Ciara Mageean reveals she has been diagnosed with cancer

The European 1500m champion and Olympian announced on Friday evening that she has been diagnosed with cancer and has already started treatment. 

Ciara Mageean won 1500m gold at last year's European Championships. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

European 1500m champion Ciara Mageean has revealed that she’s been diagnosed with cancer.

In a post on Instagram on Friday evening, the 33-year-old wrote: “To everyone who’s been part of my journey so far, I have some difficult news to share: I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. It’s been a lot to take in, but I’ve already started treatment and I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by the love and support of my family and close friends.

“Right now, my focus is on healing and taking things one day at a time. I kindly ask that you respect my privacy and that of my loved ones as we move through this together. Your understanding means more than I can say.” 

The Co Down native last raced 12 months ago in Monaco but was forced to withdraw from the Paris Olympics a few weeks later due to an Achilles tendon issue which saw her undergo surgery in London last September. She had been in the form of her life prior to the injury, kicking to glory at the European Championships in Rome last June ahead of Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell, who went on to win Olympic bronze in Paris.

Mageean spent the winter rehabbing and started back running earlier this year, eyeing a competitive comeback this summer and hoping to compete at the Tokyo World Championships in September, but she pulled the plug on that ambition in May after suffering a setback with her ankle.

Nonetheless, her sights were still set on reaching a fourth Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, a decision she made in Paris last year.

“I sat down with Thomas and he put his arm around me and said, 'You won your gold medal in Rome and Italy had a special place for Jerry’ [Kiernan, Mageean’s former coach]. LA was his Olympics, so we're going to focus on that. My dream may have been dashed but in that moment, I firmly set my sights on the next four-year cycle.” 

Having been based in England for seven years, training with Team New Balance Manchester, Mageean moved back to Northern Ireland last year, having left the group earlier in the year. The Portaferry native bought a home in Belfast along with her fiance, Thomas Moran, and has been primarily based there over the past year.

A four-time European medallist, Mageean is the fastest Irishwoman in history at 800m, 1000m, 1500m and the mile. She is also a two-time world 1500m finalist, finishing just off the podium in fourth at the last edition in Budapest in 2023.

On her Instagram post revealing the diagnosis, she wrote: “Thank you for the love and strength. I’m ready to face this with the same fight I’ve always brought to the track.”