Well, what a weekend. Abroad and on home turf British and Irish athletes turned out amazing performances. These are the kind of weekends we love, the weekends when we see all the hard work come to fruition, the weekends that keep us glued to race trackers and twitter feeds as we shout and will our fellow athletes on. So, settle in and bask in the glow of an amazing few days of racing.

Twell secures Olympic QT at Frankfurt

Where else could we start but with the Frankfurt Marathon? The GB lineup of Twell, Carruthers and Spink was always going to keep us entertained and it didn’t disappoint. After making her marathon debut last year in Valencia where she ran a controlled 2:30 it was clear that Steph Twell would be after an Olympic Qualifying Time.

She went out with intent and paced the race perfectly to finish 8th in an awe-inspiring 2:26:40. That time means that she tops the Scottish all-time list and according to Scottish Athletics she is the eighth Scot to set an outdoor National record this year. In addition she moves to the 5th on the UK all time marathon list ahead of Priscilla Welch and Liz McColgan.

Hayley Carruthers looked to be going out with a similar intent of getting an Olympic qualification time but faded a little from 15km and pulled out after 30km having been passed by Jenny Spink. From frustration to elation, you only have to look at this video to know what the 2:31:14 (13th) run by Spink means to her;

 

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Still don’t have the words… but so happy to have run well today. Still can’t believe it 2:31! . . . #frankfurtmarathon2019 #runningintothefinish #PB #facesaysitall

A post shared by Jenny Spink (@spink.jenny) on Oct 27, 2019 at 6:03am PDT

Her recent Cardiff Half boded well for this race and she certainly delivered with her four minute PB. The top 25 had two more british ladies in the form of Naomi Mitchell who ran a 10 minute PB to finish 20th in 2:37:51 and Claire Lynch (21st in 2:38:22). Also inside 2:45 was Paulina Golec in 2:43:55 with Claire Grima running 2:45:22. The overall winner was Kenya’s Valary Aiyabei in 2:19:10.

Hawkins PBs with strong performances from Scott and Navesey

It wasn’t just Twell who was giving Scotland something to pay attention to over in Germany – Derek Hawkins showed that he is coming back strong from injury, running a 2:12:49 PB to finish in 10th place.

The England team of Aaron Scott, Paul Navesey and Peter Le Grice were also in action. Aaron Scott finished just outside his PB with a strong performance of 2:17:05 with a lot of solo running in the second half after his training partner Josh Lunn stopped after 25km. Navesey clocked a new PB with a negative split crossing the line in a super 2:17:16. Le Grice went out very hard and was not far off his half marathon PB pace through 10km on 2:09 pace but paid later in the race before but toughed it out to finish.

In  highly impressive marathon debut Dominic Shaw finished in 2:18:36 followed by Alex Bampton in a big new PB of 2:21:54. Also sub 2:25 were James Connor (2:22:07), Kenny Wilson (2:22:39), Jo Turner (2:23:56) and Ben Cole (2:24:46).

Irish athletes Eoin and Tommy Hughes broke the father and son world record with Eoin clocking 2:31:30 but beaten by a stunning 2:27:52 from his father. The overall winner was Fikre Bekele in 2:07:08

Lockley, Partridge, Gray and Mitchell impress in Valencia

Before the Valencia Half Marathon organisers were talking up an attempt on the women’s world record. Alas, a fall early on left favourite Sifan Hassan to finish in a surprising second place finish behind Teferi Sora who won it in 65:32.

After battling SI issues for a while it was great to see Lily Partridge show a return to the kind of times we know she can run. Her 71:58 will give her confidence for the final stages of her buildup before she returns to run the full marathon in December. Emma Mitchell of Ireland had a good day, running a sizeable PB to finish in 72:28.

It was a successful day for the gents too – Isle of Man’s Ollie Lockley returns home with a storming one minute and 44 second PB thanks to his 63:01 and 31st place finish. Jack Gray was the next Brit in 63:15 in a big PB in what was only his second run out over the 13.1 distance. Owen Hind ran 66:53 and other men to break 70 minutes were Paul Piper (68:28), Jim Allchin (68:48) and Matt Sharp (68:54).

 

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Valencia HM 2019! Relieved to be back running something respectable and my body felt strong throughout. 5 weeks to go.. time to turn respectable into good #halfmarathon #marathontraining #valencia #adidas

A post shared by L I L Y | P A R T R I D G E (@lilypartridge) on Oct 27, 2019 at 5:57am PDT

Cockram and Scullion break national records at Dublin Marathon

It wasn’t just those racing abroad that had their speedy shoes on this weekend. The Dublin Marathon has always worked well for Natasha Cockram and this year was no different as she knocked yet another chunk of time off her marathon, finishing in 5th place in 2:30:49 despite being kicked by a horse on Wednesday and running with a huge bruise on her leg. Hardcore.

Surely this makes her one to watch for the future (the time, not the bruise). For a big chunk of the race she was well inside the Olympic qualification standard and should not be considered a contender near year. Her time saw her break Susan Tooby’s Welsh National marathon record.

In a wonderful debut performance Charlotte Taylor-Green finished in 12th in a time of 2:36:54. Pretty impressive for an athlete who until recently was very much focused on middle distance running. Katie Wood was 18th in 2:43:12.

Steve Scullion had the run of his life to finish 2nd in a time of stunning time of 2:12:01 in what is a new Northern Irish record. His performance along with that of Mick Clohisey (2:13:19), Hugh Armstrong (2:14:21), Sean Hehir (2:16:01), Eoghan Totten (2:16:08), Aoife Cooke (2:32:34), Ann-Marie McGlynn (2:32:54) and all the other fabulous performances from Irish athletes this weekend will be picked up in detail in our Irish roundup.

Overall, it was Ethiopia who dominated the podium. Motu Gedefa won the women’s race in 2:27:48 followed by Mesera Dubiso (2:28:29) and Denbeli Shuke (2:29:51). The men’s race was a more mixed affair as Clonliffe Harriers Stephen Scullion ran a two minute best to place second (2:12:01), behind Morocco’s Othmane El Goumri (2:08:06) and ahead of Ethiopia’s Mengistu Zelalem (2:12:05).

Credit: Dublin Marathon

Super quick times in Leeds

The headline from the Leeds Abbey Dash 10k has to be the stunning piece of racing produced by Charlotte Arter (Cardiff AC). She ran 31:34 to not only win the race but also put herself in between Wendy Sly (31:19 in 1983) and Laura Weightman (31:39 earlier this year) to place 5th on the all-time GB rankings for the 10k.

Loughborough Student Abbie Donnelly clearly benefited from the extra hour in bed too as she appears to have knocked a mind bending two minutes and 30 seconds off her PB when she stormed home in 32 minutes flat for second place.

To put that even further into context, she beat Beth Potter who wasn’t exactly off-pace given that she ran only two seconds off her best and finished in 32:05 for third. Indeed Jess Judd, who has been on fine form this year and ran a solid PB herself, was outside the medals with her 32:11.

Charlotte Arter and the rest of the Welsh team at Leeds Abbey Dash. Credit: Welsh Athletics

Not to be outdone by the ladies, Omar Ahmed was also looking to give an update to his Power of 10 column. The Birchfield Harriers’ athlete broke the tape in 28:38 which was a nice comfortable 15 second upgrade on his previous best, though a not so comfortable lead over the line.

