Not since the heydays of middle-distance running at Morton Stadium has there been a more popular and proven winner than Mark English. Nor a victory so deeply and deservedly celebrated.
In the standout performance of the 153rd consecutive staging of the National Track & Field Championships, English was imperious in defending his 800m title, the Donegal runner turning the expected two-lap showdown against Cian McPhillips into a tactical masterclass.
Most in attendance suspected the 32-year-old would have a race on his hands, and it looked that way coming into the homestretch when 23-year-old McPhillips sat right on his shoulder. Without once glancing back, English shifted gear again and simply blew him away, winning in 1:48.76, McPhillips second in 1:49.26.
It made for a 10th outdoor title for English, to sit alongside his nine indoor titles, only this was clearly one to relish – the Finn Valley athlete punching the air as he crossed the line before promptly jogging back down the track to embrace the adulation.
READ MORE
“I felt great. I had a plan and it worked out,” said English after the final. “I knew Cian is in brilliant shape, has run the second fastest (Irish) time of all-time. He’s a quality athlete, so I knew I’d have to execute the perfect race to win, and thankfully I did. And for all the support that’s here for me today, that gives you a great bit of confidence before the race starts, and very pleased.”
The sheer class of English eclipsed the other anticipated middle-distance showdown that was the men’s 1,500m, in which Clonliffe Harriers’ Cathal Doyle won his fourth consecutive title. Also running tactically astute, Doyle kicked hard around the final bend to win in 3:53.60 – his 52-second last lap enough to hold off the fast-finishing Andrew Coscoran, who grabbed silver in 3:53.84, just ahead of Nick Griggs (3:53.90).
Coscoran was back on the track just over 90 minutes later to win the 5,000m in 13:34.14, needing a fast finish to see off Brian Fay.
Six weeks out from the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sarah Healy moved down to the 800m to test her speed, and tactics too, but had to surrender to the strength of Alex O’Neill, the Clare athlete winning in 2:04.53 after leading the entire last lap.
“Delighted, it’s huge to get my first senior title,” said O’Neill, who runs with Limerick Track AC. “I’ve been feeling really strong lately, but I was bit shocked the last 50, because I knew there were all there.”
Healy finished a close second in 2:04.57, unable to find the space to get past O’Neill in the last 50m.
In the absence Rhasidat Adeleke, the title of Ireland’s fastest woman for 2025 went to Emerald AC’s Ciara Neville, winning the 100m in 11.44 seconds six years after she first claimed the title as a teenager.
“Honestly, since winning my first title in 2019, it’s just been such a battle with injuries,” said Neville, who finished clear of Lauren Roy (11.49). “So this year I knew I was really coming back into myself, and I’m delighted. I have to give such credit to my coaching team down in Limerick.”
Neville’s training partner Sarah Lavin, racing for the fourth time in two days, claimed her 10th title in the 100m hurdles, 24 hours after finishing second to Sharlene Mawdsley in the 200m, her time of 12.92 well clear of Molly Scott (13.61).
“I just focused on my job, hurdle by hurdle, so clean and solid,” said Lavin. “The thinking behind two events was I’m going to need to have the run of my life in Tokyo, on September 13th and 14th, and you’re not going to feel super fresh after just running a heat. That was important, so very happy with that.”
The title of Ireland’s fastest man has rested with Israel Olatunde for the last four years, but an injury sustained in his semi-final earlier on Sunday forced the Tallaght AC sprinter to withdraw from the final. Olatunde would have needed to be at his absolute best to beat Bori Akinola, the 23-year-old from UCD, who won his first 100m title 10.29, just off his lifetime best of 10.25, adding to his 60m indoor title. Sean Aigboboh of Tallaght AC was second in 10.41.
In the absence of Mawdsley, Sophie Becker dominated the women’s 400m, winning in 52.87, while Jack Raftery won the men’s title in 45.71.
In the field events, Nicola Tuthill won her fourth hammer title in a new Irish under-23 record of 71.75m, while Reece Ademola from Leevale was also a class apart in the long jump with 8.0m.
