Mark English (athlete)

Mark English (born 18 March 1993) is an Irish middle-distance runner.[2]

Mark English
Mark English, 2022 in Munich
Personal information
NationalityIrish
Born (1993-03-18) 18 March 1993
Sport
SportTrack and field
Event(s)800m
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
  • 800 m (outdoor): (outdoor): 1:44.70 (2021)
  • 800 m (indoor): 1:46.10 (2021, NR)[1]
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Ireland
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place2014 Zürich800 m
Bronze medal – third place2022 Munich800 m
European Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place2015 Prague800 m
Bronze medal – third place2019 Glasgow800 m
European Team Championships
Silver medal – second place2019 Sandnes (First League)800m
Gold medal – first place2017 Vaasa (First League)800m
Silver medal – second place2015 Heraklion (First League)800m
Gold medal – first place2014 Tallinn (First League)800m

Early life

English's home town is Letterkenny in County Donegal. He attended secondary school at St Eunan's College.[3] He only made the switch to athletics during his Transition Year, having previously played Gaelic football for Letterkenny Gaels at under-age level.[4] While a member of Letterkenny Athletic Club in his teens, he tested himself against the Gaelic footballer Caolan Ward.[5]

English studied medicine at University College Dublin (UCD), where his classmates included Dublin's multiple All-Ireland winning Gaelic footballer Jack McCaffrey—considered that sport's quickest player. English has issued a challenge to McCaffrey to take him on over 100 metres.[6] After qualifying as a doctor in 2019, he initially intended to step aside from medical practice in order to focus on athletics full-time, but when the 2020 Olympics were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he took the opportunity to complete his 12-month medical internship.[7]

Career

At the 2014 European Athletics Championships, English won a bronze medal in the 800 metres event.[8][9] On 8 March at the 2015 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Prague, English won a silver medal.[10][11]

In 2014, English finished 2nd at the Adidas Grand Prix as part of the 2014 IAAF Diamond League.[12] English finished 4th at the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup, representing Team Europe.[13]

In 2015, he finished 9th at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China.[14]

He represented Ireland at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[15] Later that year, English ran the 2nd quickest of all-time for 500m at the Great CityGames, finishing 2nd to 2016 Olympic 800m winner David Rudisha.[16]

On 3 March 2019, English won a bronze medal in the 800 metres at the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships.[17] Following this, the RTÉ analyst Jerry Kiernan (himself a former athlete) described English as historically the country's "greatest talent" in middle-distance running.[18] Several years earlier, Kiernan had claimed that English was better than Michael Murphy — the All-Ireland winning football team captain long held to be his county's greatest ever athlete. Kiernan justified this remark with the comment: "[Murphy] is playing against lads from Monaghan. Mark English is running against Kenyans".[19]

In August 2019, English won the 800m at the Birmingham 2019 Diamond League.[20]

In August 2022, he won a bronze medal in the 800m at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich.[21]

Other work

English has been active in encouraging people to read more books.[22]

References
  1. [1:46.10 ]
  2. "Mark English". IAAF. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  3. "Mark English is the pride of Letterkenny". Highland Radio. 19 August 2014.
  4. McNulty, Chris (12 February 2016). "Mark English: Youngsters shouldn't 'specialise' in sport too early". Archived from the original on 28 February 2016.
  5. O'Kane, Cahair (3 August 2019). "Commitment starting to pay off for Ward". The Irish News.
  6. "English challenges McCaffrey to race". Hogan Stand. 19 June 2014.
  7. "Mark English: A doctor with time - and times - for the Olympics". 4 March 2021.
  8. "Mark English wins 800m European bronze for Ireland". The Score. 15 August 2014. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  9. "Mark English wins bronze for Ireland". Irish Examiner. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  10. "'I had to bide my time' - Mark English claims silver for Ireland in European 800m final". Irish Independent. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  11. "Mark English upgrades bronze to silver at European Indoor Championships". Irish Examiner. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  12. "English takes second at New York Diamond League". RTE.ie. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  13. "Mark English Places Fourth in Marrakech |". Athletics Ireland. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  14. "800m Metres Men". IAAF. 23 August 2015.
  15. "Rio 2016: Mark English smooth and composed on debut". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  16. admin (11 September 2016). "Mark English finishes 2nd to Rudisha in Newcastle". Highland Radio - Latest Donegal News and Sport. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  17. "Bronze medal for Ireland as Mark English grabs third in European Indoor 800m final". The 42. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  18. McNulty, Chris (6 March 2019). "Jerry Kiernan says Mark English is the 'greatest ever' talent in Irish middle-distance running". Archived from the original on 7 May 2019.
  19. "Forget GAA, English is greatest sportsman in Donegal - Kiernan". 21 April 2014. Archived from the original on 8 May 2019.
  20. "English storms to 800m gold at Diamond League". 18 August 2019. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  21. "How Mark English plotted his brilliant bronze in the European 800m final". The 42. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  22. "Donegal sporting stars encouraging students to read more books". Highland Radio. 9 April 2016.
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