By Michael Scully

Copyright irishmirror

Andrew Coscoran has made his first Worlds outdoor final after producing an impressive finish in his 1500m semi-final at the Japan National Stadium.

It had already been an excellent season for the 29-year-old from north county Dublin, after he made the final of the European and World indoor 3,000m, finishing sixth in both. He also also improved the Irish mile record to 3:49.26 in 2025.

But this was the one he really wanted and he knew he was going to have to produce something special as he was drawn in the tougher of the two semi-finals with six to qualify automatically.

Coscoran was up against three world champs, world bronze medallist and Diamond League champ with Joss Kerr, Neils Laros and Timothy Cheruiyot among the big names.

Kerr took control of the race early and Coscoran, after initially showing well, was drifting towards the back as the pace was slow for the first two and a half laps.

But as the pace quickened the race opened up and Coscoran made sure to get himself into a group of seven at the front, and as they bunched down the final straight he was comfortable in finishing in fifth place behind the race winner Laros in a time of 2.25.65.

“That’s unbelievable, that so class,” Coscoran told RTÉ afterwards. “A long time coming, a lot of hard work. Jesus, unreal. I think it was a bit cagey for most of it and I was just trying to stay top six.

“I was seventh for most of the race and I really wanted to be top six, but there was nowhere I could go. I was there for a lot of the race and in the last 100 I felt I had a lot more to give but there was nowhere to go.

“I just trying to get to the line between Jake (Wightman) on one side and I’m not sure who was on the other side, but I think I clipped one of the them then and that’s why I ended up tumbling a little bit, just get your shoulders over the line. Buzzing, absolutely buzzing.”

He looked up after falling over the line to see he had made it. “Yeah, I kind of thought I had it but you never know, I was trying so hard to make up the gap I wasn’t looking to my right or my left, but I had a feeling it (his name) would pop up and I was fifth, so happy out.

“I felt like I still had a lot to give but got boxed in, but that’s semi-finals and I’m really looking forward to the final now. A day of rest and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Sarah Lavin came fourth in the first of the three 110m Hurdles semi-finals but it wasn’t enough to earn her a fastest qualifier spot in the final.

Running in lane three, 31-year-old didn’t get the start she wanted but finished strongly in 12.86, which was one-tenth a second outside her season’s best.

It was also slower than her 12.62 Irish record in a semi-final won by US star Grace Stark in 12.37 and Lavin placed 13th overall.

Competing in only his third ever marathon, Peter Lynch’s Worlds debut saw the Kilkenny man finish in 24th place in a time of 2:14:12., which qualifies him for Sport Ireland funding under the International Carding Scheme.

His team-mate, Hiko Tonosa, went out faster but paid the price and was forced to retire after the 35km mark due to breathing difficulties and a stitch.

“On a really good day I thought a top-20 was on the cards but I feel like I got the best out of myself,” said Lynch, who ignored hamstring pain towards the end of the race to make the 24th spot he needed for the funding.

“In the future, I want to be able to go with those top groups and be more aggressive in races.”

Having made the Hammer Throw final, Nicola Tuthill’s next mission was to try make the top eight and a solid opening throw of 69.49 put her in with a shout before she bowed out in a very creditable 11th place, having finished 16th in the Paris Olympics.