Longford’s Cian McPhillips taking on Europe’s best in Birmingham

Irish 800 metres record holder Cian McPhillips returns to the international stage next week when he takes to the start line at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. The Ardagh native will step onto the track on Monday morning August 10 for the opening round of the two lap event, starting at 10.45am.

It will be his first appearance in the green singlet at the 800m distance since his memorable fourth place finish in Tokyo last September at the World Championships final. The record-breaking clocking that day of 1:42.15 ensured his spot in Birmingham as it fell within the period of time that qualifying standards were permitted.

Following a disrupted first half of 2026 due to a dental issue and subsequently dealing with a knee injury, 24-year-old McPhillips has resumed racing action in recent weeks. This included winning a first ever outdoor men’s national title in Dublin as well as making his Diamond League debut in London.

The latter performance saw him run a season’s best time of 1:43.97 to indicate a return to form as preparations ahead of the Europeans appear to be going well under the astute guidance of long-time coach Joe Ryan.

Speaking to RTE last month after his victory at nationals, McPhillips said: “I’m getting there; it was a good run. It was a very frustrating start to the year. I had to get surgery on my jaw, had to get a cyst out and four teeth removed. I’ve been back running properly since May and thankfully it’s been smooth sailing since.”

Cian will need to advance through two rounds of qualifying in order to earn a spot in the men’s 800m final on Thursday August 13 at the Alexander Stadium (9.28pm). The semi-finals are scheduled for Wednesday August 12 at 12.20pm.

The task will not be straightforward given the sometimes unpredictable nature of championship racing but the UCD athlete has plenty of experience gained from previous competitions.

Among the 32-strong entry list for the 800m are two men that competed alongside Cian in last year’s global final in Tokyo. Donegal’s Mark English is also on the list and the 33-year-old has shown good form of late including running under 1:43 for the first time although he was absent from the national championships with an Achilles tendon issue.

With no Worlds or Olympics this year, the European Championships take on greater significance for elite level international athletes from across the continent.

Cian came into the Tokyo games in 2025 a rank outsider and he finished it as a force to be reckoned with on the world stage. This has greatly raised his profile with there now being an increased expectation of what he could possibly achieve in Birmingham.

He has shown impressive assurance in dealing with the pressures of major competition in the past and can take confidence from being the third fastest man on the entry list for lifetime best performances.

Cian McPhillips will become the fourth person from county Longford to compete at the European Athletics Championships. Fellow 800m runner Aisling Molloy, from Ballymahon, ran for Ireland at the event in both 1990 and 1994. There was previous middle distance representation in the 1500m with Longford’s Ray Flynn in 1978 and 1982.

Granard-born Brendan O’Reilly became the first person from the county at the championships when he competed at the high jump in 1954. He would later in life become an actor, singer-songwriter and broadcaster best known as the presenter of the RTE show Sports Stadium.

There will also be local interest this year in the men’s marathon race walk with Oisín Lane who is a native of Ballymore in Westmeath. A past pupil of Mercy Secondary School Ballymahon, the Mullingar Harriers athlete will take on the gruelling 35km distance on August 15.

Athletics Ireland have selected its biggest ever team for the week-long championships with high hopes of medal-winning performances. The strongest prospects of achieving a podium place may well come with Kate O’Connor, Rhasidat Adeleke, Sarah Healy and the 800m duo of McPhillips and English.

There will be live coverage on RTE television and RTE Player of the European Athletics Championships which takes place from August 10-16.