Sub four mile run in NI for first time in 25 years

The sub four-minute barrier for the mile was breached for the first time in Northern Ireland since 1998 as five men achieved the feat in Saturday's British Milers Club & Lagan Valley AC meeting at the Mary Peters Track.

English athlete Max Wharton, who had never previously run a sub four-minute mile, took victory in three minutes 58.02 seconds, which took 2.5 seconds off his previous best set in 2022.

Ireland's Thomas Moran, who is the boyfriend of recently crowned European 1500m champion Ciara Mageean, broke four minutes for the first time outdoors as he clocked 3:58.57 to take second place.

Earlier this year, Moran broke four minutes for the mile for the first time indoors when he clocked 3:58.07 in the US in January.

Callum Morgan, who is training partner of Nick Griggs, became only the 15th Northern Irish athlete to beat the four-minute barrier as he took third place in 3:58.69.

Morgan's previous mile best of 4:01.07 was set indoors in the US last February.

Mile races commemorate Bannister feat

Kilkenny athlete Cathal O'Reilly also bettered the four-minute mark for the first time as he clocked 3:59.26 to take fourth with Scotland's Andrew McGill completing the sub-four finishers as he was fifth in 3:59.27.

Another Irish athlete Philip Marron was an agonising 0.01 seconds outside four minutes with Annadale Striders' Eritrean-born athlete Brhane Gebrebrhan taking more than eight seconds off his previous PB as he clocked 4:01.34 to take seventh and Lagan Valley youngster Lughaidh Mallon ninth in another lifetime best of 4:02.17.

In all, the meeting included seven mile races which were staged to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Sir Roger Bannister historic first sub four-minute mile.

The last athlete to better four minutes for the classic distance in Northern Ireland was Davy Wilson who clocked 3:59.9 at a 1998 meeting also organised by the Lagan Valley club.

There were a number of other impressive performances at Saturday's meeting.

Ballymena & Antrim athlete Callum Baird followed up his superb anchor leg for Ireland in the 4x400m heats at the European Championships on Tuesday by winning the 400m in 46.22 seconds which was 0.03 outside his personal best set at Santry last month.

Irishwoman Jenna Bromell held off British 15-year-old talent Shaikira King to win the women's 800m in 2:02.72 - 1.16 seconds outsider her PB set at the Belfast Irish Milers Meet on the same track last month.

Second-placed King clocked 2:02.87, which was 0.27 outside the time she set in April, which was the fastest ever 800m time by a 15-year-old British female.

Irish spinter Bori Akinola won the men's 100m in 10.39 seconds, 0.09 outside his personal best, while Scottish athlete Jamie Phillips ran 1:48.40 to take victory in the men's 800m as he finished 0.29 ahead of Ireland's Harry Purcell.