Marcus O’Sullivan: ‘You never put things in front of you that let you think you’ve arrived’

Twenty years ago today, Marcus O’Sullivan ran his 100th sub-four-minute mile, the last major milestone in a career that ranks among the greats of Irish sport. But as the three-time world champion tells Cathal Dennehy, true fulfilment was only found once he stepped off the track

Three decades on, the sound still lingers – the deep, droning din of air horns echoing around the arena. It bounced off the walls, ricocheted down onto the track and breached the focused cocoon of Marcus O’Sullivan’s mind, a gentle reminder at a pivotal time that there are no supporters quite like the Irish.

It was Sunday night in Budapest, March 1989, and the Cork athlete had just stepped on the track for the men’s 1,500m final at the IAAF World Indoor Championships.