Mark English breaks his own national record with big win in Poland

His performance rewrote the national record of 1:44.53 that English ran in June last year and continued his fine start to the outdoor season, having clocked 1:44.75 to also win in Los Angeles last weekend.

Ireland’s Mark English. Pic: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Mark English produced one of the best performances of his career to break his own Irish 800m record at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Friday evening, the 32-year-old taking a hugely impressive victory in 1:44.34.

That rewrote the national record of 1:44.53 that English ran in June last year and continued his fine start to the outdoor season, having clocked 1:44.75 to also win in Los Angeles last weekend.

Once again, English unleashed a flying last 100 metres, having run towards the front throughout, and his kick carried him clear of Croatia's Marino Bloudek (1:44.74) and Poland's Filip Ostrowski (1:44.96).

The Donegal native has taken time out from his medical career and is currently a full-time athlete, training under the guidance of Australian coach Justin Rinaldi. In March, English claimed his fifth European medal, winning 800m bronze at the European Indoors in the Netherlands.

Cathal Doyle also impressed in Bydgoszcz, the Dubliner clocking 3:34.67 to finish third in the 1500m behind Spain's Mohamed Attaoui (3:33.30) and Italy's Federico Riva (3:33.79). 

Doyle had opened his season with a 3:33.32 clocking at the Rabat Diamond League last weekend and his latest run, while short of the automatic world qualifying standard, will again improve his world ranking and all but ensure his place in Tokyo later this year.

Jodie McCann was in action in the women's 1500m in Bydgoszcz, the Paris Olympian clocking 4:09.78 to finish eighth, a race won by Poland's Weronika Lisakowska in 4:01.99.