Sarah Healy finishes second in Fifth Avenue Mile

File pic of Sarah Healy 

It's been 28 years since an Irish athlete claimed victory at the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York, and towards the end of today's race on the rain-soaked streets of Manhattan, that drought looked finally set to end, with Sarah Healy coasting into contention at the front. But in the end, the 22-year-old Dubliner had to give way, finishing a close second in 4:20.0 to Britain's Jemma Reekie, who clocked 4:19.4.

Just two Irish athletes have ever taken victory in the 42-year history of the event: Eamonn Coghlan in 1985 and Sinéad Delahunty in 1995. In what has been a breakthrough season for Healy - featuring silver at the European U-23 Championships and an Irish U-23 record in the world semi-final last month - this was a run that ranked right up there, given she left several world-class rivals trailing, beaten only by Reekie, an Olympic and world finalist over 800m.