Mark English: An immortal presence on the big stage

This Christmas was different for the English family.

Joe English learned to ski as he spent the festive period alongside his son, Mark, in Sierra Nevada.

The hard graft in the mountains, where Mark English fine tuned his preparation for 2025 at altitude, worked wonders at the weekend.

The Finn Valley AC athlete dipped over the finish line at the Omnisport, Apeldoorn, in 1:45.46 to take bronze in the 800m final at the European Athletics Indoor Championships.

English has lined up in five European finals. Each time, he has won a medal.

He wondered in 2022, after landing a bronze in Munich at the European Championships, if that would be that.

Last year, he lowered his Irish outdoor record to 1:44.53 and competed well at the Olympic Games in Paris.

After leaving Paris, many believed that English would hang up the spikes.

Instead, the 31-year-old contacted Justin Rinaldi, the Australian 800m coach, and has since linked up with the Fast8Track Club.

“I was up in Sierra Nevada with my dad at Christmas time,” English says. “We spent Christmas there so it was a pretty miserable existence at times so it’s nice to have it pay off.” 

The Letterkenny native also spent some time in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Among those alongside him were Dutch athlete Tony van Diepen, who won two golds, with the Netherlands’ men’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relay teams.

“Justin has been really good,” English says. “His tactical advice has been really sound. It helps that Justin has run the 800m in the past.”

English’s was the first medal won by Ireland at a European Indoors since the 2019 version in Glasgow when he also took bronze. At the Emirates Arena, he clocked 1:47.39 and was behind gold medallist Alvaro de Arriba from Spain (1:46.83) and Great Britain’s Jamie Webb (1:47.13).

As English shared a photo of his bronze medal from the weekend, de Arriba had a one-word comment. “Immortal,” he wrote.

Mark English in action in the men's 800m final at the European Indoors. Photo: Sportsfile

English really rose to prominence as an athlete of real potential in 2010 when he won gold at the European Youth Olympic Trials over 1000m in Moscow, crossing the line in 2:24.53 and beating British athlete Charlie Grice. 

The victory saw English qualify for the 2010 Summer Olympic Games in Singapore, where he finished eighth. 

Belfast boxer Ryan Burnett, who went on to become a unified bantamweight champion as a professional, won gold in the light-flyweight division in Singapore and Kate Veale finished fourth in the 5k walk. 

The 1000m was won by Mohammed Aman from Ethiopia, who won World Championship gold in 2013, in between two World Indoor golds in 2012 and 2014. 

A year later, Patsy McGonagle made an early exit from the 2011 National Juvenile Championships in Tullamore, but had to pull the car in as he made his way home, stunned by news that was just relayed.

It was, McGonagle recalled, a "madcap weekend where I just decided to leave Tullamore early to get back to Ballybofey at something resembling a respectable hour".

McGonagle went wide-eyed after being told: ‘Mark English has broken the Donegal Senior record!’ English hadn’t just won the under-19 400m, his 48.02 seconds was a new county best. “I knew immediately the significance of what was happening,” McGonagle has said. 

Eight years later, in his autobiography, Relentless, in the wake of English winning a bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, McGonagle wrote: "Mark English is the most talented athlete that we have ever produced in the north west of Ireland. Ever."

The second ‘ever’ was telling.

“I am very, very clear on that,” McGonagle added.

English has remained right at the top of his event’s elite level.

He won silver at the European Indoors in 2015 and also has two European outdoor bronze medals - 2014 in Zurich and 2022 in Munich - to his name. 

English will turn 32 on March 18, just before the gun goes off for the start of the World Athletics Indoor Championships at Nanjing’s Cube in Nanjing, China.

“I’m just kind of taking it one step at a time to be honest,” English says “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.

The experience has stood him in good stead with the final time of 1:45.46 the third fastest indoor time of his career. Six of English’s fastest seven indoor 800m races have come this year - three of them in Apeldoorn over recent days.

He said: “I think that comes with the territory. Most people who are experienced tend to have more of an arsenal of race tactics. It has been quite helpful.

“What a whirlwind of emotions over the last three days. I am just grateful for everyone who has helped me to put the work in. You need to be able to run fast. The game has kind of stepped on a bit. I wanted to produce my best times this year. With that will come whatever.”

English has taken a break from work as a medical doctor having completed his studies at UCD in 2021 - a journey he completed alongside maintaining his athletic pursuits. He has worked with the hepatobiliary team at the Mater Hospital in Dublin and also had a spell at Roscommon hospital.

The heat in Netherlands was unusually warm last week; Saturday was its warmest March 8 ever with the mercury settling at 16.5 degrees. 

The country has gone 28 winters now without holding an Elfstedentocht - a 135-mile ice skating race that takes in 11 cities in the Friesland province when it can be staged - but even these temperatures are new territory.

English was only three years old when the Elfstedentocht last took place - in January 1997. He could feel the gauge rising as he headed for home in the 800m semi-final, but showed every inch of the tactical nous and know-how to get through in third, having overcome a sometimes bumpy heat on Friday.

Read next: Drumkeen brothers toast national wins in different sports on same day

Trace the trajectory of the 800m and its various protagonists since English veered to gold in Moscow 15 years ago.

On top of his European exploits, English has won a total of 18 Irish senior golds - nine indoors and nine outdoors. 

There are few who have remained never mind stayed as consistent.

Only Sonia O’Sullivan has won more major medals than English, now the most decorated male athlete in the history of Irish athletics.

Alvaro de Arriba summed him up best: “Immortal”.