The Irish Life Dublin Marathon

The 43rd Dublin Marathon finally got underway on Sunday 30th October 2022. Having been postponed for 12 months due to Covid restrictions in 2020, it was then called off in 2021 for the same reason. Many of those who lined up this year were deferrals who had waited two full years to get their chance to tackle the iconic event so when race day dawned there was a mixture of pent up energy and relief that it was actually happening at last. Close to 15,000 runners set off from St Stephen’s Green in 4 waves which were allocated according to their predicted times. The runners followed a one lap (26.2 miles) circuit around various landmarks including a section through Phoenix Park before making the way back to finish where they had started. 

Gareth Kelly Leads EDAC Home

East Down AC was well represented with 11 runners on the start list. The lead man on the day was Gareth Kelly who had trained hard with the target of getting as close to 3 hours 10 minutes (3.10) as possible. His plan was to go out at his goal pace for at least 5 miles and then assess the situation. He clearly must have felt strong as he pushed on at a fairly consistent rate of 7.15 per mile for the duration of the race which gave him a new personal best of 3.11.55. Afterwards he said that he had felt relatively comfortable despite it being breezy and warm. He thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and said that the support from spectators was fantastic. Fantastic  running,Gareth!

Hot on his heels was Dermot Cahill. He went into Dublin knowing from previous years the tough undulating course took no prisoners so he set off looking for an achievable time in or around 3 hours 15 minutes. Having met familiar face and local Murlough Athletics Club runner Gary ‘Scully’ Cull in the starting pen, the two decided to go off together. After an enjoyable sociable catch up over the first few miles, Scully suggested to Dermot that he push on which he duly did. Dermot ran a superb 2nd half and a strong finish brought him a new personal best of 3 hours 12 minutes. Word has it that following his marathon “retirement”, this run has spurred him on to possibly aim for another PB next year. Watch this space!

The Seasoned Campaigners

There are people who run a marathon as a one off challenge to prove to themselves that they can do it or to raise money for a charity or personal cause. There are also others who just run this distance as a regular part of their running calendar because they enjoy having goals to train for or simply because they enjoy the experience of mass participation. Phillip Vint is firmly in the latter category as an experienced runner who seems to be able to churn out marathon after marathon to no ill effect. In fact he was there to complete his 83rd! His times are just as impressive as his overall tally. On this occasion he ran 3.19.40 and while his “A” goal of 3.10 went by the board he was very happy with his day. Declan Teague is another runner who knows only too well that life often gets in the way with injury, illness or simply just too much going on to get the necessary miles in training but he rarely allows that to stop him from taking part as notching up another one done is satisfying in itself. He finished in 3.47.20 despite an impromptu stop for a slurp of a friend’s pint of  Guinness in the closing miles. He said that in his 15 years of doing Dublin he had never seen crowds like it, 6 deep for the last mile but in evidence throughout the entire route. Stephen Heasley is well and truly in the cohort of “been there, got the t-shirt”. When he finished in 4.01.25 he was heard to say that it wasn’t his best marathon, but as it was his third one in 9 weeks, his 4th this year and 35 in total he was just happy to finish. Who could be disappointed with that record sheet? Another  well  done  Stephen.Cheryl Denvir has a great attitude of taking on things for the sheer fun of being there and the fact that the marathon fell on her birthday made it the perfect way to celebrate. She romped round in 4.05.02 to mark the occasion.  Stephen McCartan is no stranger to marathons either but in this instance he really was a trooper to make the start line let alone the finish after a nasty bout of flu took him off his feet and caused him to miss several weeks of valuable training. He took it steady and was rewarded with 4.23.26. Joanne Carson, also unfortunately in recovery from illness, knew she had to be sensible in her approach. She was grateful to have her training buddy Simon McGrattan there to keep a watchful eye. They ran side by side and with mutual encouragement they made it to the finish in 5.09.11. She was delighted to tick off her 10th marathon despite the odds against her. All these seasoned campaigners know that marathons are never easy and a perfect training regime does not guarantee a great race and vice versa. They have long since learned to go with what the legs and mind can offer on the day. 

New Kids on the Block

Seamus Savage, Eamon Kelly and Ryan McVeigh were all taking on a full marathon for the first time. After many long miles of training and sacrifices made, they couldn’t wait for the day to come but then as it drew closer they started to feel nervous. Luckily with so many runners in the club who are “old hands” they were given solid advice ie to stick to their own race, not get sucked in to the speed of others close by and to break the race down into sections in their mind to make it seem less daunting. They obviously listened as it ended well for all of them. Seamus was ticking along nicely up to 20 miles enjoying the buzz and was hopeful that he might go sub 3.30 but with 10K to go he felt a slight niggle and knew that the dreaded wall was rising in front of him. As the twinge became persistent cramp, his rhythm was broken and he had to dig deep to run through the pain. He said the last 10K was a blur as he just tried to keep going as best he could. In the end he clocked 3.34.26 and while he was saying never again in the immediate aftermath, it is very likely he will want to have another crack at sub 3.30 when the dust settles. Eamon Kelly plays his cards close to his chest but the way he committed to the training with long runs and a couple of half marathons thrown in for good measure, it was obvious that he wanted to give it a good shot. Friends and family were able to follow the runners in a tracker app and it was notable that his pacing was very level, mile after mile. He even managed to pick up the pace in the second half and this secured him a commendable debut time of 3.49.02. He was thrilled with his performance. Ryan McVeigh, also determined in his approach, set off on many solo long runs to build up strength and stamina. He was not sure what to expect on the day but with young son Theo cheering him on there was never any question of not finishing.  He received a hero’s welcome as he went under the gantry in 4.48.44 – a happy memory for him and his family in times to come. A big well done to all the EDAC runners and here’s to the next one!

Saintfield 10K and 5K

At the same time as the EDAC marathoners were toiling in Dublin, their clubmates were hard at it in a popular local race hosted by Saintfield Striders. There was a 10K and 5K on offer with 300 odd entrants over the two options. Both were on demanding routes around the town and out onto the country roads. Alice Brear-Clarkson and her husband Paul were both up for the 10K and found themselves at the front end of the pack once the race started. They ran in tandem throughout and managed to finish well up crossing the finish line together in 40.29. This was good enough to put Alice on the first step of the Female podium and placed Paul 14th overall. In the 5K Sharon Madine also made podium finishing in 21.58 as 3rd fastest female. Also in the 5K were Patrick Smith and Gavin McConvey. They clocked 26.53 and 28.25 respectively and both enjoyed their runs. They were all keen to thank their hosts for a good day out with friendly, efficient marshalling and generous post race hospitality. 

What Lies Ahead 

With this weekend’s cross country race cancelled the next opportunity to compete will be the Comber Cup in 2 weeks’ time. Details of this and other races can be found at https://athleticsni.org/Fixtures