It was Stockport’s Ross Millington who was chasing Ahmed down all the way to the end to shave one second off his own PB, finish one second behind the winner and finish in 28:39! Ducking out of Cross Country duties, Adam Craig of Inverclyde AC was third in 28:45.

In total 26 women broke 35 minutes and 28 men went sub 30. Notably nine men ran inside 29 minutes – in addition to the top three – Cris Jones (28:47), Adam Clarke (28:51), John Sanderson (28:51), Alex Teuten (28:54), Josh Grace (28:56) and Carl Avery (28:58).

13 women cracked the 34 minute barrier. In addition to the four athletes already mentioned these were Samantha Harrison (32:34), Danielle Hodgkinson (32:55), Clara Evans (33:17), Jip Vastenburg (33:19), Annabel Simpson (33:30), Steph Pennycook (33:38), Kirsty Longley (33:40), Rachael Franklin (33:51) and Hannah Viner (33:58).

Hawkins on show in the Scottish National XC Relays

On Saturday Cumbernauld House Park was host to countless Scottish athletes who lined up to put best spiked-foot forward for their teams at the Lindsays Scottish Athletics National Cross Country Relays. Both genders were running 4 x 4000m and as always, it was a very competitive race.

Topping the team podium in the women’s competition was Edinburgh University’s Hare and Hounds thanks to Johnson, Nankivell, Jaffray and Page running a 58:40. Nearby rivals Edinburgh AC were next in 59:59 and Bronze went to Giffnock North A.C (1:00:07).

It was Central AC whose 49:16 showed their continued dominance as they took the gold for the men, in part thanks to a great run from Jamie Crowe who was the only athlete to run under 12 minutes for one leg of the race. Callum Hawkins was back from Doha to compete for Kilbarchan and he and his team mates took Kilbarchan AAC to silver in 50:00. Inverclyde AC finished in the 50:16 to claim bronze.

Masters medals went to Corstorphine AAC, Cambuslang Harriers and Edinburgh AC for the men and Bellahouston Road Runners, Kilbarchan AAC and Edinburgh AC for the women.

Callum Rowlinson takes a big win at Snowdonia Marathon

A strong starting field at the Snowdonia Marathon suggested that John Gilberts’ 2:33:38 from 2015 might be in trouble. However very tough conditions was always going to make that hard but Callum Rowlinson got very close with an exceptional 2:34:14 which was some way ahead of his closest rival.

Daniel Connolly (2:38:26) was next home after conquering the punchy final climb to 1,200ft at Bwlch y Groes and the quad destroying downhill finish. Martin Green took was third in 2:41:18. James Thie is normally used to indoor tracks and shorter distances but he was out in the Welsh mountains to take on his first ever marathon. He finished in 2:59:19, commenting that it was a ‘humbling’ experience after he went through 20 miles in the top 10 and then struggled towards the end finishing in 22nd place after a heavy fall on the final descent.

The women’s course record (2:57:55 by Hayley Munn) was also untroubled and looks pretty invincible. This year’s winner was Andrea Rowlands who finished in 3:09:18. Anna Bracegirdle was second in 3:09:54 and Danielle Higham thir in 3:13:23. A full report on the race will be published tomorrow.

The World 24hr Championships in Albi, France sees awe-inspiring performances

Camille Herron, of the USA, ran a world record of 167 miles (tbc) to secure the win in the women’s competition, with her trademark fast starting style paying dividends once again.

In the men’s race it was a slightly more controlled start than usual for Aleksandr Sorokin of the USA. The Lithuanian has dug deep to medal in the past but never won a gold. The British men’s and women’s teams both eventually finished fifth, after looking like they were comfortably chasing third place they lost rankings in the latter stages.

As is the nature of 24hr running, it is often how you deal with the inevitable adversity that shows the character of the performance and the fact that all 11 GB Athletes were still out on the 1491m loop at the end was a great sign.

Jessica Baker ran a total of 227.558km, Cat Simpson 220.301, Wendy Whearity 217.174, Alison Young 211.113 and Sarah Morwood 186.169km For the men Paul Maskell ran 251.261km, James Stewart 250.696, Dan Lawson 244.732, Steven Holyoak 234.590, Grant MacDonald 227.734km and Mike Stocks 209.145km.

Credit: Robbie Britton

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This is it. Raceday is only hours away. All that sacrifice and hard work. The late night runs, the early morning starts. This Sunday, for 22,500 runners from not only across Ireland, but throughout the world, the KBC Dublin Marathon marks the end of a journey.

For some, it will bring unparalleled joy in achieving their goal. For others, it will result in bitter disappointment. Such is the sport of marathon running. What is for sure though, is that it will be an experience for all participating, and one that will last long in the memory.

The Dublin marathon, frequently called the world’s ‘friendly marathon’, is now in its 40th edition. Each year, the race has continued to grow and it now regularly ranks among runners as one of the best marathons in Europe. This year’s race also has the additional excitement of including a battle for Olympic qualification between the best of the Irish athletes. With multiple past winners of the Irish National title running, both the men’s and women’s races promise to be close affairs.

Slightly further back the field, as regular readers of FastRunning will know, there is another group of runners with their own special goal.

The DreamRun Dublin group, composed of ten runners from Northern Ireland, have been training for the past twenty five weeks under the guidance of Irish coach and Olympic marathon runner Paul Pollock, in an attempt to break through the magical sub 3 hour barrier for the first time. Now in its third year, the project has already seen multiple personal marathon bests, as well as several sub 3 hour performances.

Over the past four weeks, each athlete in the group has been profiled on FastRunning, and now we are down to the last two – Gerard Donnelly and Cailam Quinn. Sadly the ten athletes who began the project back in May, has been reduced to eight marathon starters.

Injury during the training process has meant that Niamh Kellett and Marina Murphy will not be lining up on the startline on Sunday. Hopefully they both make a speedy recovery and are back racing again very soon.

Name: Gerard Donnelly

Age: 39

Club: City of Lisburn Athletics Club

Current marathon pb: 03:02:46

How do you feel training has been going since you joined the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

Unfortunately, it has been a bit stop start due to injury. I picked up an injury early 2019 and was making some progress getting back to full fitness when Paul contacted me about joining the group as someone withdrew. Therefore, I was late joining the project, nevertheless I thought Paul’s coaching would get me back into shape quickly.

However, after only 8 weeks the injury flared up again while doing a session on holidays. This sidelined me for most of August but the guys in the group keep one another motivated and I joined a gym during August to keep me active. The training itself has been intense and very rewarding as I have been able to tick off most of the sessions over the later part of the schedule.

The opportunity to be coached by Paul wasn’t something to pass up and his sessions are very refreshing and testing at the same time. There are a few runs that stick in mind and looking back Paul gave me the same 2 long runs on the last 2 Sundays of June, and on the 1 st attempt I wasn’t able to complete the desired miles within the set time, however only 7 days later I was able to complete the session and this progress felt very rewarding and I was extremely glad to see that under Paul’s coaching the fitness was coming back!

