Nick Griggs

Nick Griggs (born 18 December 2004) is an Irish middle and long-distance runner from County Tyrone.

Early and personal life
From Newmills, County Tyrone, Griggs was made the Head Boy at Cookstown High School. He had an older brother called Josh who died in an accident in 2021.

A keen GAA player, he played for Brackaville Owen Roes GFC from the age of five. He set Irish U18 records, running 14:15.98 for 5000m, and winning the national U18 3000m title in Santry, in 8:11.15.

Griggs ran for Mid Ulster AC in County Tyrone before switching to the Candour Track Club in Belfast, where he is coached by Mark Kirk.

Career
Griggs won the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships over 3000m in July 2021, Tallinn at the age of 16 years-old.

2022
In February 2022, he set new national U20 records in the 1500m and 3000m. He ran his first sub-four minute mile in March 2022 in Abbotstown, setting a new European U20 record at the same time.

In October 2022, Griggs ran the fastest ever parkrun recorded in Ireland. Aged 17 years-old, he ran a five kilometre course at Victoria Park, Belfast in 14:15. In December 2022 he won the silver medal in the U20 competition at the European Cross Country Championships in Turin.

2023
In January 2023, Griggs ran 7:54.44 for the 3000m indoors, in Manchester. In February 2023, in Birmingham, Griggs lowered his own national U20 indoor record for the 1500m to 3:39.94.

In May 2023, in Oordegem, Griggs clocked a time of 13.36.47 to set a new national U20 record over 5000m. On 17 June 2023, he set new 1500m best of 3:36.09, which was an Irish U20 outdoor record previously set by Ray Flynn in 1982. In July 2023, he set a new Ireland U20 records for the mile (3:55.73) in Dublin. He also set a new Irish U20 record for the 3000m (7:53.24).

In August 2023, Griggs won the silver medal in the 3000m race at the European U20 Championships, held in Jerusalem. He was selected for the 1500m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

In October 2023, Griggs finished third in the men's race at the Northern Ireland International Cross Country event in Belfast finishing behind Ethiopian Yohanes Asmare and Spaniard Ilias Fifa.

In December 2023, he won bronze in the 2023 European Cross Country Championships U20 individual race in Brussels, finishing behind Niels Laros and Axel Vang Christensen. His Irish team won gold in the U20 competition at the event.

2024
In January 2024, he ran a new personal best of 7:45.94 at the 3000 metres indoors in Val de Reuil, France. He lowered it the following week in Metz, to 7:45.57, to claim the Irish U23 record from Darragh McElhinney.

In May 2024, he lowered his outdoor 1500 metres personal best to 3:35.90 in Chorzow, which met the qualifying standard for the 2024 European Championships in Rome. He was selected for the Irish team for the 2024 European Athletics Championships.

In July 2024, he set a new personal best of 7:41.68 over 3000 metres in Cork, and 13:13.07 personal best in the 5000m at the Morton Games in Dublin. He lowered his 3000 metres personal best to 7:36.59 at the London Athletics Meet on 20 July 2024.

Personal bests

 * 800 metres – 1:49.57 (Dublin 2023)
 * 1500 metres – 3:35.90 (Chorzow 2024) 
 * 1500 metres indoor – 3:39.94 (Birmingham 2023) 
 * Mile – 3:55.73 (Dublin 2023)
 * Mile indoor – 3:56.40 (Dublin 2022) 
 * 3000 metres – 7:36.59 (London 2024) 
 * 3000 metres indoor – 7:45.57  (Metz 2024) 
 * 5000 metres – 13:13.07 (Dublin 2024)