English wins 800m in Birmingham to claim Ireland’s first men's European gold

Mark English became the first man to win a gold medal for Ireland at the European Athletics Championships when he won the 800 metres in Birmingham on 13 August 2026, finishing in 1:45.26 after moving into the lead inside the final 100 metres.

English, 33, had previously taken bronze at the European Championships in 2014 in Zurich and in 2022 in Munich and is a qualified doctor from Donegal. He went into the final as the favourite after breaking Olaf Beyer's 48-year European record in his semi-final; he did not lead until he passed Marino Bloudek while turning onto the home straight and fell to his knees as he crossed the line.

Croatia's Marino Bloudek held on for silver and Spain's Mohamed Attaoui claimed bronze, while Ben Pattison finished sixth. Great Britain’s Max Burgin, English's team-mate, was forced to withdraw from the final after picking up an injury in the warm-up.

Pattison, the sole British runner after Burgin's withdrawal, was in a strong position heading into the final 100m but fell short of a medal. "I'm gutted. It was a great opportunity today to add to my medal collection," Pattison said. "I gave myself too much work to do, and the legs weren't there. I'm just disappointed."

In the race after English's win, Rhasidat Adeleke took silver in the women's 200m behind home favourite Amy Hunt, recording 22.28 — a new Irish record — and edging Dina Asher-Smith by 0.01 seconds. The 23-year-old, who returned to action at the Irish National Championships after an injury-plagued year, made a strong start and produced a late charge.

English's gold was the first medal of the Championships for Ireland and Adeleke's 200m silver provided the nation's second medal of the night.