# Brian Fay (runner)

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**Brian Fay** (born 9 November 1998) is an Irish long-distance runner. He has been the Irish national champion at [cross country running](/source/Cross_country_running) and the [3000m steeplechase](/source/3000m_steeplechase), as well as the Irish national record holder over [5000 metres](/source/5000_metres).[1]

## Early life

Fay grew up in [Glasnevin](/source/Glasnevin), as one of [quadruplets](/source/Multiple_birth), and attended [Belvedere College](/source/Belvedere_College) where he was coached by Ronan Duggan and where former Olympian [Phil Conway](/source/Phil_Conway) was also involved in coaching.[2] He was then coached by Feidhlim Kelly at [Dublin City University](/source/Dublin_City_University). He then attended the [University of Washington](/source/University_of_Washington) in 2021, where he was coached by Andy Powell. In 2023, he returned to Dublin and the coaching of Feidhlim Kelly at the Dublin Track Club.[3][4]

## Career

### 2021

Competing in [Manchester](/source/Manchester) in May 2021, Fay ran the fastest 3000m steeplechase by an Irishman for 36 years. He ran a time of 8:33.93, placing him fourth on the all-time Irish list.[5] He lowered his personal best time to 8:29.75 competing in [Tatabanya](/source/Tatabanya), Hungary in June 2021.[6] That month he also won the Irish national title in the discipline at the Morton Track in Dublin.[7]

### 2022

Fay finished eighth at the [2022 European Athletics Championships 5000 metres race](/source/2022_European_Athletics_Championships_%E2%80%93_Men's_5000_metres).[8][9]

### 2023

In July 2023, Fay broke the Irish 5000m record, running 13:01.40 at the Night of Athletics meeting in [Heusden](/source/Heusden), Belgium. This was two seconds faster than the previous record, held by [Alistair Cragg](/source/Alistair_Cragg) since September 2011.[10] Fay finished second in the race, won by Kenya's [Cornelius Kemboi](/source/Cornelius_Kemboi). The time met the qualifying standard for the [2023 World Athletics Championships](/source/2023_World_Athletics_Championships) in [Budapest](/source/Budapest) and the 2024 Paris Olympics.[11] He competed in Budapest at the 2023 Worlds and ran 13:42 without qualifying for the final.[12]

In November 2023, he was part of the Irish team which finished fourth in the team event at the [2023 European Cross Country Championships](/source/2023_European_Cross_Country_Championships) in [Brussels](/source/Brussels).[13]

### 2024

He was selected for the Irish team for the [2024 European Athletics Championships](/source/2024_European_Athletics_Championships).[14] He ran a personal best 7:34.48 for the 3000 metres at the [London Athletics Meet](/source/London_Athletics_Meet) on 20 July 2024.[15] He competed in the 5000 metres at the [2024 Summer Olympics](/source/Athletics_at_the_2024_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men's_5000_metres) in [Paris](/source/Paris) in August 2024.[16]

### 2025

He finished tenth in the 5000 metres at the [2025 Shanghai Diamond League](/source/2025_Shanghai_Diamond_League) event in China on 3 May 2025.[17] He was selected for the [2025 European Athletics Team Championships Second Division](/source/2025_European_Athletics_Team_Championships_Second_Division) in Maribor in June 2025.[18] He was runner-up to [Andrew Coscoran](/source/Andrew_Coscoran) in the 5000m at the 2025 Irish Athletics Championships.[19] In September 2025, he competed over 5000 metres at the [2025 World Championships](/source/2025_World_Athletics_Championships_%E2%80%93_Men's_5000_metres) in [Tokyo](/source/Tokyo), Japan, without advancing to the final.[20][21]

Fay won the Irish National Cross Country Championships held in Derry on 23 November 2025, finishing ahead of [Nick Griggs](/source/Nick_Griggs) and [Cormac Dalton](/source/Cormac_Dalton).[22][23] Fay helped the Irish men's team to a silver medal at the 2025 European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, Portugal on 14 December 2025, placing tenth overall in the men's individual race, the second Irishman home after [Jack O'Leary](/source/Jack_O'Leary_(runner)).[24]

### 2026

Fay was selected for the [2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships](/source/2026_World_Athletics_Cross_Country_Championships) in [Tallahassee](/source/Tallahassee), where he placed 16th overall.[25][26]

## References

1. ["Brian Fay"](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ireland/brian-fay-14781522). *World Athletics*. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

1. [https://runrepublic.com/news/irelands-paris-olympian-brian-fay](https://runrepublic.com/news/irelands-paris-olympian-brian-fay)

1. Dennehy, Cathal (15 July 2023). ["'I'm absolutely buzzing' – Brian Fay breaks national 5000m record in Belgium"](https://m.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics/im-absolutely-buzzing-brian-fay-breaks-national-5000m-record-in-belgium/a1703551618.html?). *Independent.ie*. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

1. ["Brian Fay"](https://gohuskies.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/brian-fay/14804). *gohuskies*. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

1. Browne, PJ (28 May 2021). ["Brian Fay Runs Fastest 3000m Steeplechase By Irishman In 36 Years"](https://www.balls.ie/athletics/brian-fay-fastest-3000m-steeplechase-irishman-35-years-470995). *balls.ie*. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

1. ["Olympic Qualification, Meet Records and a New U23 Hungarian Record in Tatabánya"](https://nagydijsorozat.hu/news/olympic-qualification-meet-records-and-a-new-u23-hungarian-record-in-tatabanya/?lang=en). *nagydijsorozat.hu*. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

1. ["Tokyo quests continue as young sprint stars shine"](https://www.athleticsireland.ie/news/tokyo-quests-continue-as-new-senior-sprint-stars-are-born). *athleticsireland.ie*. June 26, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2023.

