Mark English sets European championships record in 800 meters semifinal
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 12, 2026, 5:40 PM
Last updated Aug 12, 2026
Irish runner Mark English broke the European championships record in the 800 meters during his semifinal heat on August 12 in Birmingham, England. He finished in 1 minute, 43.49 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 1:43.84 set by Olaf Beyer in 1978. English will compete in the final on August 13, where he acknowledges the challenge posed by other talented runners. England's Ben Pattison finished second in the heat with a time of 1:43.72.
- •Mark English finished in 1:43.49, breaking a 48-year-old record.
- •The previous record was held by Olaf Beyer from 1978.
- •English acknowledged the strong competition in the upcoming final.
- •Ben Pattison placed second in English's semifinal heat.
- 5:40 PMYahoo Sports — Irish runner Mark English breaks European championships record in 800 meters
"Irish middle-distance runner Mark English broke a longstanding European championships record in the 800 meters when he won his semifinal heat on Wednesday. English finished in 1 minute, 43.49 seconds to eclipse Olaf Beyer’s championship record of 1:43.84 set in 1978 in Prague. Beyer, who represented East Germany, had upset British stars Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe for the title 48 years ago.
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