One step at a time, but Mark English has new Irish records in sights

European bronze medalist Mark English wants to further lower his Irish records.

The Finn Valley AC athlete won bronze in the 800m at the European Athletics Indoor Championships at the weekend.

The 31-year-old doctor heads now to China for the World Indoors, via a few days of training in Dubai.

English will go under starter’s orders in Nanjing on March 21 before his focus will turn to the outdoor season when the Letterkenny native will aim to bring down his 1:44.53 Irish outdoor 800m record. 

“I’m just kind of taking it one step at a time to be honest,” English said after winning the fifth European medal of his career. 

“I will definitely do the outdoor season. I would like to renew that record I ran last year. I think I am capable of running a 1:43 at least so I would like to do that.

“It’s something to look forward to in the summer.”

In June 2021, at Castellón in Spain, English clocked 1:44.71 to take out David Matthews’ long-standing 1:44.82 record, which he set in Italy in September, 1995.

Last summer, competing at Meeting Madrid, English lowered the mark to 1:44.53.

Since the turn of the calendar, English has showed excellent consistency.

English crossed the line in 1:45.46 in Sunday’s final in Apeldoorn, finishing behind Samuel Chapple of Netherlands and Belgium’s Eliott Crestan.

The time was the third fastest set by English indoors and he has been in sub-1:46 territory four times in the 2025 indoor season - including a new Irish indoor record, 1:45.15, at the Millrose Games.

Six of English’s fastest seven indoor 800m races have come this year - three of them in Apeldoorn over recent days.

He said: “I’m just in the habit now of getting into races that allow me to run fast when the Championships come. 

“It’s not something that I ever focussed on in the past. It was always just getting to the Championships, getting the medals, but it is important to be able to run fast times. 

English, who is managed by Pace Sports Management, the company headed up by former Finn Valley AC runner and Milford native Ricky Simms, now heads for China.

The newly-built Nanjing’s Cube gymnasium in Nanjing hosts the 2025 version. 

English, who is now coached by former Australian 800m runner Justin Rinaldi, goes to Asia in good stead.

He said: “Justin has been really good. His tactical advice has been really sound. It helps that Justin has ran the 800m in the past.”

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English competed at the World Indoors in Oregon in 2014 and 2022 in Belgrade where Crestan, Mariano Garcia and Andreas Kramer - all opponents of English this weekend - were finalists with Garcia taking the gold.

At the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona, English finished fifth, clocking 1:46.02 in the final.