Mark English finishes 2nd to David Rudisha in 500m race in Newcastle

In the build up to the Great North Run in Newcastle, the Great North City Games are held on the streets of the city.

In the mens 500m race, Irish intertational athlete Mark English finished in second place to David Rudisha, the 800m Olympic Champion.

See the video below...Mark is in black

Ciara Mageean finishes 2nd at Great North City Games Mile...

At the Great North City Games Mile in Newcastle today (Sat 6th Sept), Ciara Mageean from Ireland finished an impressive second in the womens mile race. Aged just 22 years old, Ciara finished in 4:35.47 beating her previous best of 4:38.81 set back in 2011.

15.14 | BUPA GREAT NORTH MILE - WOMEN (1 MILE)
Pos    Forename    Surname    Country/Club    Performance
1    LAURA    MUIR    GBR    4:34.84
2    CIARA    MAGEEAN    IRL    4:35.47
3    HANNAH    ENGLAND    GBR    4:36.07
4    HELLEN ONSANDO    OBIRI    KEN    4:36.23
5    BRIE    FELNAGLE    USA    4:37.01
6    LAURA    WEIGHTMAN    GBR    4:37.13
7    TRENIERE    MOSER    USA    4:39.38
8    GIULIA    VIOLA    ITA    4:39.56
9    DIANA    SUJEW    GER    4:40.85
10    ANGIE    SMIT    NZL    4:50.99

In the 2-3 years, she has been out of action with an injury after putting in some fine performances in 2011 when she set a new national junior record in the 1500m. She only started running again in March of this year and just four months later, she won the 1500m national title. She is coached by Jerry Kiernan and certainly looks like one of the great hopes for Irish athletics in the years ahead.

Race video........Ciara is in the orange shorts...

Laura Crowe runs 4:38 mile at the Great North City Games

At the Great North City Games in Newcastle, Laura Crowe of An Ríocht AC finished 8th in the mile race in a time of 4:38.36. This now places Laura as the 16th fastest Irish woman on the all time list.

13:18 | Womens Bupa Great North 1 Mile
Pos    Name    Country/Club    Performance       
1    MORGAN UCENY    USA    4:33.97       
2    LAURA WEIGHTMAN    GBR    4:34.63       
3    HANNAH ENGLAND    GBR    4:35.12       
4    EMMA JACKSON    GBR    4:35.34       
5    SUSAN KUIJKEN    NED    4:35.81       
6    HELLEN OBIRI    KEN    4:35.86       
7    MILCAH CHEMOS    KEN    4:36.66       
8    LAURA CROWE    IRE    4:38.36       
9    CHARLENE THOMAS    GBR    4:42.32       
10    EILISH MCCOLGAN    GBR    4:43.02       
11    ZOE BUCKMAN    AUS    4:49.05       
12    SARAH MCDONALD    GBR    4:50.90       
13    JENNY MEADOWS    GBR    4:56.17

The current Irish mile record is held by Sonia O'Sullivan with a time of 4:17.25 which was set back in 1994.