CIARA MAGEEAN MADE a promising start to 2020 in Boston by setting a new Irish 1500m indoor record.
In a time of 4:06.42, Mageean finished in third place in her season opener at the World Athletics Indoor Grand Prix event.
The Down athlete improved on the record of 4:06.76 she set in Athlone last year, as Australia’s Jessica Hull (4:04.14) was victorious, with Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen 4:04.38 finishing second.
Mageean, who has just come off a block of altitude training in Albuquerque, ran the early laps conservatively while keeping in contention, before putting in a blistering last 100 metres to close from fifth to third place.
The 29-year-old told Cathal Dennehy after the race that she’s “over the moon” with the result.
Here's @ciaramageean's reaction to her lifetime best indoors over 1500 in Boston, finishing third in 4:06.42 - also featuring a giant poster of Ciara Mageean pic.twitter.com/yRhWdAtCxP
— Cathal Dennehy (@Cathal_Dennehy) January 26, 2020
“Big year ahead for me, everything is aimed towards the Olympics,” said Mageean. “I’m feeling really strong and this is the best shape I’ve ever been in in January, which is a fantastic place to be going into an Olympic year.”
In the same race, Ireland’s Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner recorded an indoor personal best of 4:16.70 by finishing ninth.
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