Inside Mark English's life from girlfriend to rubbing shoulders with celebs on Late Late Show after latest Irish record
And he didn't just about sneak under his previous best time of 1:44.34 either as he managed to shave enough that
6
He clocked the time while running in the Netherlands
Credit: @athleticsirelandofficial
and
@markenglish_
6
Mark and girlfriend Erica taking in the Northern Lights while visiting Iceland
Credit: @markenglish_
6
Mark and sprint ace Israel Olatunde meeting Irish dancing legend Michael Flatley backstage in RTE
Credit: @markenglish_
6
Kerry GAA great Pat Spillane was also part of the line-up that evening
Credit: @markenglish
It's worth bearing in mind too that his previous top time was only set in Poland last week.
Monday's effort saw English come first in his run at the FBK Games in Hengelo.
He saw off France's Yanis Meziane and Australia's Peyton Craig in doing so.
Athletics fans were quick to hail his fastest-ever time as going under 1:44 is considered elite across the global 800m spectrum.
Read More On Irish Sport
Paul Martyn labelled him "phenomenal". Similarly, John McCabe praised: "Running incredibly fast!!! Congratulations Mark!"
Raheny Shamrock AC ace Orla Comerford also enjoyed success — winning the Para Athletics Women's 100m.
Just last week English had eclipsed his own national record with a fine victory at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Bydgoszcz.
He powered down the home straight in Poland to clock a winning time of 1:44.34, with his previous best of 1:44.53 set in Madrid last June.
Most read in Athletics
The five-time European medallist trails only Sonia O'Sullivan in Ireland's all-time major championships medal table.
His haul comprises of two bronze medals won at the European Outdoor Championships in 2014 and 2022 respectively.
'Next Usain Bolt' Gout Gout, 17, runs blistering sub-10sec 100m twice in same day
There were a further two bronze won at the indoor equivalent in 2019
His sole 800m silver came in 2015 when the Indoors were held in Prague.
The Donegal native has
He made his bow on the greatest stage of all in Rio back in 2016 - making it to the 800m semi-finals.
6
Another pic from his and Erica's trip to Iceland where they took in its stunning scenery
Credit: @markenglish
6
He has a degree in medicine from University College Dublin
Credit: @markenglish
It was a similar story last summer as his Paris journey ended at the semi-final stages after he came sixth.
In the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games of 2021 he marginally failed to make it past the first round.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
'Big Joe' and the Lions look to lock in Test spots against Brumbies
AS MARO ITOJE was listing out the big Lions ball-carriers he hopes to see punching at the Brumbies defence today [KO 11am Irish time, Sky Sports], he named 'Big Joe McCarthy' among them. It seems the prefix applied to McCarthy within the Ireland squad has caught on in Andy Farrell's Lions group too. The Irish lock is a big fella, to be fair. He's the bulkiest second row in the Lions squad, weighing in at around 124kg and standing 6ft 6ins tall. McCarthy is explosive too, as everyone was reminded by his big performance against the Western Force. McCarthy has only had one other appearance off the bench against the Reds before returning to the starting XV for today's clash with the Brumbies, but he has been pencilled into most people's predicted Test match 23s. We know Farrell is a big fan of McCarthy's all-action physicality, so this must feel like a huge opportunity for the Leinster man to lock down a Test spot as he plays alongside captain Maro Itoje. 'He's obviously a great player,' said Itoje of McCarthy. 'He's been on fine form and I'm looking forward to playing with him.' Farrell has plenty of other options alongside Itoje for the Tests, of course, including McCarthy's Irish team-mates Tadhg Beirne and James Ryan. But being in this strong Lions team to take on the Brumbies feels like the ideal place to be. Deliver a big performance alongside Itoje 10 days out from the opening Wallabies clash and it will surely mean being in pole position. Advertisement Andy Farrell is expecting to see a big performance. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO 'I think they will complement each other really well, both showing good form in their last game,' said Farrell of what he wants to see from McCarthy and Itoje. 'Continuity is pretty important to be able to add to that, I suppose there's no doubt that they would have listened to what everyone's been saying around as far as the performances, etc. It's up to them to make sure that they take a step forward.' The same applies to this entire 23, even if the rest of the Lions will have one final audition on Saturday against the AUNZ Invitational team in Adelaide. Following last weekend's scrappy performance against the Waratahs, Farrell and his assistants are keen to see this Lions 23 move closer to a Test match mentality. 'You want to see them stay in every single moment of the game and I know that sounds harsh and almost impossible to do but they understand 100% now, and have done for a week or so, what is expected of them to be the best teammate that they can possibly be,' said Farrell. 