Sarah Healy runs race of her life to smash PB in Paris

It proved a race of astonishing quality, with Faith Kipyegon underlining her status as the greatest 1500m runner of all time by breaking her own world record, clocking 3:49.04. Australia’s Jessica Hull finished second in 3:50.83.

Elsewhere, Sharlene Mawdsley was in action at the FBK Games in Hengelo, the Newport sprinter finishing fourth in the 400m at the Continental Tour Gold meeting behind Dutch star Femke Bol, clocking 51.39 in wet and windy conditions.

“It was pretty decent, but not where I want to be coming,” said Mawdsley, who withdrew from last week’s nationals with a tight hamstring. “I went out hard and obviously died in the last 10 metres, but I committed to it, so that’s good.” Mawdsley plans to train right through until the Paris Olympics next month, where she will be in action in the 400m, mixed 4x400m and women’s 4x400m.

Andrew Coscoran turned in an off-colour run over 1000m at the same meeting in Hengelo, fading to 11th in 2:23.29, nine seconds behind Dutch teenage sensation Niels Laros who broke the World U-20 record with 2:14.37. Coscoran missed last week’s nationals with a respiratory infection. On Saturday, Efrem Gidey smashed his 5000m personal best, clocking 13:23.83 in France.

Meanwhile at the National Juvenile Championships in Tullamore, one of the rising stars of Irish throws continued his remarkable season in the hammer cage, Thomas Williams (Shercock AC) adding almost seven metres to the championship record which had stood since 2011 with a superb 72.91m throw to claim gold in the U-17 event.

Caoimhe Gallen (Lifford Strabane) was also in superb form in the hammer, picking up the U-18 title with best throw of 59.73m which was just off her sister Adrienne’s 60.90 championship record. On the track, Caolan McFadden (Cranford AC) won a stacked boys U-18 800m title in 1:54.17 ahead of Odhrán O’Sullivan (1:54.57).