Mark English smashes Irish indoor 800m record for impressive win in Luxembourg

Just four days after setting a new national 600m record, the Finn Valley AC athlete won the men’s 800m at the CMCM Luxembourg Indoor Meeting in 1:44.65 - a time that also equalled the meeting record

Mark English lowered his own Irish indoor 800m record on Sunday in Luxembourg, in his first outing over the distance in 2026.

Just four days after setting a new national 600m record, the Finn Valley AC athlete won the men’s 800m at the CMCM Luxembourg Indoor Meeting in 1:44.65 - a time that also equalled the meeting record set by Josue Canales in 2025.

English had set the previous Irish indoor 800m record, 1:45.15, a year ago at the Millrose Games in New York and has certainly returned for 2026 looking in serious shape and form.

Out of lane 6 at the World Athletics Indoor Tour silver level meet held in the Coque Sport Center in Luxembourg, English was third after the opening lap and moved into second with a lap to go.

Content to let Maciej Wyderka from Poland lead out the race, English made a telling move with 100m to go and left little doubt as he cruised across the line, taking half-a-second out of his Irish record.

“It was a brilliant race,” English said. “I didn’t know that was a meeting record so I’m delighted with that.

“Hopefully I can continue this form now. I’m delighted.”

Wyderka was second in 1:45.38 with Poland’s Patryk Sieradzki third in 1:47.09.

It was field not short on quality with Netherlands’ Tony Van Diepen, a three-time European Indoor gold medallist who has won Olympic and World silver, fifth behind Belgian record holder Tibo De Smet.

On Wednesday night, English opened his indoor season by setting a new Irish indoor 600m record.

English clocked 1:15.80 at the Track and Field Live meet held at the National Indoor Area in Abbotstown, shaving almost a second off the 1:16.64 he ran in Boston two years ago.

Following a period at altitude training in the Sierra Nevada mountains, English returned home and won the St Stephen’s Day 5k at Finn Valley.

Last summer, the qualified medical doctor lowered his own Irish 800m outdoor record three times, going down to 1:43.37 before Cian McPhillips went to 1:42.15 on his way to finishing fourth at the World Championships in Tokyo.

English is due to compete in Meeting Indoor de Lyon in France on Saturday.