How has your training changed since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

Massively!! Normally my average weekly mileage would be much higher, and Sunday runs with my friends would include lots of hills to build strength. The DreamRun training is sharp and fast, and very structured with a real mixture of paces with Paul reviewing each run and session, both positive and negative! With someone checking in on your progress there is no excuse for missing runs or not giving your full effort during each session.

The focus is of course on getting that sub 3-hour finish time at the Dublin Marathon 2019, do you believe you can achieve this? Have things progressed the way you’d hoped?

Despite the injury and this being a major setback I am still confident of achieving the goal or at least being close. I haven’t managed to set any pb’s this year as my training had to take priority over some of the key races, therefore maybe my pb will be Dublin 2019. You must believe in yourself and your training during the journey otherwise you’re already beat on the start line!

What has been your highlight in terms of your own personal favourite performance since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

To be honest I am not sure, I did thoroughly enjoy the last group meet up and doing the last group session and having the opportunity to run a couple of miles with Paul on the tow path when he kept pushing me to push myself. There were 2 sub 6 min miles in there that I wasn’t supposed to do. Also, just regaining the confidence to race again has been mentally refreshing.

What has been your favourite training session since commencing training with Paul Pollock and the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

In my opinion my favourite training session has been the progressive tempo sessions. I found these to be brilliant sessions and really improved my fitness levels. The thought of these made me feel a bit sick during the day but just pulling the trainers on that evening and nailing them was a fantastic feeling. Closely following by 8 x 1km the day before Lisburn 10k, I almost questioned Paul about that one!?!?

The atmosphere and camaraderie at the group training days and races is very clear – are you enjoying being part of the team?

Great craic and a good mix of people all sharing a common goal. Loads of great advice and positivity from the group.

Any other comments?

Just like to say thanks to Paul for his time and giving me the opportunity to be coached by him and good luck to Paul in qualifying for Tokyo. To all the other guys in the DreamRunDublin2019 team good luck in Dublin and believe in your training and stay positive! Also, a big thanks to some of my other running friends who kept me company during some of my runs.

What the coach thinks:

Gerard began his experience of the DreamRun project a few weeks later than the rest of the group, joining as a substitute for another injured athlete. However, coming into the group with the quickest marathon personal best, his improvement in the early weeks was quite dramatic and he responded extremely well to the training set.

Unfortunately, it looked like all his early hard work would be undone when injury hit at the start of the all important longer marathon specific training phase. As the weeks passed by, there was a real concern that the injury might become too prolonged for Gerard to even make the startline in Dublin.

Thankfully, this has not been the case. It is a testament to his physical ability and natural talent, that he has, again, returned from injury so quickly. This, combined with Gerard’s other strongest attributes – his strong will and mental fortitude – should see him, at the very least, challenging to break the sub 3hour mark. If we had another few weeks, there would be no question that he would smash that barrier. As things stand, he is still very capable of achieving the 3 hour goal if he has a smart race, paced correctly and has confidence in his ability in the latter stages of the run.

Name: Cailám Quinn

Age: 31

Club: Not affiliated

Current marathon pb: First timer!

How do you feel training has been going since you joined the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

I have found there to be quite a few ups and downs in training which is to be expected during a long block of training. I found the first 16 weeks of the program very enjoyable and was able to hit the targets during almost all of my varied sessions, which was not only great physically for me, but a huge mental boost also.

Unfortunately, in the weeks since then, I have picked up a number of persistent niggles which has resulted in quite a few missed sessions and others done at a reduced pace to try and keep things ticking over. Fingers crossed the good base built at the start combined with a solid final 2 weeks will stand me in good stead come the big day.

How has your training changed since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

As the marathon newbie of the group I have really had my eyes opened as to what is involved in training for a marathon. Growing up I always enjoyed running but other than playing football into my early 20’s it is not something I pursued again until joining my local triathlon club last year.

Even at that, the running element was only ever a 5K but would have ran a few 10K’s as well throughout the year. Going from training for 3 disciplines to focusing on just the running, but at a much more intense level, took a bit of
getting used to. The variation in training sessions throughout each week and then week on week definitely helped keep you on your toes and interested to see what Paul was going to send through each Monday for the week ahead.

This wasn’t just me, I even had tri club mates texting me each week to see what the game plan was for the next 7
days! Having a tailored program each week has been a huge benefit in making sure that what I am doing is right for me, and not just generic for the group as a whole.

The focus is of course on getting that sub 3 hour finish time at the Dublin Marathon 2019, do you believe you can achieve this? Have things progressed the way you’d hoped?

Had I been asked this question back in August I would have answered it much more surely than I am now. I have managed PB’s from 5K right up through to half-marathon distance since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team and have felt strong when hitting each of those goals.

This had given me the confidence that I was on the right track and progressing well towards the sub 3 hour finish come Dublin. The injuries and time out over the later part of the program has dented this confidence somewhat but with a hopefully solid final 2 weeks and favorable conditions on the big day who knows what might happen.

What has been your highlight in terms of your own personal favourite performance since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

I think it would have to be Lisburn 10K back in June. This was my first race since joining the team and I was eager to put in a good shift. I was able to stick to the race plan Paul had given me, finishing strong with a nice PB for my troubles. It was a great buzz afterwards to know that the training was now producing the right results.

What has been your favourite training session since commencing training with Paul Pollock and the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

Training has been so varied right from the beginning. I get a great sense of achievement working through the paces on the progressive runs and ticking off each mile completed at the set pace on the long runs. The most enjoyable training session though I think was the one I was probably dreading the most when Paul had sent it through – 20x400m.

Each batch of 5 was getting slightly quicker, with 60sec active recovery between each 400. It was a wet, miserable evening when I was doing it but even with that it was great feeling completing all 20, hitting the times and jogging back to the car afterwards knowing that you had just successfully finished a really tough session in really poor conditions.

The atmosphere and camaraderie at the group training days and races is very clear – are you enjoying being part of the team?

Being part of the team with people who have a shared interest and goal has been both enjoyable and beneficial. Although we are all coming at this from differing levels of running experience we are all able to share tips, advice, do’s and don’ts along with encouragement as well.

The group meet-ups and WhatsApp group chat have been great to keep everyone engaged and focused on the big day, with as much banter and craic as anything coming out of them. With the vast majority of the training done individually both these elements of the program allow us to keep in touch with everyone, see how we are all progressing and offer up encouragement and support knowing we are all going through the same highs and lows.

Any other comments?

It has been fantastic to be part of the DreamRunDublin19 team. Coming into this as a relative running novice, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to take part and be coached to my first marathon by Paul. I would highly recommend anyone thinking of applying for the 2020 team to go for it!

What the coach thinks:

It is often said that there are many different ways to get to a marathon startline. And so it has been proven again, with Cailam not exactly following the conventional approach. After a strong start to the project, Cailam was on a nice projectory, running well in training and setting new personal bests in races. Unfortunately, in the past month or two, all consistency has however, gone out the window.

After picking up an injury, Cailam’s body kept breaking down anytime he attempted a batch of training or numerous days of running in a row. We therefore made the decision that the best chance of him even making the startline, was to dramatically reduce his milage and instead try to keep every run similar to marathon race pace.

