Sports · Running & Athletics · 43 mins ago
Irish runner Ciara Mageean dies aged 34 after cancer
Irish runner Ciara Mageean has died aged 34 after suffering from cancer.
She was from Portaferry in County Down and competed for Ireland.
Mageean won the European 1,500 metres title in 2024 in Rome and was a two-time Olympian.
She announced last year that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
Her family said she died surrounded by loved ones, and Athletics Ireland praised her courage and lasting impact.
Her death is a loss for Irish athletics, where she was widely admired as both a champion and an inspiration.
No further plans were stated.
Irish 1500m European champion Ciara Mageean has died of cancer at the age of 34.
The two-time Olympian died on Sunday morning, surrounded by loved ones, according to a family statement.
Mageean won the European 1500m title in Rome in 2024, the first major title of her career.
She was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in May 2025.
From Portaferry in County Down, Mageean also won European and Commonwealth silver medals.
- Who
- Ciara Mageean, an Irish middle-distance runner and two-time Olympian.
- What
- She died at the age of 34 after cancer.
- When
- Sunday morning; the articles were published on 1 November 2026.
- Where
- Mageean was from Portaferry, County Down, Ireland. The place of her death was not stated.
- Why
- She died after being diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in May 2025.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Mageean won 1500m silver at the World Junior Championships and reached the Commonwealth Games final.
She won European 1500m bronze in Amsterdam and competed at the Rio Olympics.
She won 1500m silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the European Championships in Munich.
She won European 1500m gold in Rome and later withdrew from the Paris Olympics because of an Achilles injury.
A scan revealed a tumour, and further scans showed cancer had spread to her liver, lungs and lymph nodes.
Reports said Mageean had died at the age of 34.
- Age
- 34
- European title
- 1500m gold, Rome, 2024
- Olympic appearances
- 2016 and 2020
- Cancer diagnosis
- Stage four bowel cancer, May 2025
- Hometown
- Portaferry, County Down, Ireland
6 sources
Ciara Mageean: the European 1500m champion who inspired a sport
Ciara Mageean, European 1500m gold medallist with Ireland, dies aged 34
European champion Mageean dies aged 34
Irish Olympian and European champion Ciara Mageean dies aged 34
Two-time Olympian Mageean dies aged 34
What people are saying
At 6:30am this morning, Ciara lost her battle with cancer surrounded by her loved ones.
She was a European champion, two-time Olympian, a proud Irish athlete and an extraordinary person.
We are heartbroken. An inspiration to so many, Ciara will be remembered for her courage, kindness and incredible spirit.
In that moment, my world completely changed.