Coscoran breaks Irish 1500m record with superb run in Birmingham

Ray Flynn's record stood for 41 years in total.

MILESTONE: Ireland's Andrew Coscoran has taken Ray Flynn's record. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

They say records are there to be broken, but some prove far more durable than others. One that had stood the test of time, 41 years in total, was the Irish 1500m record of 3:33.5 set by Ray Flynn during the Dream Mile in Oslo in 1982. 

But with the performance of his life at World Indoor Tour Final in Birmingham today, Andrew Coscoran has finally wiped that mark off the books, the 26-year-old Balbriggan native clocking 3:33.49 to become the fastest Irish 1500m runner in history.

Flynn’s mark was one of the oldest in the Irish record books, and was run en route to his national record of 3:49.77 in the Dream Mile in Oslo in 1982. Few came close to it in the years since, but in recent times it appeared to be coming under threat due to the emergence of Coscoran and fellow Irishman Luke McCann.

In a race set up to break the British indoor 1500m record, that was exactly what transpired up front today as Neil Gourley clocked 3:32.48, with Spain’s Adel Mechaal running 3:33.28 to finish second. Coscoran was just behind, his time obliterating the Irish indoor 1500m record of 3:35.4, set by Marcus O’Sullivan in 1988, and also counting as the outright Irish 1500m record. Not far behind him was McCann, whose 3:34.76 was also under the old Irish indoor record and moved him fifth on the Irish all-time list.

The race marks a massive breakthrough for Coscoran, who has trained for the past several years with the Dublin Track Club under the guidance of coach Feidhlim Kelly. An Olympic semi-finalist in 2021, Coscoran will be in action at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul next weekend, alongside McCann. 

Rising star Nick Griggs also produced a huge performance in the same race in Birmingham, the 18-year-old clocking 3:39.94 to finish seventh, breaking the Irish U-20 record of 3:40.56, set by Cian McPhillips in 2021.

In the 400m, national indoor champion Jack Raftery finished third in 46.66.