When his body allows him to run painfree, there have been several glimpses of the fitness he displayed before injury hit. If he wakes up on Sunday morning feeling strong and injury free, he definitely has a chance of sneaking under that 3 hour barrier. And after all the aches and pains he has been through recently, achieving that goal would be a wonderful achievement.

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With less than ten days to go until the 2019 KBC Dublin Marathon, 22,500 people from across Ireland and further afield are beginning to get nervous.

For some, taper mode has long since started and all that is left is running the race itself. Others, however, will be wishing they had much more time available to try and squeeze in some essential, last minute training. But time waits for nobody. At 8.45am on Sunday 27th October, the gun will fire. Thousands of runners will begin their mission to complete their own personal goals.

For the Irish runners at the front, that goal will be to try and attain the Olympic qualification time of 2.11.30 / 2.29.30. For those further back, simply finishing will be an accomplishment in itself.

Wilson and Galway in the spotlight

Those readers who have been following FastRunning will know by now, that the DreamRun Dublin project runners have a special goal in mind. For the past twenty four weeks, under the training and coaching by Olympic marathoner Paul Pollock, ten Northern Irish runners have been targeting the KBC Dublin marathon.

Their aim is simple – to run quicker than they have ever run before and in doing so, break through the magical sub 3 hour barrier.

Over the past two weeks, we have already met four of the group. This week, the next two athletes in the hot seat are James Wilson and Ryan Galway. Read on below to find out their thoughts on the DreamRun project and their expectations of marathon raceday.

Name: James Wilson

Age: 39

Club: City of Lisburn AC

Current marathon PB: 3:16 (London 2017)

How do you feel training has been going since you joined the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

There have been great weeks, and tough weeks in the training, but I’m really positive about the training so far. You can’t run great every week, so after a few tired weeks, and a slight shin niggle, I feel significantly fitter than I have been at any time in the past, getting PBs in 5k, 10k and Half Marathon this year. I’m in a good place mentally and physically for the remainder of the training and the race.

How has your training changed since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

My training is now a lot more regimental and intense with more variation in the types of training that I’m doing. I’ve also been told in the past that I use my Garmin too much… well, with Paul, there’s a new standard of usage now, but it’s really taught me to be consistent, especially on tempo runs. Having someone scrutinize your splits after every run has also taken a little getting used to – Paul is very honest, both when you hit your splits, and when you don’t!

The focus is of course on getting that sub 3 hour finish time at the Dublin Marathon 2019, do you believe you can achieve this? Have things progressed the way you’d hoped?

Up until June, I think my training was progressing exactly as I hoped it would, with my speed and endurance improving on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, in August, I was feeling very drained, and picked up a shin injury, which put doubts in my mind. In the latter stages of training, I don’t think I’ve progressed with my endurance as much as I’d have hoped, but I’m still hoping to do a good time if weather is favourable on the day!

What has been your highlight in terms of your own personal favourite performance since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

Definitely, running Belfast Half Marathon this year. I was just coming back from my shin injury and recovering from a cold, so I wasn’t confident I could hit the times Paul was expecting, but I trusted in Paul’s guidance, sat at the designated paces for the first 10 miles, and then pushed on. I ran strong the whole run and felt I had more left to give, so I was very happy knocking over 3½ mins off my old half marathon PB.

What has been your favourite training session since commencing training with Paul Pollock and the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

Probably the Tempo runs. Not because I enjoy them – far from it. They were brutally hard in the summer when we had our warm weather spell, but they have given me confidence that I can run consistently at a quick pace. I think these sessions have really pushed me as an endurance runner and improved my stamina.

The atmosphere and camaraderie at the group training days and races is very clear – are you enjoying being part of the team?

Yeah, I do love being part of a group of likeminded runners who all have the same target in mind. There is also a great sense of team spirit if someone is struggling in a training session – words of encouragement are just a WhatsApp message away.

There’s also plenty of banter that gets sent through on the group chat, and it’s great craic when we all get together for the team meet-ups with Paul. I now have a wider group of running friends, and hopefully we can keep in touch after Dublin is done and dusted!

Any other comments?

I was equally delighted and surprised to be selected for #DreamRunDublin2019 – my wife was a little less delighted as she was expecting marathon training to finish, not start, after Belfast Marathon! I’m impressed with Paul’s patience. I know on a few runs, where I didn’t make the grade, he was positive and confident that the pace would come .

Paul sets high standards, and the training has definitely put me out of my comfort zone on many occasions! I think I’ve really made leaps and bounds in my own training through Paul’s coaching, and I know after it’s all finished, I’ll continue to apply everything I have learned to my training, and hopefully set some more PBs, so a big thanks to Paul for that!

I’ve also got a handful friends at City of Lisburn AC who are now asking about the process as they’re interested in getting their opportunity to break 3 under Paul’s guidance!

What the coach thinks:

James has been on quite a journey throughout this DreamRun project. He is undoubtedly talented and it is clear that he has the ability to run a sub three hour marathon. His recent 1.25 clocking at the Belfast half marathon has hopefully proven to James that he has a realistic chance of running well in Dublin.

However, over the past twenty four weeks, James has, at times and through no fault of his own, lacked the consistency required, having picked up various niggles, and most recently a bad bout of flu. Despite this, I believe that James can still run under the three hour mark. The recent flu has knocked his confidence, and understandably so, being so close to marathon race day.

James has to remember though, that he has done the majority of the hard work. He was already due a taper and recovery phase. It just happened to occur slightly earlier than expected. When his chest clears, which I fully expect it to do, he will have lost no fitness.

What is important now, is that he approaches the race in the right manner, full of confidence and ready to perform. James is there, he has done all the training and put in the effort required. Now it is time to prepare himself mentally, and if we can conquer that, then he will achieve what we both hope for on marathon raceday.

Name: Ryan Galway

Age: 30

Club: Springwell RC

Current marathon PB: 4:20 (Causeway Coast)

How do you feel training has been going since you joined the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

Having only started running regularly last September, I felt like I was just getting to a point of solid training before the project started in May. Since then, my training has really taken on a new level of quality and intensity, in a way I had not experienced before.

It was a baptism of fire with some of the sessions early on but feel I gradually grew into the routine and structure of our weeks and put in some solid sessions. Other than 2 quiet weeks whilst nursing discomfort in my knee, I have been able to string consistent training together which has been a big bonus.

How has your training changed since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

Accountability and intensity are two words I would use to describe the change since the project started. I had only been introduced to sessions in November last year when I joined Springwell which gave me a good base to start the marathon training from.

The mileage has naturally increased with a focus on a marathon and the pace of long runs has certainly increased. One big indicator of progress has been how a 7 minute mile x 10 feels comfortable compared with a similar session before #DreamRunDublin19.

The focus is of course on getting that sub 3 hour finish time at the Dublin Marathon 2019, do you believe you can achieve this? Have things progressed the way you’d hoped?

It has been really important to keep this as the focus throughout otherwise lack of intensity could filter in. I do think I can achieve sub 3 in Dublin, the training results have shown this to be the case and now that I’m over the slight niggle, I am back to where I was previously.

The progression has exceeded my expectations with being so new to running, it has really strengthened my belief in good training = good results. It is a cliché but if you can control the controllable, you are in with a good chance.

