On this Day in 2009: David Gillick's 44.77 That Left an Indelible Mark on Irish Athletics

On this day in 2009, David Gillick produced one of the greatest performances in Irish athletics lore, storming to victory in Madrid in 44.77 seconds to break his own Irish 400m record and become the first Irish athlete to run under the 45 second barrier. Seventeen years later, that mark still stands.

The performance came at the height of Gillick’s career. Already a twice European Indoor champion, he arrived in Madrid in outstanding form and took another significant chunk off his previous national record, confirming his place among the world’s leading one lap runners.

On a warm summer evening at Madrid’s Centro Deportivo Municipal Moratalaz, David Gillick lined up in lane five knowing he was in the form of his life. What followed over the next 44.77 seconds would become one of the defining moments in Irish athletics history.

Gillick made a clean start, although he was not the quickest away. As the stagger began to unwind, Belgium’s Cedric Van Branteghem moved into the early lead with Dominica’s Erison Hurtault also ahead through the opening bend. Gillick, however, looked composed, settling into his rhythm rather than forcing the pace too early.

Down the back straight, the complexion of the race began to change. Hurtault started to lose ground, and Gillick swept past him approaching the second bend. From there, his focus turned solely to Van Branteghem.

Running smoothly and powerfully around the final bend, Gillick steadily reeled in the Belgian. By the time they came off the bend, the Irishman had drawn level, and within a few strides he had edged clear.

Entering the home straight, there was only going to be one winner. Gillick powered away over the closing metres, crossing the line in 44.77 seconds, taking almost four tenths off his own Irish record and becoming the first Irish athlete to break the 45 second barrier. Behind him, Van Branteghem finished second in 45.67, with Hurtault third in 45.97, leaving Gillick to win by 0.90 seconds.

Around six weeks after his record breaking run, Gillick reached the final of the men’s 400m at the World Championships in Berlin, becoming the first Irish athlete to qualify for a global 400m final. He eventually finished sixth in the world, underlining just how competitive he had become against an era packed with names such as LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Wariner.

While Irish athletics has produced a succession of high calibre men’s quarter milers since, including Jack Raftery and Chris O’Donnell, David Gillick’s 44.77 has remained untouched through every generation that has followed. No Irish athlete has come within two tenths of a second of the mark he set back in 2009.

That longevity says plenty about the quality of the performance. Records are made to be broken, but sitting at the top of the Irish all time list for well over a decade in one of athletics’ blue riband events is no small achievement.

Gillick’s legacy extends well beyond one race. His European Indoor titles in 2005 and 2007 helped reshape expectations of what Irish sprinting could achieve, while his success inspired many of the athletes now wearing the green vest on the international stage. Since retiring, he has remained a familiar voice through his broadcasting work and continues to be a strong advocate for Irish athletics.

For anyone wanting a deeper insight into the highs, lows and realities of elite sport, Gillick has released his autobiography The Race, written with Cathal Dennehy. The book offers an honest account of the sacrifices, triumphs and challenges that shaped one of Ireland’s greatest ever sprinters.

Seventeen years on, 44.77 remains the standard. And until somebody finally runs faster, David Gillick’s name will continue to sit alone at the summit of one of Irish athletics’ most iconic records.