Mark English breaks Irish 800m record with stunning win in Hengelo

Mark English smashed the Irish 800m record in Netherlands on Monday evening.

The Finn Valley AC athlete won the 800m at the FBK Games in Hengelo, shaving a further 0.42 seconds off his Irish record.

English, who had already secured his spot at the 2025 World Athletics Championships with his last record-breaking run in Poland, came with his customary swift finish to win in 1:43.92.

He is the first Irish athlete to run a sub-1:44 800m.

The 32-year-old Letterkenny native, who won European Indoor bronze earlier this year, is in the form of his life - and he showed it again at the FBK Stadium in a World Athletics Continental Silver Tour meet. 

Over two laps, English - who opened out of lane 6 - finished strong and had 0.4 seconds to spare on France’s Yanis Meziane, who was second in 1:44.32 with Craig Peyton from Australia third in a similar time.

Ten days ago, English clocked 1:44.34 to win at the Irena Szewińska Memorial in Bydgoszcz.

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English is showing the fruits of a new partnership with coach Justin Rinaldi and the Fast 8 Track Club and had opened his outdoor season with victory at the Track Fest meet in Los Angeles 1:44.75.

This will be a long season for athletes with the World Athletics Championships not taking place until mid-September in Tokyo.

Earlier in the year, the medical doctor - now a five-time European medallist - set a new Irish indoor 800m record of 1:45.15 while running at the Millrose Games in New York.