What has been your highlight in terms of your own personal favourite performance since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

Hitting the splits of a few brutal sessions have been very satisfying but in terms of performance, Belfast Half Marathon definitely is the highlight so far. To run sub 80 minutes was a massive progression and has given me a lot of confidence going into Dublin, without taking anything for granted.

What has been your favourite training session since commencing training with Paul Pollock and the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

None? Although it was seriously tough, I enjoyed the 3x5km session, albeit alone. 5k in 20, 5k flat out, 5k 2 mins slower than 2nd rep. I think I have benefitted massively from these sessions. The tempo session mixed with hills we did as a group was also a “favourite.”

The atmosphere and camaraderie at the group training days and races is very clear – are you enjoying being part of the team?

Although the vast majority of my training has been alone, it has been really encouraging having the group cheering you on and sharing in the highs and the lows. The craic has definitely increased as the weeks have gone on and it will be strange not having the “DreamRunDublin” WhatsApp group pinging a few times a day.

Any other comments?

A special note of thanks to Paul who has really pushed us and helped us all to see what is capable with serious training.

What the coach thinks:

There is no question that Ryan is currently the fittest athlete in the group. I think each of the other runners would agree. His potential was apparent from the very beginning of the project and with a recent sub 80 minute clocking over the half marathon distance, there is no question that he is good enough to break the three hour barrier next week.

The question, and chat that we still need to have, is how greedy can we afford to be. The DreamRun Dublin project record for the quickest time at the Dublin marathon, currently stands at 2.45.38, by Wesley McDowell from the 2018 group.

If Ryan has a good race, and paces himself correctly, he definitely has a chance to better that time, although it will undoubtedly be a challenge. Considering he has never run a marathon close to that sort of time before (his pb is currently 4.20), playing it safe early in the race is the more sensible approach. Either way, he is on course for a large personal best and after all the hard work and sacrifice that he has put in, he deserves every second.

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The post DreamRun Dublin Update – Two weeks to go! appeared first on Fast Running.

With less than five hundred hours to go until the 2019 KBC Dublin marathon, the excitement is building. The majority of the long training runs have (hopefully) been completed. Every different brand of energy gel has been tested. All the race kit has been washed for the final time and is neatly laid out in preparation for what is to come.

Race day is just around the corner but first, taper time is coming. All those doubts, those concerns and those ‘oh it’s just a niggle’ thoughts are becoming magnified as each day passes. Don’t worry, that is normal. Everybody has them. It would be abnormal not to have them. So much effort and sacrifice has been put in, it is only right that you achieve the result that you have trained for. If only the sport of running was so predictable, but that is part of the appeal.

Two more sub three hour contenders

Those of you who have been following FastRunning over the past number of months will know that the DreamRun Dublin class of 2019 are nearing graduation. Once again, a group of ten Northern Irish runners has been training under the close guidance and coaching of Irish Olympian, Paul Pollock. Each athlete’s goal is simple: to run a marathon faster than ever before, and additionally, with a bit of luck, break through that magical sub 3 hour barrier.

Last week we met the first two members of the group – Martin and Adrian. This week the two athletes in the hot seat are Dale Murray and Elaine McGuckin. Read on below to find out more about their experience as part of the DreamRun project and their thoughts about how they might get on at the 2019 KBC Dublin marathon.

Name: Dale Murray

Age: 29

Club: Ward Park Runners

Current marathon pb: 3:09:31

How do you feel training has been going since you joined the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

I joined the team immediately after completing the Belfast marathon. I feel that the training has gone very well and has been an education in how to train. Previously, I would have considered training for a sub 3-hour marathon to have entailed a lot higher mileage per week and didn’t realise how specific the timings and pace of each run should be.

I have never followed a plan before and would have been guilty of doing a lot of training runs at a very slow pace. Parts of the training have been difficult, and some weeks have been very tiring, but I have noticed a big uplift in performance in recent months. Last weekend I completed the Belfast Half Marathon in 1:24:05 and I felt strong and comfortable approaching the finish line despite this being a massive PB.

How has your training changed since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

Training is completely different now. I have elaborated on the key differences below.

● I predominantly now work in mile’s rather than kilometers; I find this easier regarding pacing / time incase you want to make a calculation during the run.
● Every run is completed at a specific pace and this is monitored very closely. I am now constantly looking at my watch when running.
● Weekly tempo runs have been beneficial; I wasn’t doing these properly before joining the team.
● Long runs are completed at a much faster pace than I was used too. Previously, I would have completed my long runs at a slow pace.
● I am doing more miles now but probably only about 10 miles more per week.
● When returning from a niggle or injury I have built up training again more gradually with progressive pace runs rather than going straight back into normal training.
● Easy runs are completed at a slightly faster pace now. Usually, these would be about 7.35-minute mile pace.

The focus is of course on getting that sub 3 hour finish time at the Dublin Marathon 2019, do you believe you can achieve this? Have things progressed the way you’d hoped?

Yes, I am confident of a sub 3-hour finish (although it might be 2:59:59). The Duffy 10K a few months ago went very badly but after the Belfast Half Marathon last weekend I can really see the progression. Furthermore, training has been going very well and I am hitting targeted times with a lot more consistency.

What has been your highlight in terms of your own personal favourite performance since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

I was very happy with my 1:24:05 performance in the Belfast Half Marathon. My previous best was 1:35:00. Last week as a training run, I completed 15 miles at 6:45-minute mile pace, and this really pleased me and gave me confidence that I could complete a sub 3-hour marathon.

What has been your favourite training session since commencing training with Paul Pollock and the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

I really like the progressive training, wherein you gradually get faster every mile or so. It’s a nice feeling when you know you can steadily get faster and when the last miles of the run are the fastest. The tempo runs can be difficult, but you can feel yourself getting fitter week on week, so I like that feeling even if the session itself isn’t always enjoyable as its tough.

The atmosphere and camaraderie at the group training days and races is very clear – are you enjoying being part of the team?

I have really enjoyed the group training days; I have been able to attend all these sessions and have found them useful in terms of gauging personal progression against a shared goal of achieving a sub 3-hour marathon. I have also met up with members of the team for training runs and this has been helpful and made the sessions more enjoyable. Everyone in the group is very friendly and supportive and it has been good to meet new people with the same interest in running.

Any other comments?

It’s been excellent so far and I am looking forward to the next few weeks and hopefully achieving the goal of a sub 3-hour finish. If it doesn’t happen, I have learnt a lot about training and will be applying this to my marathon training going forward and know that a sub 3-hour finish will happen at some point.

What the coach thinks:

Dale is one of those rare examples of athletes that I have come across whilst coaching. It may sound quite simple, but ask Dale to run a certain distance or at a certain pace and he will do it. Rarely will he run faster, rarely will he run slower. His tempo runs have become a thing of near metronomic beauty. To run six miles back to back with a range of about two seconds between all the miles is a very hard thing to perfect. However, nearly every week, Dale has achieved this goal.

After a surprisingly disappointing below par run over 10k in July, Dale bounced back and excelled at a recent half marathon. Running a strong personal best, well under three hour marathon pace, his confidence should be high leading into the marathon. If he runs to form, he should be taking a large chunk off his marathon personal best time, and if I was a betting man, I would put a decent sum of money on him to break through that sub 3 hour barrier too.

