Mark English pleased with the gears after majestic win

As Mark English cruised to his latest Irish 800m title, it seemed apt that The Chairman of the Boards was there to doff his cap.

Eamonn Coghlan made his name over longer distances, winning 5000m gold at the World Championships. Between 1974 and 1987, he won 52 of the 70 races over 1500m and one-mile he started.

Coghlan was also adept over the 800m distance English has made his own. Coghlan took five national senior titles over the distance.

It was Coghlan who draped the latest gold around the Finn Valley AC star's neck on Sunday at the National Indoor Arena.

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English appeared almost effortless, yet he won with no less majesty than we've come to expect as the Letterkenny native collected the ninth senior indoor 800m crown of his career, the 17th in total.

The winning time of 1:52.47 was by no means his fastest, but he was a master at work, soaring away from his rivals in a 25-second last 200m.

“Very happy,” English, who races in Madrid on Wednesday ahead of the European Indoors in just under two weeks, coldly reflected. “National titles are always competitive.

“They mean a lot to me. Every time I come here, there is someone to race and it's nice to come away with a victory. I'm very happy with my race. It's nice to know that I have those gears.”

English, a four-time European medallist, was Donegal's sole gold medallist at the weekend. Finn Valley AC duo John Kelly (shot), Brendan Boyce (5k race walk) and Tir Chonaill AC's Conall Mahon (triple jump) took silvers while Finn Valley's Lauren Callaghan (long jump) earned bronze in the long jump.

Mahon, the reigning outdoor champion, had a best effort of 14.40m and touched the sand beyond 14m on each of his successful attempts.

Last month, Mahon hit a new Donegal record when going out to 14.70m, but even that would have resulted in the silver.

Lagan Valley man Jai Benson retained his title with a 14.79m effort. Sporting a baseball cap, Benson also recorded a 14.72m jump.

Callaghan broke the Donegal indoor record last month when jumping 6.24m in Jordanstown before setting a new Irish Universities record of 6.19m.

After breaking the board on her first two visits on Sunday, Callaghan was twice beyond six metres, her best of 6.07m sealing third.

Irish junior record holder Elizabeth Ndudi won gold, going out to 6.28m in the final jump of the event to beat Ruby Millet on a countback.

“I kept the trust in my run-up instead of swapping and changing,” the DCU student, back on form after a stress fracture in her back in 2020, said.

“I'm over the moon. I knew it was coming. I had a really good winter.”

Boyce is a long-distance specialist, but the three-time Olympian dipped below 20 minutes in the 5k for only the second time on Saturday. Boyce's 19:39.60 is a new Ulster and Donegal record.

David Kenny won in 19:11.42 with Callum Lewis Wilkinson, who represented GB at the Tokyo Olympics, third in the colours of Togher AC.

Kelly, back home from Sweden to compete, was the shot put silver medallist, his 19.19m only bettered by the 19.26m of Irish record holder Eric Favors.

Kelly and Favors have built up quite the rivalry in the shot put circle and both competed at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Tir Chonaill AC's Lucy McGlynn was fourth in the 200m and fifth in the 60m hurdles.

Over the barriers, McGlynn finished in 8.79 seconds with Sarah Lavin powering to gold in 8.03 seconds.

In the 200m, her first final of the day, McGlynn – who qualified as the fastest runner-up – crossed the line in 25.5 seconds.

Finn Valley trio Gavin McLaughlin (shot), Bridget McDyer (weight for distance) and Sinead McConnell (3k race walk) were all fourth in their respective events.

McDyer looked to be on course for bronze thanks to a 6.37m throw on her second attempt, but was edged by Ciara Sheehy's 6.43m and McConnell's 15:51.7 represents her second fastest ever time, coming ahead of the World Masters next month.

Tir Chonaill Ac's Geraldine Stewart was sixth in the women's shot put, throwing a best of 11.65m while Jack Murphy, also of Tir Chonaill, finished eighth in the pole vault

Cranford AC's Oisin Kelly was fourth in an 800m heat and third in his 400m heat while Letterkenny AC's John McCallion set a new PB in coming 17th in the 3,000m final.