Watch: Dewhirst smashes U20 Men's 400m Hurdles championship record by three seconds
David Keoghan of Dublin City Harriers covered the distance in 53.39 seconds and the record stood for 27 years until Glenties native Dewhirst ran a blistering 51.54 seconds to take home gold in National U20 & U23 Track and Field Championships in Tullamore
Tír Chonaill AC's Fintan Dewhirst put in a blistering run to take gold at the U-20 Men's 400m Hurdles - and break the long-standing championship record.
Back in 1997, David Keoghan of Dublin City Harriers covered the distance in 53.39 seconds and the record stood for 27 years until Glenties native Dewhirst ran a blistering 51.54 seconds to take home gold in National U20 & U23 Track and Field Championships in Tullamore on Saturday.
The 18-year-old's winning time was over three seconds better than Alex Cullen from Kilkenny City Harriers, who won silver on 54.82, and Eoghan MacMuiris of Dundrum South Dublin, who came third with 54.94. Dewhirst will represent Ireland at the World Athletics U-20 Championships in Lima, Peri, which runs from August 27-31.