5000m the priority for Nick Griggs in 2025
Nick European Country Men's Griggs Cardy/sportsfile Airport Ramsey Photo By Cross U23 Medalist Silver At Dublin
Nick Griggs says 5000m will be his priority when it comes to major championships in the future. The 19-year-old from Tyrone won silver for Ireland at the European U23 Cross Country Championships in Turkey on Sunday.
At the Morton Games in July, he ran 13:13.07 for 5000m, breaking the Irish U23 record and making him the sixth fastest Irishman ever over the distance.
"I think that's probably where my best opportunity lies to win medals at senior level," he told RTÉ.
"In terms of 2025, I think obviously making world seniors is the biggest aim. It's the biggest championships of the year next year, with no Olympics.
"The 5000, hopefully once I can do that, who knows what happens? Once you can get there, you go on, you give it your all and see what happens.
"And then I have the European Under-23 Championships [in July]. Hopefully, in the 5000m, if I can make it there fit and healthy, I can maybe redeem for yesterday and hopefully get the win.
"It's all about improving year on year, getting quicker, getting better. Sunday was another example of how consistent I've been on the European stage; I've won medals every year at Euro Cross for the last three years.
"When you think about that, it's really good to see the consistency and the times are getting quicker. Everything is going to plan for me so I just have to keep doing what I'm doing and not overthink stuff."
Griggs, who turns 20 next week, said he was proud to see the Irish flag being raised above the podium on Sunday though it was a moment tinged with regret that he did not manage to run down Great Britain's Will Barnicoat in the home straight.
"You always want to win gold," said Griggs.
"I definitely feel like I had the ability going in to get the job done. It was good conditions, it was firm. It kind of suited me. I thought if I was ever going to win at the Europeans, I thought it was probably going to be [on Sunday], but I just didn't get the job done.
"Obviously, there's a wee bit of disappointment, but I think when you win a European silver, how disappointed can you be? I gave it my all, and when you do that, that's all you can do."