Name: Elaine McGuckin

Age: 37

Club: Non-affiliated

Current marathon: Pb: 3.09

How do you feel training has been going since you joined the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

I am thoroughly enjoying my training with the #DreamRunDublin19 team and feel that I am getting stronger and fitter ahead of the Dublin Marathon.

How has your training changed since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

My training has changed significantly since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team as previously I used to just go out and run. I have now a much more structured schedule of training with speed work, tempo and long runs etc. which have been set by Paul. He has eventually managed to tame the human yo-yo in me and my running has become more consistent and evenly paced.

The focus is of course on getting that sub 3 hour finish time at the Dublin Marathon 2019, do you believe you can achieve this? Have things progressed the way you’d hoped?

I am hopeful that I can achieve a sub 3 hour finish but unfortunately I suffered a serious knee injury ruling me out of training for 6 weeks. Thankfully I am now back on track and fingers crossed will see the start line injury free.

What has been your highlight in terms of your own personal favourite performance since joining the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

My own personal favourite performance has been the Belfast City Half Marathon where I achieved a personal best of 1:24. I also completed my first ever Park Run finishing the fastest female in Ireland that day.

What has been your favourite training session since commencing training with Paul Pollock and the #DreamRunDublin19 team?

My favourite training session was 20x1Km set- alternating fast and slow. With no recovery in between each kilometre, I found this mentally very challenging but so satisfying to get through such a tough set.

The atmosphere and camaraderie at the group training days and races is very clear – are you enjoying being part of the team?

I love being part of the team, they are a great group of guys who are all very dedicated and supportive but can enjoy the craic as well!

Any other comments?

I really appreciate getting the opportunity to be part of the #DreamRunProject2019 and have learnt so much under the guidance of Paul and value his feedback.

What the coach thinks:

Elaine is a remarkable athlete. Regardless of what happens on raceday, the fact that she has managed to get herself to the startline in the shape that she currently is, is a testament to both her natural ability and willingness to work incredibly hard.

At the start of July, a torn meniscus was revealed as the source of her having extreme discomfort. Even simple jogging was virtually impossible. We had both all but resigned ourselves to the fact that Elaine would be the first marathon DNS of the DreamRunDublin19 group. With a prolonged time out of running, her recovery has been little short of unbelievable. There is no other word for it.

There are many ways of training for a marathon, and Elaine has definitely not taken the conventional route. However, with a recent half marathon personal best filling her with confidence, she has gone from a probable non-starter to a very realistic possibility of breaking three hours in the marathon. Having lost so much time through injury, we cannot afford the luxury of having a proper taper phase.

Elaine’s journey to the marathon startline deserves a time that she can be proud of. Having seen what she has gone through in the past few months, I firmly believe that, come the sharp end of the marathon, Elaine’s mental strength will carry her through to the finish line in a sub 3 hour time. And after all the recent injury problems that she has faced, that would be a wonderful achievement.

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The post DreamRun Dublin Update – Three weeks to go! appeared first on Fast Running.

As September rolls into October, it can mean only one thing. Marathon season has well and truly begun. With Kenenisa Bekele narrowly missing out on the world record in Berlin on Sunday, eyes now turn to a much more local marathon. With over 22,500 entrants, the KBC Dublin Marathon has established itself as one of the best in Europe. With the number of entrants continuing to grow each year, it now ranks as the fourth largest European marathon.

The chosen few

For the third year in a row, a special group of athletes will be on the startline of the Dublin marathon. The #DreamRunDublin19 project is comprised of ten runners from Northern Ireland aiming to cross the finish line in Dublin under the magical sub 3-hour time – an elusive barrier for so many club runners throughout the country.

The ten DreamRun runners were selected from over a hundred applicants and met for the first time in May. For the past twenty weeks, they have been training steadily under the watchful eye of group coach and DreamRunDublin founder, Paul Pollock. With a 32nd placing in the 2016 Rio Olympic marathon, 14th at the 2014 World Half marathon championships and 21st at the 2013 World marathon championships, Paul has been at the forefront of distance running in Ireland for the large part of the last decade.

Track record of success

DreamRun is now in its third year. The first two years (2 groups of ten athletes) of the DreamRun project has already seen a massive 8 sub-3 performances and 13 marathon pbs. Combined with a further 12 half marathon and 12 10k new personal bests between the two groups, the pressure has been on for this year’s group to continue the trend. As things currently stand, this year’s group have already risen to the occasion, having amassed 6 half marathon and 6 10k pbs since starting the project in May. Only time will tell if there are more personal bests in store come marathon raceday!

With less than four weeks to go until the big day, the nerves are beginning to grow for each member of the group. As each week passes, FastRunning will provide a short profile of each runner and give readers an insight into their DreamRun journey. First up this week is Adrian Bennett and Martin McKenna.

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The post DreamRun Dublin – Four weeks to go! appeared first on Fast Running.

Yared Derese of Carrick Aces A.C. took the honours in this year’s KBC Dublin Half Marathon in a time of 1:03:45. Last year’s winner, David Flynn of Clonliffe Harriers A.C finished today’s race in second place in a time of 1:05:58, (bettering his 2018 time of 1:06:21). Flynn was followed by Eric Keogh of Donore Harriers in third place with a time of 1:06:07.

Irish National Half Marathon Champion, Derese broke away from the field early, and speaking after the race he said; “I am happy with my performance, despite it being quite windy making it quite difficult to beat my personal best time. This year I won’t compete in the Dublin Marathon because I haven’t built up the mileage in training just yet.”

There was a battle for second and third positions between David Flynn, Eric Keogh and Olympian, Mark Keneally (Clonliffe Harriers) with Flynn and Keogh claiming second and third place respectively, Flynn with a time of 1:05:58 and Keogh with a time of 1:06:07.

From fifth to first

In the women’s race, Niamh Clifford of Star of the Luane A.C. crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:22:28, she was followed by Shirley Coyle of Raheny Shamrocks with Sli Cualann A.C.’s Sarah Baryga third across the line in 1:23:58.

Speaking after the race, Clifford said: “Having come fifth in this race last year, I am really happy. It was very warm and windy conditions and a lot of good runners in the women’s field today, I tried to break away early but found that tough! There was also a lot of support along the course so it was really good event. I have put a bit more training into the long distance this year and will be looking to run the Dublin Marathon in October so looking forward to that.”

The KBC Half Marathon is always an important fixture as it marks the final hurdle in the KBC Race Series bringing us one step closer to the main event, the 2019 Dublin Marathon on the 27th of October.

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The post Derese and Clifford the victors in Dublin appeared first on Fast Running.

There are over 3,500 competitors set to line-up. The race will start and finish at Grange Castle Business Park in Clondalkin, Co. Dublin and will take in Corkagh Park and the Grand Canal Walkway.

There is a top field set to line up in both the men’s and women’s field, with bonuses on offer for any race series record broken as well as time bonuses.

In the men’s field Olympians, Mick Clohisey and Paul Pollock will line up against, Sean Hehir, Peter Somba and Dave Mansfield. Clohisey, the reigning national marathon champion, holds the 10k Race Series Record of 29:44 which he ran in 2015 at the Fingal 10k.  The Raheny man also took top honours in 2016 so he’ll be vying for his third 10k win in the KBC Race Series.

