European 1500 metre champion runner and two-time Olympian, 34, who married her partner last month tragically passes away after cancer battle
Irish middle-distance runner Ciara Mageean has died aged 34 after a battle with bowel cancer. A two-time Olympian and 2024 European 1500m champion, she was one of Ireland’s most successful athletes, and her death has prompted tributes from Athletics Ireland and others.
Mageean, from Portaferry in County Down, was diagnosed with stage four cancer in May 2025 and died on Sunday morning surrounded by loved ones. She won European gold in Rome in 2024 in 4:04.66, having previously competed at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics; injuries forced her to withdraw from the Paris Games. She married her long-term partner, Thomas Moran, in Belfast last month.
In short
- Ciara Mageean has died aged 34 after bowel cancer.
- She won European 1500m gold in 2024.
- The two-time Olympian married her partner last month.
Explained simply
Ciara Mageean was an Irish middle-distance runner from Portaferry in County Down. She competed in the 1,500 metres, a race that combines speed with endurance, and represented Ireland at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics.
Mageean won the European 1,500 metres title in 2024, becoming one of Ireland’s most successful athletes. Athletics Ireland is the governing body for the sport in the country, and her achievements made her a prominent figure in Irish athletics.
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