Expectations differ for Donegal duo at European Indoor Championships

Finn Valley AC's Patsy McGonagle is keeping expectations grounded with club members Mark English and Arlene Crossan gearing up to represent Ireland at the European Indoor Championships. 

English has three previous participations at European indoor level under his belt and will toe the line in the 800m event, with first-timer Crossan available for selection for the 4x400m women’s relay teams. 

English, from Letterkenny, has established himself as Ireland's premier 800m runner over the past decade, with 17 national senior titles indoors and outdoors. 

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Only last month at the Millrose Games in New York, the 31-year-old clocked 1:45.15, becoming the first Irish man to run a 1:45 indoors.  

He boasts a personal best of 1:44.53, set in June 2024, and has secured four European medals, including bronze at the 2014 and 2022 European Championships in Zurich and Munich respectively, silver at the 2015 European Indoor Championships in Prague, and bronze at the 2019 European Indoor Championships in Glasgow.   

English has demonstrated exceptional form, breaking the Irish indoor 800m record twice, positioning him as the third-ranked European in the event, and McGonagle believes English is well prepared for the challenge ahead.   

“Obviously with Mark English, we have one of the top performing Irish athletes in recent years who has previously on two occasions medaled at European level,” McGonagle said.  

“Now he is going into these championships as the third-ranked European and he has also had a very good indoor season by breaking the Irish 800m indoor record on two occasions, so he is going in with good confidence and having done well.”  

Looking ahead to his prospects, McGonagle outlined the key targets for English, who will begin his championships in the opening round getting underway on Saturday from 11:05am, with the aim to continue into the semi-finals, which are pencilled in for 7:13pm on Saturday, and final is down for 4:27pm on Sunday. 

“Mark has to consider firstly, getting to the final, he needs to get out of the first round, and once he’s in the final, he’s been there before, so it shouldn’t be daunting for him, and we hope that he’d be within a shout for a medal,” McGonagle said.  

For Crossan, the championships mark a major career milestone. Her inclusion in the women's 4x400m relay team for the championships marks her first senior international selection and McGonagle is encouraged by her progress.   

“Arlene’s story is a bit different because there’s no guarantee that she’ll even get a run out being a member of this 4x400m squad,” he said. “But she has improved dramatically over the winter and we always knew she had the talent, it was just about putting it together over the years.”  

Twenty-five-year-old Crossan will now join the successful squad of Sharlene Mawdsley, Phil Healy, Rachel McCann, Cliodhna Manning, and Lauren Cadden on the Irish squad, who will contest the final on Sunday at 6:50pm. 

Kelly McGrory from Laghey was part of the same team last year, running at the Paris Olympics and competing in the semi-final before watching on for the final itself, where they finished fourth with Rhasidat Adeleke joining Healy, Sophie Becker, and Mawdsley. 

The Lurgybrack, Letterkenny native, Crossan finished fifth in the 400m at the recent 123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships, setting a new indoor personal best of 54.98 to make the final.  

McGonagle highlighted the significance of Crossan’s selection, adding that “for her, it’s a landmark situation because she is now being included on this 4x400m Irish squad which has potential and has medaled at world and European level previously, so for her to get on that squad it’s exciting, it’s motivating, and it possibly opens the door to be in major championships.”   

While it remains uncertain whether the pharmacy technician will compete in the relay, McGonagle stressed the importance of the experience, Crossan will be joined by her club coach, Shauna Carlin.  

Crossan has a new Donegal indoor 200m record, clocking an impressive 24.44 seconds at the Leinster Indoors last weekend,  just a week after Crossan set a new Donegal indoor 400m record with the aforementioned time of 54.98 seconds at the National Senior Championship.  

“It will be a mighty experience, but the whole outing for her and the participation, that’s what it’s about for Arlene as a development athlete,” McGonagle said. 

“She’s broken a few records in recent times, so her graph is on the up and this should drive her on and she needs to plan ahead in that she should get some warm-weather training after this and that will drive her into the outdoor season then.” 

The championships run from Thursday through to Sunday.