Previous Dublin Marathon national title holder Laura Graham, Olympian Breege Connolly and Fiona Stack will be the leading contenders in the women’s field.

Graham will be seeking top honours haven previously secured the top podium spot in 2016 35:26. They will be chasing the Race Series Record set by Lizzie Lee of 33:25 when winning the inaugural South Dublin 10k in 2019.

The KBC Race series

Following the South Dublin 10k next up in the KBC Race Series 2019, is the Frank Duffy 10 Mile on Saturday 24 August. Following the 10 miler will be the The KBC Dublin Half Marathon, which will take place on Saturday 21 September.

Finally the sold-out 2019 Dublin Marathon, which is celebrating its 40th Year Anniversary with KBC, has a record entry of 22,500. The runners will take to the start-line on Sunday 27 October.

KBC sponsoring good health

Aidan Power, Director of Customer, Brand and Marketing from KBC, said: “The KBC Race Series is an integral part of the KBC Dublin Marathon and at KBC, we’d like to wish all the competitors well this weekend. Being part of the 40th year anniversary of the marathon in our first year as a sponsor is really special for KBC and reinforces our ongoing commitment to positive health and wellbeing.

As sponsors, we want to celebrate not only the runners but also the thousands of individuals who make the race series and marathon possible such as the hardcore supporters, family members, volunteers and fans—that’s why KBC have launched the social media #RunThisTown campaign and I would encourage people to get involved.“

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The post Top Irish athletes to compete at South Dublin 10k appeared first on Fast Running.

The KBC Dublin Marathon is set to grow to a record 22,500 entrants after organisers announced an additional 2,5000 entries for the 2019 event on Sunday, October 27.

Entry for Ireland’s largest marathon had reached full capacity with all 20,000 entries selling out in December 2018 – 10 months before the event.

However, following an agreement with key authorities, the field size of the Irish capital 26.2 miler – which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year – is set to grow by 12.5 per cent.

“The success and demand for the Dublin Marathon grows each year,” said race director Jim Aughney. “I am delighted that the Gardai, Dublin City Council and all key authorities worked with us to facilitate an increase in entries by 2,500.

Photo: Dublin Marathon

“We look forward to celebrating our 40th year with KBC and all the 22,500 runners that line up on the 27th of October.”

Over the last few years, the Dublin Marathon has reached capacity following a number of changes. The most recent catalyst for the race was the switch in 2016 from the traditional ‘Marathon Monday’ to a Sunday.

That year of 2016 was a sell-out at 19,000 entries. In 2017, the limit was increased to 20,000 and once again sold out.

In addition to the 2,500 extra entries, additional places are also expected to be made available following an opportunity for current entrants to avail of a refund (75% refund) window from at Monday, June 3 to Sunday, June 16.

The new 2,500 places and those additional places created from the refund window, will then on sale on July 1.

RELATED: The explosive growth of the Dublin Marathon

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The 39th Dublin Marathon took place on October 28, and within five days, the first 7,000 ‘early bird entries’ for the 2019 event were already sold. Five days into November and that figure rose to 10,000 – and it’s now at 12,000 and counting.

“Because next year is the 40th anniversary race we knew there would be great excitement and that we would probably sell out early, but we didn’t expect it to sell out so quickly,” says race director Jim Aughney, who celebrated 21 years in the job this year.

In the past, the Dublin Marathon has taken a stand at the London Marathon in April to promote the race, but the extra promotion is no longer really needed for Ireland’s premier marathon.

“Entry for this year’s race had closed in last April and so we wondered whether we should go to London next year at all,” says Aughney. “In the end, we did book a stand.”

Now it is likely that all 20,000 places for the 40th Dublin Marathon, with new partner KBC Bank, could be gone by Christmas.

“We got 1,736 immediately from pre-sales to people who had run this year,” he explains. “Our record so far was 2,352 entries on November 2. “In the very first marathon of 1980, we had an entry of 2,997. It’s a nice complaint to have!”

Photo: Dublin Marathon

The flow has stemmed somewhat but with up to 600 entries coming in most days, it’s pretty obvious that the race will be another sell-out.

Anyone taking a walk around Dublin on Sunday, October 28 would appreciate the enormity of the task facing Aughney and the Dublin Marathon organisers every year.

The full board of the limited company which organises the marathon is chaired by Liam Ó Riain, with Dave Humphries as secretary.

Other members are Eugene Coppinger, who looks after the elite entry list and the baggage area; Paul Barnes, safety; May Tan, medical officer; Neil Kennedy, start/finish; Mick McCartan, course director; Gerry Carr, course; and Dave Hudson, logistics.

All members are volunteers and must stand for re-election at the annual meeting each year. They meet once a month. By comparison, the London Marathon has 19 full-time staff although, as an event, it is quite a different animal.

Carol McCabe, the office manager, is the only full-time employee of the marathon, although others come in to help with the race series.

Even Aughney, a 2:35 marathon man, is a part-timer, continuing to work four days a week with Eir, and keeping himself fit by running the three or four miles in and out to work each day. On Fridays, he works on the marathon, which also absorbs most of his evenings and weekends.

“We meet all the senior stewards during the year and go over plans,” he says. “We need to keep them on side; we don’t want them reading of new developments – for example, that KBC is our new title sponsors – in the media before we’ve told them.”

So how has the Dublin Marathon developed and grown?

“There were a number of catalysts down the years, some of them planned; others where we got lucky,” he says.

Although entries had increased to 11,076 by 1982, the event had many nervous years when sponsors were hard to attract and numbers fluctuated. In 1987, numbers fell to below 4,000 for the first time since the inaugural year.

A year later, Dublin’s Millennium celebrations saw a big increase in numbers to almost 9,000, but in 1989, that number dropped back to just over 3,000. Only in 1999, for the 20th edition of the race, did numbers recover and the upward trend would continue.

“Before the 1999 race, we had decided to approach the big American charities,” he explains. “They had approached Dave Bedford of the London Marathon and he had told them they weren’t welcome. Why not come to Dublin, we said?

“That year, we put on a special registration for them in the Gresham Hotel and I was standing there handing out numbers when my phone rang. It was Frank Greally ringing to tell me that Noel Carroll, one of the race founders, had passed on.”

In 2000, there were more American than Irish in the race – but that soon changed, with Aughney adding: “Then came 9/11 in 2001 – the charities were committed for that year, but we knew it was the last year they would come.”

Encouraging more Irish runners to take part

Around 2007, the board came up with the idea of the Races Series, involving three races already on the calendar which took place in the Phoenix Park in the summer and autumn – the Irish Runner 5-Mile, the Frank Duffy 10-Mile organised by the Civil Service club and the Business Houses Athletic Association Dublin Half Marathon.

Photo: Dublin Marathon

“The idea was to get the Irish up off their armchairs and out running,” he explains. “We didn’t include the marathon because we thought that might frighten people off. Our idea was to stop short at the half marathon knowing that if people got to that stage, they might then transfer over to the marathon. We were right – in 2008, the Irish entry for the marathon began to rise.

“This had two big impacts: local entries increased but also it got people out on to the streets to support the runners. We then added cheering zones to keep the kids entertained which helped create the atmosphere all along the route.”