'So, that's what we're judging them on, the expectation of that and what it takes to be the best version of themselves but also what it takes to be part of this team and they understand that because ultimately that's what is going to make us successful or not.' The Brumbies are missing their key Wallabies, but Stephen Larkham's side are determined to make the Lions uncomfortable. They famously beat the Lions back in 2013 in a final midweek games before the first Test but that was a very strong Brumbies side including Scott Fardy, Tevita Kuridrani, Henry Speight, Jesse Mogg, Matt Toomua, Scott Sio, Sam Carter, and Colby Faingaa. Brumbies boss Stephen Larkham. Photosport / Andrew Cornaga/INPHO Photosport / Andrew Cornaga/INPHO / Andrew Cornaga/INPHO There is talent in this Brumbies selection and there will be a big crowd of well over 20,000 people roaring them on, but they know it's an onerous task to try and take down a Lions team that means business. Fullback Andy Muirhead is always a threat, lightning-quick wing Corey Toole should have some big moments, blindside Tom Hooper played for the Wallabies off the bench last weekend, and brothers Ryan and Lachlan Lonergan are popular local figures. After the lovely mild winter weather in Sydney and Newcastle, it has been chillier here in Canberra this week, but the Lions are expecting to turn up the heat as that first Wallabies Test looms. BRUMBIES: Andy Muirhead; Ben O'Donnell, Ollie Sapsford, David Feliuai, Corey Toole; Declan Meredith, Ryan Lonergan (captain); Lington Ieli, Lachlan Lonergan, Rhys van Nek; Lachie Shaw, Cadeyrn Neville; Tom Hooper, Rory Scott, Tuaina Taii Tualima. Replacements: Liam Bowron, Cameron Orr, Feao Fotuaika, Lachie Hooper, Luke Reimer, Harrison Goddard, Jack Debreczeni, Hudson Creighton. LIONS: Blair Kinghorn; Tommy Freeman, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Ellis Genge, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Maro Itoje (captain), Joe McCarthy; Ollie Chessum, Tom Curry, Jack Conan. Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Will Stuart, Josh van der Flier, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Mack Hansen. Referee: Pierre Brousset [France].
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Stephen Larkham: 'Knowing how he operates, I think Clayton will be a great fit for Munster'
Stephen Larkham is backing rival Super Rugby head coach Clayton McMillan to be a great fit when he takes the reins at Munster this summer. Australia's 1999 World Cup-winning fly-half knows all about dealing with high expectations at Munster having served as Johann van Graan's senior coach at the province between 2019 and 2022. He has fond memories of life in Limerick and there is the sense that the foundations he and van Graan laid at Munster's High Performance Centre during their tenures led to the URC title success under his fellow assistant Graham Rowntree in the season following their departures. Larkham returned home to Canberra to return to the Brumbies as head coach and will on Wednesday plot the downfall of an Irish-heavy British & Irish Lions side in their latest tour match on this 2025 tour Down Under. That the Brumbies' home, GIO Stadium has a Gregan-Larkham grandstand named in honour of the franchise's legendary half-back partnership, a pairing with scrum-half George Gregan which helped secure the Wallabies' World Cup success 26 years ago, tells you all you need to know about the current head coach's standing in his hometown. His tenure at the top of the organisation he also served as both a player and an assistant to Jake White when the Brumbies beat the Lions here in 2013 has also been enhanced by guiding the Canberra side to the Super Rugby Pacifica semi-finals this season, Australia's only representatives in the last four. That they lost to McMillan's Chiefs in that semi last month was not lost on Larkham as he applauded Munster's decision to appoint the New Zealander as Rowntree's permanent successor having negotiated the final seven months of last season under an interim head coach, Ian Costello. 'I had a chat to him (McMillan) after our first-round game, actually,' Larkham said. 'I didn't talk to him after they beat us in the semi. I did, but not about that. Clayton McMillan is Munster's 11th head coach since 2014. File picture: Michael Bradley/Getty 'He's done an amazing job. When you look at that Chiefs team, not necessarily the best players, but it fits well. We've kind of had it here with the Brumbies and the Waratahs and the big brother up the road. 'They've got the Chiefs and the Blues, who are the big brother up the road. He's done an amazing job with the Chiefs over the last couple of years. He's a great coach and got huge respect within the Super Rugby community. 'And I think he's a great appointment. 'No disrespect to the coaches that are over there (at Munster) at the moment. I just think, obviously, they've made a decision that they want to find someone external. 'Just talking to Clayton, knowing how he operates, and speaking to some of the players and the staff that have worked with him, I think he's going to be a great fit." Larkham is two years removed from his stint with Munster but he looks back on that period of his coaching career with fondness. 'We loved it. We had the opportunity to stay over there. We came back because Brumbies is my home. It's my hometown. 'I always had the plan to go overseas somewhere to bring the experience back to the Brumbies. And I certainly got a lot of experience out of Munster. 