National Track and Field Championships, Santry
(selected results)
MEN
100m
1 Bori Akinola U.C.D. A.C. 10.29
2 Sean Aigboboh Tallaght A.C. 10.41
3 Lorcan Murphy Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 10.57
200m
1 Marcus Lawler Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 20.66
2 Darragh McConville Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 21.41
3 Adam Murphy Tinryland A.C. 21.51
400m
1 Jack Raftery Donore Harriers 45.71
2 Christopher O’Donnell North Sligo AC 46.27
3 Ciaran Carthy Dundrum South Dublin 46.34
800m
1 Mark English Finn Valley A.C. 1:48.76
2 Cian Mc Phillips U.C.D. A.C. 1:49.26
3 Andrew Thompson North Belfast Harriers 1:49.93
1,500m
1 Cathal Doyle Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 3:53.60
2 Andrew Coscoran Star of the Sea A.C 3:53.84
3 Nick Griggs CNDR Track A.C. 3:53.90
5,000m
1 Andrew Coscoran Star of the Sea A.C. 13:34.14
2 Brian Fay Raheny Shamrock A.C. 13:34.92
3 Jack O’Leary Mullingar Harriers A.C. 13:41.47
110m hurdles
1 Adam Nolan St. Laurence O’Toole A.C. 14.24
2 Gerard O’Donnell Carrick-on-Shannon A.C. 14.40
3 Conor Penney Craughwell A.C. 14.70
400m hurdles
1 Niall Carney Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 54.87
2 Briain Cullinan Sligo A.C. 54.89
3 Jason O’Reilly Killarney Valley A.C. 55.33
Shot Put
1 Eric Favors Raheny Shamrock A.C. 19.58
2 John Kelly Finn Valley A.C. 17.85
3 Callum Keating North Cork A.C. 14.67
Hammer
1 Sean Mockler of Moycarkey Coolcroo A.C 65.62
2 Simon Galligan Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 60.79m
3 Cóil Ó Muirí Fr. Murphy A.C. 56.68m
Long jump
1 Reece Ademola Leevale AC 8.00
2 Sam Healy Leevale AC 7.53
3 Luke O’Carroll Tralee Harriers 7.15
High Jump
1 Conor Penney Craughwell A.C. 2.10
2 Mohammed Ibrahim Halil Raheny Shamrock A.C. 1.95
3 Darragh Kelly Craughwell A.C. 1.90
WOMEN
100m
1 Ciara Neville Emerald A.C. 11.44
2 Lauren Roy Fast Twitch A.C. 11.49
3 Mollie O’Reilly Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 11.60
200m
1 Sharlene Mawdsley Newport A.C. 23.55
2 Sarah Lavin Emerald A.C. 23.80
3 Lauren Roy Fast Twitch A.C. 23.88
400m
1 Sophie Becker Raheny Shamrock 52.87
2 Rachel McCann North Down AC 53.19
3 Cliodhna Manning Kilkenny City Harriers 53.99
800m
1 Alex O’Neill Limerick Track A.C. 2:04.53
2 Sarah Healy U.C.D. A.C. 2:04.57
3 Maeve O’Neill Doheny A.C. 2:04.69
1,500m
1 Laura Nicholson Bandon A.C. 4:13.32
2 Zoe Toland CNDR Track A.C. 4:15.11
3 Niamh Carr Dublin City Harriers A.C. 4:16.08
5,000m
1 Niamh Allen Leevale A.C. 15:35.90
2 Anika Thompson Leevale A.C. 15:40.56
3 Fiona Everard Bandon A.C. 16:04.36
100m hurdles
1 Sarah Lavin Emerald A.C. 12.92
2 Molly Scott St. Laurence O’Toole A.C. 13.61
3 Sarah Quinn St. Colmans South Mayo A.C. 13.84
400m hurdles
1 Cara Murphy Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 59.85
2 Ellis McHugh Ferrybank A.C. 1:00.13
3 Lauren Kilduff Craughwell A.C. 1:00.39
Hammer
1 Nicola Tuthill UCD AC 71.75m NU23R
2 Margaret Hayden Tallaght A.C. 60.22
3 Caoimhe Gallen Lifford Strabane A.C. 52.27