Moving marathon day to a Sunday

The most recent catalyst for the race was the switch in 2016 from the traditional ‘Marathon Monday’ to a Sunday.

“It means we got more overseas visitors as well as runners from Northern Ireland and England, where they don’t have an October bank holiday,” he says. “We were also pleasantly surprised to get an increase in numbers from outside Dublin – entries from Cork, Limerick and Galway are all up substantially. People can run their marathon on the Sunday and then recover on Monday before returning to work.”

That year of 2016 was a sell-out at 19,000 entries.

“We weren’t sure whether it was the change to a Sunday or that the special medal for the 1916 centenary which was a big draw,” he ponders. “We have always had big entries on significant dates, with the numbers then dropping back a year later.”

That did not happen in 2017, with the limit increased to 20,000.

“We realised then that the numbers weren’t going to drop off and this year, we had to close entry at the end of April,” he happily explains. “In the first couple of weeks after, we had 1,386 queries.

“When they saw that entry had closed they would ring the office to see if by any chance they could get an entry. So we knew that there was a demand for at least 22,000 entries – maybe even 23,000 or 25,000.”

Of the 20,000 who won a coveted place this year, 16,246 finished; some dropped out but many more never got to the start line.

“We have changed a few things for next year,” he says. “If people enter now and then find they can’t run for any reason, we will give them their money back taking only a small administration fee. We will then open up entry again with those numbers.

“But we will have a cut-off date since we need to give people taking up the extra numbers time to train. It can’t be as late as September since we also have to order t-shirts and medals. We will decide on a cut-off date no later than January.”

Photo: Dublin Marathon

After six years with SSE Airtricity, the title sponsorship has moved seamlessly to KBC, unlike in 2013 when the event took place without a major sponsor and, with no budget for overseas athletes, threw up two Irish winners in Sean Hehir and Maria McCambridge.

“KBC already has experience of road racing through sponsoring the Night Run,” he says. “We hope they will help with the promotion of the race. We are not really looking for a sponsor; more a partner who will work with us and help us improve the race.”

In 1980, the first ever Dublin Marathon was sponsored by Radio 2 and televised live. That was soon reduced to a highlights programme screened later in the day; with RTE strapped for cash, that arrangement ended in 2011. Over the past two years, the race has been live streamed.

“TV would be nice, but we realised it probably wouldn’t happen,” he explains. “Televising the race is complicated – you have to film everything twice with a helicopter in the air and motorbikes on the route, so for us, live streaming was the way to go.

“In 2016, we live streamed for the first time but without much fanfare. This year we publicised it and we were on the air from 8.30am to 4.30 pm with five commentators. It’s now on our YouTube Channel forever and a day!”

So what are the major challenges facing the new and expanded Dublin Marathon?

The course itself is not a problem since the introduction of the wave system.

“This year, we changed the wave system starting them 15 minutes apart rather than ten minutes,” says the Race Director. “Also we didn’t allow people to pick their own waves because too many people were putting themselves down for wave 1. So we now have four separate races, which has alleviated problems on the course. We could take a lot more on the route.”

The big problem comes when the stream of at least 16,000 people approach the narrow finish area at Merrion Square North.

“We can have 177 runners coming in together and – for some reason! – they all stop running when they cross the finish line. We want them to keep moving, to pick up their t-shirt, go to the baggage area and then move away.

“We can have 8,000 in the baggage area and we need them to move on so others can move in. In 2016, it was a lovely day and we had a big problem because people came into the baggage area and sat down on the pavements – they were almost having a picnic!”

The Marathon Mission to support Irish distance running

A major innovation introduced by the Dublin Marathon board a decade ago was the Marathon Mission.

“We held our first Marathon Mission meeting in the West County Hotel, Chapelizod in January 2009,” explains Aughney. “In 2008, Pauline Curley had made it to the 2008 Olympics on a B standard. Martin Fagan got the men’s A standard but he didn’t travel. That was all.

“Winning times by Irish athletes in the marathon were deteriorating not only in our race but also in the Irish Championships and we wanted to see what we could do to improve standards and by extension to get far more Irish athletes qualifying for major championships. We said at the time that we wanted to give the selectors a headache – and I think we’ve succeeded there!”

The philosophy of the Marathon Mission is simple: gather qualifying athletes together and listen to what they have to say.

“Our approach is to ask what can we do for you today, not this is what you have to do: you have to run this race or that race,” he says. “We don’t claim to know anything – we’re not coaches.

“Athletes have different approaches and one cap does not fit all. What we do it to try and get athletes to race each other and if they can’t find the races here, we’ll try and find competition for them.

“For example, we brought in the Scottish lads who could break 50 minutes for the Frank Duffy 10-Mile. When Lizzie Lee was thinking of moving up to the marathon, we suggested that she go to Berlin and run the marathon for the experience and then go back a year later and race it.”

The approach has resonated well with athletes among them Lee and Mick Clohisey, who finished third and sixth overall and best of the Irish in this year’s marathon.

Photo: Dublin Marathon

RELATED: Mick Clohisey and Lizzie Lee win national titles at Dublin Marathon

The Marathon Mission also recruits previous champions to speak to the group, among them John Treacy, who remains the Irish record holder for the distance.

“We brought over Andy Hobdell from the UK who coaches Paul Pollock and Kevin Seaward,” he says. “Athletes and coaches can get new ideas from meeting up and listening to each other.”

For a second time this year, Pollock, the 2012 Irish champion, trained a team for Dublin, with the Marathon Mission giving him a number of free entries. Now Matt Shields has started a Marathon Mission in the North, with Eugene Coppinger attending the first meeting.

In a further incentive for Irish runners to take on Dublin, the prize fund was turned around to favour local athletes.

“We had the ambition to have the first such 2:10 marathon on the course and then we had a sub 2:09 minute time,” he says. “We achieved both those goals using time bonuses as an incentive to bring in international athletes.

“So then we thought let’s take out the time bonuses for international athletes and put in time bonuses for Irish athletes instead. It meant that this year Lizzie Lee probably got more than the winning man.”

It also changed the nature of the race.

“In the past, the athletes were eyeballs out going for a fast time, now they were bunching from the start and running the race, which made it a lot more interesting,” he explains. “For us, this year was almost the perfect race with Lizzie and Mick up there.”

The race organisers take care to pick the right athletes from abroad for the elite field and says: “There’s no point us bringing in, say, a woman who has run 2:25 and who will just demoralise the Irish because they can’t get anywhere near her.”

Finally, Aughney feels that, with standards rising, the Irish could snatch a medal at the next European team marathon championships.

“Most of the team selected for this year’s European Championships team marathon came from the Marathon Mission,” he proudly says. “We were very unlucky with Paul Pollock getting injured and having a bad run and Stephen Scullion deciding to run the 10,000m instead of the marathon.

“I would love to see us winning a European team medal – and I think we can do it.”

Aughney promises that next year’s 40th anniversary race will be special, especially for the 13 stalwarts who have run all 39 Dublin Marathons to date.

“We gave them all free entry for the 25th anniversary race so I’m not sure what we’ll do. But we’ll have to do something!” he adds.

RELATED: Mick Clohisey’s Zen-like approach to running is paying dividends

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