Cathal Doyle won the first heat of the men’s 800 invitational. Photo by Kevin Neri
Portland junior Cathal Doyle, a native of Ireland, ran a personal best 1 minute, 49.58 seconds in the men’s 800 meters Saturday at the Oregon Relays, running the first heat of the men’s invitational and finishing sixth overall.
For Doyle, this event was training for his desired main race: the 1,500 meters. Doyle ran a regional qualifying time in the event the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 15. “Today was just a sharpener to make that 1,500 feel a little bit easier,” he said.
Doyle ran a 5K wo weeks ago. He plans to rest from races for a little as he trains for the Oregon Twilight Meet in early May.
He said he was glad to be at Hayward, since he was the first Irishman representing the Pilots in track. “It’s nice to put my name on the history books and leave more Irish guys around here,” he said.
Doyle joined the Pilots during the pandemic. He was invited over direct message on Instagram to join a master’s program. “There was nothing going on at home,” he said. “So that’s what brought me to Portland, and I’m delighted to be a part of it.”