'It was hard to leave. Great environment, good group of players, good staff, great set-up. 'Loved the town of Limerick, where we lived. Everyone's passionate about rugby over here. 'You get really good crowds at the British and Irish Lions games, but you see through Super we don't get the crowds that we get over there. From a development point of view as a coach, I couldn't talk higher of the environment that was created over there for the coaches. An amazing experience.' Working within the Irish system has also given Larkham a better appreciation of the Lions, which was already at a high level given he faced them as a player in the 2001 Test Series. 'Knowing some of the players, like Tadhg Beirne is here with the team, but then we had Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham, and we've been following those guys, obviously, because they're from Canberra. 'And just to see the Irish system, and be in the Irish system, and see how it sort of flows through. 'All the talent from Munster, how that flows through into the Irish team. And then kind of seeing how the Irish team do it, and where they've come from. What Joe (Schmidt) did, sort of bring them through, and Andy (Farrell) sort of continued that on. 'And now the bulk of the Irish, the British and Irish Lions team is Irish. Yeah, it gives me more appreciation of the talent that was over there. 'I think being over there has certainly given me more appreciation of the talent that is in those competitions up there." Read More Ireland make four changes for World U20 Rugby Championship clash against New Zealand
Irish Examiner
7 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Brendan Rodgers: 'It would have been lovely for Adam, but it was just too big a risk'
'Cork is the new Mediterranean,' was Brendan Rodgers' response when he was asked for his assessment on Celtic's narrow Cork Super Cup triumph against Cork City. In the baking heat at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday night, goals from Luke McCowan and Colby Donovan, either side of a superbly taken equaliser by 17-year-old Cork native Matthew Murray, ensured the Scottish champions claimed another piece of silverware. But while they were treated to a decent contest, many of those amongst the 26,580 crowd that made their way to the home of Cork GAA may have been disappointed not to see Cork's Adam Idah line out in the famous Hoops on his return to Leeside. In a more serious tone, Rodgers explained his reasons behind leaving the former College Corinthians forward out of his squad entirely. 'Emotionally it would have been lovely, and Adam would have loved to have played but those international guys that come back Friday… he trained hard this morning and all those other guys, but it was just too big a risk,' he insisted. 'To come back in after being off for the summer and you only train Friday, Saturday, we normally would give them at least a week before they would play. 'Adam knows. I think for him it's just amazing for him to be back home, to come back… when I told him last year, we would be coming to Cork he was really excited about it. 'If the international games were at a different time, he would have been back in earlier and then trained and been on a good level. 'He understood why he wasn't involved, but I know he's loved being back here for this short time.' Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers meets fans before the pre-season friendly. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire. One Irish player that did feature for Celtic on the night was Johnny Kenny and while Rodgers admitted he was also close to missing out, the Celts boss added that he hopes the Sligo native will sign a new deal with the club in the near future. 'It was nice for Johnny. He actually took a bad knock in training on Monday, and we weren't sure if he was going to be able to play. 'He got a real bad knock on his shin. But I think he was really determined to come over to Ireland and play. 'Johnny was threatening the back line, nearly looked like he'd get in a couple of times, but he always gives his all and we'll see how pre-season goes for him. 'I think the plan for Johnny is, if we can, because we still think there's a lot of development for him but yes, we would like to sign him to a new deal and then see what path it takes, whether he stays or whether he needs to go and get games. We'll know that over the coming weeks.' Celtic's trip to Cork has been short and eventful, but otherwise it seemed to have been a success for all parties. Asked if a Cork Super Cup rematch is on the cards for next summer, then, Rodgers remarked: 'I cannot promise anything, I can't commit to anything now. 'We've got so many offers to travel the world, but I also think it's good for us to take Celtic to different parts of Ireland as well. 'We've been to Sligo last year, that was great. We've been to Cork and our notion is always to come back to here. 'But the short time we've been here, we've been received so well, and the facility has been brilliant. "The hotel (Fota) was so good, and the only problem was we couldn't play some golf! 'But can I just say, just officially as well, a big thank you to the people of Cork and the city. 'It's been so nice from when we arrived yesterday (Monday) afternoon. The support, the friendship, everything has been amazing so a wonderful place to come and play and tonight was a great event for us all. So, thank you very much for everything.'