1. Hooper, Dave (16 August 2022). ["Brian Fay Finishes Eighth In Europe"](https://rahenyshamrock.ie/?p=6037). *Raheny Shamrock*. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

1. ["European Championships: Israel Olatunde creates history with new Irish record in 100m final, Brian Fay eighth in 5,000m final"](https://www.rte.ie/sport/athletics/2022/0816/1315973-mageean-comfortably-through-to-european-1500m-final/). *rte.ie*. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

1. ["Brian Fay breaks long-standing Irish 5000m record"](https://www.rte.ie/sport/athletics/2023/0715/1394755-fantastic-fay-breaks-irish-5000m-record/). *rte.ie*. 15 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

1. ["Fay runs race of his life to break Irish 5000m record in Belgium"](https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/othersport/arid-41184526.html). *Irish Examiner*. July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.

1. ["Men's 5000m Results: World Athletics Championships 2023"](https://www.watchathletics.com/page/4576/men-s-5000m-results-world-athletics-championships-2023). *Watch Athletics*. August 24, 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.

1. ["4th in Europe for McCormack as Griggs Leads Ireland to Team Gold"](https://www.athleticsireland.ie/news/4th-in-europe-for-mccormack-as-griggs-leads-ireland-to-team-gold). *Athleticsireland*. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.

1. Dennehy, Cathal (28 May 2024). ["Ciara Mageean and Sarah Healy in 1-2 for Ireland at Ostrava 1500m as team is named for European Championships in Rome"](https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics/ciara-mageean-and-sarah-healy-in-1-2-for-ireland-at-ostrava-1500m-as-team-is-named-for-european-championships-in-rome/a166354509.html). *Independent.ie*. Retrieved 28 May 2024.

1. ["Rhasidat Adeleke fifth, PBs for Andrew Coscoran, Brian Fay and Nick Griggs at Diamond League"](https://www.rte.ie/sport/athletics/2024/0720/1460960-adeleke-fifth-pbs-for-irish-trio-at-diamond-league/). *RTE*. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.

1. ["Men's 5000m Results - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics"](https://www.watchathletics.com/page/5855/men-s-5000m-results-paris-olympic-games-2024-athletics). *Watch Athletics*. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.

1. ["Results - Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League 2025"](https://www.watchathletics.com/page/6590/results-shanghai-suzhou-diamond-league-2025). *Watch Athletics*. 3 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.

1. Dennehy, Cathal (27 June 2025). ["Ireland gear up for European Athletics Team Championships in Slovenia"](https://m.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics/ireland-gear-up-for-european-athletics-team-championships-in-slovenia/a1709534336.html#). *Independent.ie*. Retrieved 28 June 2025.

1. ["Griggs third as Doyle wins Irish National title"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/ckgjnrp03deo). *BBC Sport*. 3 August 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.

1. ["World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025"](https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7190593?eventId=10229609). *World Athletics*. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.

1. ["Ireland name squad for World Championships in Tokyo"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cy7yzg8m6g1o). *BBC Sport*. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.

1. ["Fay and Everard Reign Supreme in Derry at National Cross Country Championships"](https://www.athleticsireland.ie/kilrehill-and-mcglynn-storm-to-senior-titles-at-national-cross-country-championships-2/). *Athletics Ireland*. 23 November 2025. Retrieved 23 November 2025.

1. ["Fay and Everard take Irish Cross Country titles"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cgr1y4g28jpo). *BBC Sport*. 23 November 2025. Retrieved 23 November 2025.

1. Dennehy, Cathal (14 December 2025). ["Nick Griggs leads Ireland to U-23 individual and team gold at European Cross Country Championships"](https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics/nick-griggs-leads-ireland-to-u-23-individual-and-team-gold-at-european-cross-country-championships/a1088807134.html). *Independent.ie*. Retrieved 14 December 2025.

1. O'Riordan, Ian (17 December 2025). ["Four athletes to represent Ireland at next month's World Cross-Country Championships"](https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/athletics/2025/12/17/four-athletes-to-represent-ireland-at-next-months-world-cross-country-championships/). *Irish Times*. Retrieved 17 December 2025.

1. ["Brian Fay 16th in World Cross Country Championships, Irish women inside top-25"](https://www.rte.ie/sport/athletics/2026/0110/1552448-fay-16th-in-world-cross-country-irish-pair-make-top-25/). *RTE*. 10 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Brian Fay (runner)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Fay_(runner)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Fay_(runner)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.