Mark English 'never happier' after breaking Irish 800m record that stood for 26 years

English’s time was also an automatic Olympic qualifier on what was the last day to secure the standard, well below the 1:45.20 he needed

Mark English. File photo: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

Mark English said he has “never been happier after a race” than he was after breaking the Irish 800m record in Castellon, Spain, tonight, the 28-year-old clocking 1:44.71 to finish second. 

It meant he finally achieved a target he had long set: the 1:44.82 mark set by David Matthews in 1995.