Ciara Mageean: ‘From that day on I knew she could be very special’

It is late August 2006 and a perfect Sunday afternoon for athletics at Tullamore in the All-Ireland Age Group Championships.

A 14-year-old Ciara Mageean had only been training in athletics for a couple of months, but she would soon announce herself in style.

Eamonn Christie was coaching both Mageean and another highly rated youngster in Joanne Mills who was also racing the 1500m.

“The plan was for Joanne and Ciara to take it on from the gun and whoever wanted it the most from the bell was going to get it,” recalled Christie.

“When the bell went, Ciara just took off. It was phenomenal.

“From that day on I knew she was special and she could be very, very good.”

Jump forward 18 years and Mageean is in that position again at the European Championships in June.

Coming into the final 300 metres in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, she was battling with Georgia Bell and Jemma Reekie. Mageean, with pace in the tank, is probing for a opening to appear.

Then, with 100m to go, a smile breaks out on her face as the slightest gap begins to emerge between the two British runners.

Mageean, now 32, had won European silver and bronze before but never stood on the top step.

It was her time and she knew it. She went for the gap, and the rest is history.