Irish middle distance running does not produce weeks like this very often.
Over the space of a few days, Mark English has torn up the indoor record books, opening his 2026 season in ruthless form and laying down an early marker for what could be a very serious year.
His indoor campaign began at the National Indoor Championships in Abbottstown on Wednesday night, stepping down to the rarely run 600 metres and producing something special.
English stormed to victory in a new Irish national record time of 1:15.80, immediately announcing that the winter miles have been put to good use.
And just yesterday, English lined up over 800 metres at the CMCM Luxembourg Indoor Meeting and delivered a run of real substance, stopping the clock in
1:44.65. That performance lowered the Irish indoor record.
Against a high quality field, it was a controlled, confident run that never looked rushed, with English picking his moment to take to the front and never looking troubled.
