Red-hot Healy shatters Irish indoor 1500m record in France

Mere days after breaking the national indoor 3000m mark, Healy takes almost three seconds off Ciara Mageean's 1500m record

HOT ON HER HEALS: Ireland’s Sarah Healy is in a rich vein of form. Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Sarah Healy has smashed her second Irish indoor record in the space of a week, the Dubliner clocking 4:03.83 to finish fifth over 1500m at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin, France on Saturday night.

That took almost three seconds off the mark set by Ciara Mageean in 2020. The race was won by Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia in 3.57.24. Last weekend, Healy broke Mary Cullen’s national senior indoor record over 3000m, clocking 8:36.06 in Metz.

"This is not really surprising me, to be honest," said Healy, who recently completed a warm weather training camp in South Africa. "I was hoping for this and would be disappointed if I didn’t break it. It was one of my goals before the season because my personal best was really close to it. I wasn't able to follow the Ethiopian train today, but hopefully I can keep building so I will be ready one day."

Healy, who turns 23 next week, plans to compete at next month's World Indoors in Glasgow. "I want to get into the final," she said.

Since May last year, she has been based in Wigan where she is coached by Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, who also guide the career of British star Keely Hodgkinson.

Sarah Lavin was also in action in Lievin, the national outdoor record holder clocking 7.98 to finish third in the 60m hurdles behind world record holder Tobi Amusan (7.83). Lavin earlier clocked 8.02 to advance from her heat.

On Sunday, a clutch of Ireland's best will be in action at another World Indoor Tour Gold meeting, the Millrose Games in New York.

Rhasidat Adeleke will take on former NCAA 400m champion Talitha Diggs over 300m, while Andrew Coscoran will line up in the prestigious Wanamaker Mile. Mark English will take on a strong field over 800m, while Róisín Flanagan races over 3000m. Ireland will also have two participants in the 'Fastest Kid in the World race, with Charlie Sweeney from Galway and Saoirse Higgins from Sligo flying the flag after emerging successful in Dermot McDermott's 'Believe and Achieve' talent ID programme. Their presence at the event is sponsored by Richard Donovan of Space Athletics.The Millrose Games can be watched live on the World Athletics website from 6-8pm Irish time.

Meanwhile in Boston on Friday night, Cian McPhillips turned in a strong run over 800m, clocking 1:46.43, just shy of his indoor best of 1:46.13.