event is included below.
Photo credit: (opens in a new window)Mark Kavanagh