Ciara Mageean shines in Diamond League to claim second 

The 30-year-old came home behind Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon.

ON SONG: Ciara Mageean impressed again against op-quality opposition.

It wasn’t the fastest race of Ciara Mageean’s career, but all things considered, this was likely the best. Six days after smashing Sonia O’Sullivan’s Irish 1500m record to win at the Brussels Diamond League, the 30-year-old Portaferry native produced a performance that was even more polished, proving – without question – that she can be a global medal contender in the years to come.

Mageean finished second in the 1500m at the Diamond League final in Zurich tonight, clocking 4:01.68 to come home behind Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (4:00.44), her last 300m covered in a blazing 43 seconds and her last lap in 58 seconds.

“I’d take that in an 800m, never mind at the end of a 1500m,” she laughed when told of her closing splits. “I’m really surprised at that. It makes the 4:01 even more impressive that I was finishing so strong.” 

This was a race that had gathered all the current heavy hitters of her event such as Kipyegon, who’s widely regarded as the best female 1500m runner of all time, along with Gudaf Tsegay and Laura Muir, who followed the Kenyan home in this year’s world final.

Mageean positioned herself behind Kipyegon as the pacemaker went through 400m in 64 seconds and 800m in 2:11, with the field several metres behind and running at a pedestrian pace. Mageean got shuffled back in the pack on the penultimate lap but surged approaching the bell as the gears began to shift up front. Kipyegon kicked clear off the final bend to take a comfortable win, while Mageean overtook Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu approaching the finish to take second, earning $12,000 in prize money.

Muir – who won gold ahead of Mageean at both the Commonwealth Games and Europeans last month – finished fifth in 4:02.31, while Tsegay was sixth in 4:02.41.

“I said I’d get myself out there in the mix, I found myself in a good place at the bell and was able to finish really strong which I was absolutely over the moon with,” said Mageean. “I came out to try win but whenever you’re up against Faith Kipyegon, that’s always going to be a tough ask so to finish second, this season is just going from better to better. I haven’t fully grasped how well it’s going but I’m over the moon with that finish.” 

The performance capped a magnificent month for Mageean, who won silver at both the Commonwealth Games and Europeans before taking two seconds off Sonia O’Sullivan’s national 1500m record in Brussels last week with her 3:56.63. She admitted she experienced a comedown following her championship exploits – even if her performances on the circuit certainly haven’t shown it.

“After Europeans I felt a little lull,” she said. “I set out to win two medals and to achieve that, I was really happy. To go out and run 3:56 in Brussels, I did feel a bit tired after it, emotionally, because this was another huge achievement in my career. But I came in (to Zurich) thinking, ‘I have nothing to lose, just get up there and be competitive.’ 

“I felt I’d go out and grab the bull by the horns and give it a good lash and I’m very pleased to come away with second in my very first Diamond League final.” 

Mageean will fly to New York tomorrow ahead of her last race of the season: the Fifth Avenue Mile on Sunday, where she will line up as favourite following her recent results. Only two Irish athletes – Frank O’Mara in 1985 and Sinéad Delahunty in 1995 – have ever won the event.