Irish Runner Mark English Lowers 800m National Record Third Time

Mark English, a 32-year-old Irish middle-distance runner, broke his own national 800m record for the third time this season by running 1:43.37 at the Gyulai István Memorial in Budapest, finishing second behind Kenya's Laban Kipkorir Chepkwony. This latest record improves on his previous bests of 1:44.34 set in Poland and 1:43.92 in the Netherlands earlier in 2025. English's performance moved him to joint-16th on the world list for the year and marked his third sub-1:44 race this season. He has been in strong form throughout the year, winning his tenth national outdoor title and earning a bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships. English is preparing for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo and aims to potentially make a global final for the first time in his career. He has not confirmed if this will be his final season, emphasizing a flexible approach to his career timeline.