Cian McPhillips, 23, made a big breakthrough over 800m on home soil at the Morton Games in Dublin, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting, on Friday (11) evening.
The 2021 European U20 1500m champion slashed more than one second off his lifetime best, winning in 1:44.19 to move to second on the Irish all-time 800m list behind Mark English who has lowered his national record to 1:43.92 in 2025.
There were also popular home victories for Sharlene Mawdsley who won the 400m in 51.61 ahead of Lisanne de Witte, who was part of the Netherlands' gold medal-winning team in the 4x400m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, in 52.07 while Andrew Coscoran won the mile in 3:51.12 ahead of teammate Cathal Doyle in 3:51.26.
Another highlight was a fast women's 1500m which was won by Lithuania's Gabija Galvdyte in a massive lifetime best of 4:00.71, taking over four seconds off her previous PB of 4:05.05 set in Karlstad earlier this month.
Canada’s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford continued her comeback from injury in second in 4:01.19 with European 10,000m silver medallist Diane Van Es from the Netherlands third, also in a big lifetime best of 4:02.97.