When Mark English's 99-year-old Granny heard he was competing for Gold - she did the one thing you can always rely on your nan to do...

Published: 22:39, 15 August 2026 | Updated: 22:39, 15 August 2026 EUROPEAN champion Mark English’s father has revealed the secret ingredient behind his son’s crowning glory this week – a few rosaries from the athlete’s 99-year-old grandmother. The 800m champion’s father Joe told RTÉ after the race his son may have got his ‘longevity’ – at 33, he was six years older than anyone else in the final – from his granny Eileen back in Co. Donegal. And Joe told the Irish Mail on Sunday yesterday his Mayo-born mother is ‘a great religious woman’ who will ‘be lighting more candles and saying more rosaries’ when a big race comes around. ‘She doesn’t go out of the house much now, but the morning of the final she said to my sister, “Will you take me down to the church? I want to say a few prayers and light a few candles.” ‘She doesn’t miss any of the races – she doesn’t often get emotional, but she cries her eyes out whenever he gets a medal.’ Joe suggested relatives be given a ‘kit with hankies and buckets’ for all the tears after a medal success, including Rhasidat Adeleke’s mother Ade, whose daughter claimed her second European silver after English’s gold on Thursday night. ‘No more than myself, she needed the bucket,’ he laughed. Mark's father Joe said of his Mayo-born mother: 'She doesn’t miss any of the races – she doesn’t often get emotional, but she cries her eyes out whenever he gets a medal.’ And Joe choked up with pride again as he recalled his conversation with Croatia’s Marino Bloudek, whom his son beat into second place, after the race. ‘He saw me and said, “You have to be Mark’s dad. You look very like him.” ‘When I asked what he’d said to Mark after the race, he replied: “All I said to him was, you were the best in Europe this year, and you deserve it.”’ There was yet another proud moment when British Olympics legend Sebastian Coe acknowledged Mark’s achievement. Joe told the MoS: ‘[Coe] commented: “Your man is the first man in the nation to get gold in the Europeans.” ‘He says, “[1956 Olympic 1,500m champion] Ron Delaney didn’t do it, [1983 world 5,000m champion] Eamonn Coughlan didn’t, nor [double world indoor 5,000m champion] Frank O’Mara, nor [triple world indoor 1,500m champion] Marcus O’Sullivan… huge, huge icons, and your guy was the first.” ‘He added, “I hope they get a chance to celebrate it in your own country, because we’re talking about it so much here in the UK.”’ While the historic win is certainly being feted back home in Letterkenny and beyond, the champion won’t be participating just yet. Instead, it’s right back to training for the qualified doctor, who has become a ‘disciple of the sport’ in the last couple of years, his father said, seeking out the best minds in sports science and making the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain his high-altitude training base, in a push to complete his set of four bronze and one silver European medals with a gold. 'Seb Coe told me, "Your man is the first man in the nation to get gold in the Europeans”' Joe, his wife Brigid, and Mark’s two older sisters have been loyal disciples of their son and baby brother since his athletics career took off, travelling all around Ireland and beyond, including to three Olympic Games. Financial support has been essential too: ‘He’s on €25,000 the last two years, which is less than the minimum wage,’ said Joe, a retired maths teacher, teacher- trainer, and third-level lecturer. ‘He’s an introverted sort of a guy... he lets his feet do the talking. So he wouldn’t be attracting big sponsors because of that persona. ‘But it’s not all about money. It’s about someone wanting to follow their dream and not having any regrets, and that’s what he’s at.’ Paul McKee, Athletics Ireland’s regional development officer for Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth, called English ‘the gift that keeps on giving’. ‘He’s like a fine wine – he keeps getting better. I’d expect to be seeing him going for [a medal at] the next Olympics in two years.’ The Sydney 2000 Olympian continued: ‘Kids love a champion. He’ll come back to his club in Donegal, they’ll all want autographs.’  Joe, his wife Brigid, and Mark’s two older sisters have been loyal disciples of their son and baby brother since his athletics career took off, travelling all around Ireland and beyond, including to three Olympic Games. Athletics Ireland president Bríd Golden said there has ‘never ever been as many Irish fans supporting the Irish athletes’. ‘It was brilliant that so many of them were present on such a historic night. It was absolute joy for Mark finally getting the gold at 33 years of age, and then 20 minutes later we had magic for Rhasidat.’ Ms Golden credited Seamus Carey, chair of the Irish Athletics Supporters’ Club, with ‘mobilising’ the fanbase in recent years. ‘We’re complimented by all the other nations for the atmosphere our fans create... it’s wonderful.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.