Mark English begins his bid for another major title at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest this evening.
The Donegal athlete will line up in the second men’s 800m semi final at 5.34pm Irish time, less than a month after becoming European champion in Birmingham.
English has enjoyed arguably the finest season of his career.
He began 2026 by lowering the Irish indoor 600m record to 1:15.80 before cutting his national indoor 800m record to 1:44.23 in Ostrava in February.
His outdoor campaign brought further success. English produced his trademark late surge to win the Shanghai Diamond League in May, setting a meeting record of 1:43.85.
He then broke the Irish 1000m record with 2:15.82 in Ostrava before delivering the fastest 800m performance of his career at the London Diamond League.
English finished second in 1:42.97, breaking 1:43 for the first time and moving to second on the Irish all time list behind Cian McPhillips.
The biggest moment came at the European Championships in Birmingham. English smashed the championship record with 1:43.49 in his semi final before producing a perfectly judged finish to win gold in 1:45.26.
It made him the first Irish man to win an individual outdoor European title.
English subsequently skipped the Diamond League Final in Brussels to prioritise Budapest and arrives having had almost a month to recover from his Birmingham campaign.
A Stacked Semi Final Draw
There is no easy route into Sunday’s final.
English has been drawn in lane five alongside Olympic silver medallist Marco Arop and Olympic bronze medallist Djamel Sedjati.
Former world champion Donavan Brazier, former European champion Gabriel Tual, Max Burgin, Ben Pattison and Francesco Pernici complete an exceptionally strong field.
Only the first four athletes will advance to Sunday’s final, with no places available through fastest times.
English holds the third fastest season’s best in the race behind Sedjati and Arop. His 1:42.97 is one hundredth quicker than Burgin’s best this year, although almost every athlete in the field carries major championship experience.
He may need to run close to his personal best if the pace is quick. His finishing speed and tactical judgement could prove just as valuable if the race becomes cagey.
Should English finish inside the first four, he will return for the final at 6.41pm on Sunday.
World Athletics Ultimate Championship
⏰ 5.34pm: Mark English: Men’s 800m: Semi Final 2
📄 Start Lists
📺 Watch Live (Registration Required)
📺 TV Coverage: BBC Two 5pm to 5.55pm, BBC One 5.55pm to 8.15pm
📊 Results
We wish Mark English the very best as he competes in Budapest this evening.
