Murphy follows national silver with Leinster gold
Adam Murphy (347) on the podium after taking silver in the National Senior Indoor Championships two weeks ago, and he followed that up with a gold at the Leinster Championships last weekend Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Tinryland sprinter, Adam Murphy, is in a rich vein of form. On Sunday at Abbottstown, he clocked a personal best of 21.54 to take gold beating Titans AC sprinter, Emmanuel Akinrolie into second place in the Leinster athletic indoor championships.
He staked his overall claim for gold in the opening heat of five when running a time of 21.74. As the fastest runner in the heats, he qualified for lane six in the final which is considered to be the best position. The gold was never in doubt even though the runner up, who is a 60 metre specialist, could potentially have started best.
“He probably took a little bit out of me bit at no point did I see him during the race,” explained Murphy who, having won in Connacht three weeks ago, ran a personnel best here and, in addition, to winning silver in the national championships was ticking a lot of boxes. The Tinryland man was not surprised with his personal best.
“When you are consistent at a good time, that is when you have a chance of getting a personal best. When I ran 21.7 in the heat, it was laying down a marker and getting a preferable lane six,” he said.
“It was about going to win the race and things clicked when I ran a PB.”
Murphy trains six times a week and underwent warm weather training in January in South Africa. He has a regular job so had to come home early while other full-time athletes remained.
Yet this was where he wanted to be as the indoor season begins to wind up.
“It means a lot. The medal at national level meant more as I had won in Leinster before. I am in shape. I wanted to win it and run a good time. It ticks all the boxes that I would have wanted indoors.”
Now bigger tests lie ahead but, mentally and physically, he is in a great position at the moment.
“I am hungrier than ever now. I have that monkey off my back now when getting that National medal.
“We are going to Portugal on a training camp in April. My outdoor PB is 21.3 and in the shape I am in now, there is still a lot more I want to improve on outdoors now,” said an athlete who is in good mood and has every reason to look forward confidently to further tests down the road.
