Seniors at Dublin City Marathon, Bank Holiday Monday, 26th October 2015
The real race reports can be heard from 9pm this evening in Brady’s, put away the laptop and get down if you can, please, and join Dunboyne AC’s 40 or so marathoners who ran so incredibly well today and join them in celebrating a wonderful day for the Club.
Individually, ‘Dublin’ is the biggest day on the running calendar for most of our Senior group. Collectively it’s a chance for us to get together from all parts of the Club and celebrate what is one of the most positive, upbeat and atmospheric sporting occasions held annually in Ireland. Dublin marathon is an experience that’s second to none, whether you’re running or cheering on. The stakes are high – most of our crew having invested 15 weeks or so into Tony & Gary’s Hanson marathon plan. Congrats on your run Gary and your silver in the National Championships! Some started with the experience of near 50 marathons completed, for some it was their first. Some found themselves sailing through training to the start line. Others were relieved to get that far and anxious to get to the finish. Unfortunately there’s also always some who don’t get to run the race at all, and it can be a hard day to endure for those few people. There’s always another day.
Today’s race had all the signs of being a good one for our Senior runners beforehand.
Coaches O’Neill and O’Hanlon had everyone well prepped and spirits seemed high and taper madness low. The individual preparation, the investment in time, the personal sacrifices, blisters, aches, strains, supplements, diets, physio bills, and build up races seem more worthwhile now than when they were often questioned and sometimes cursed throughout the summer, during early morning pre work runs, 10 mile tempos or at the end of six mile repeats on a Tuesday night.
Our social media strategists performed some stealth creeping on each and every one of our athletes and set an optimal level of hype on marathon eve. Our cheerleading strategy was discussed, planned, rehearsed and was ready for delivery through the DAC DCM sideline support crew. Our novice ladies team even got in on the act giving our runners one last reaffirming boost when news of their win came through before bedtime.
Everyone was set to give it a right good blast.
The weather bit. The conditions matter so much more over this distance. They were reasonable this year, although the wind was difficult to deal with. We’d a bit of rain, however it did nothing to dampen spirits or resolve however if smiles or gritted teeth of determination were anything to go by.
We can only go so far in relaying the experience of all on Monday and our account doesn’t go close to celebrating the level of heroics seen that makes us so happy to be Club mates of those who ran. With that in mind we’ll have a few people coming on board to give us first hand accounts of their marathon experience, the ‘go pro’ view. If you’ve a tale to tell please pm us and get scribbling and we’ll get it up here. Between Seniors and F4L we hope to get a good week of reading out of this one.
One final preamble before we run through the performances. A massive well done and from the Seniors to Mick, Al, Viv, Ger and their ‘dirty dozen’ who took on the marathon under their expert tutelage from F4L. Take a bow folks. We’ll all be hoping (take this as your Q seniors!) to make our way down to congratulate ye in between Senior and F4L training tomorrow night. Geoff promises to hijack your customary post race photo as usual, doing ‘The Luke’. Throughout the summer your journey in particular is one that made the Club proud. Possibly the best thing to happen within Dunboyne AC in 2015. Your journey and performances today remind us of all that is good about the Club, the camaraderie, setting a personal challenge and working towards it with the guidance and help of others, being part of something positive worthwhile and fulfilling. Here’s to 2016 and round 2 of Believe, Achieve! Yes lads, ye’re not off the hook just yet!
Onto the performances from our Senior crew.
Peter Brandon became Dunboyne AC’s newest signing last May, training and racing away with us for a few months. Between then and now there was a couple of flights, a Visa application or two and following a few weeks in Kenya Peter was back in blue and white at the DCM start line. He went out hard through halfway in 67:06 and perhaps suffered a little in the second half but he still ran a fine 2:33 which put him in the top 20 of the field.
Derek Finegan is in his first year in the Club, and was seen recently in the fields of Meath at XC championships minus spikes, so we knew that could’ve only meant one thing, a marathon on the cards. He’d a fantastic run, a fitting end to the season, posting a time of 2:51.
Owen Fletcher also joined the Club this year and his 5k and 10k times tumbled from fortnight to fortnight. The signs were that he’d go sub three and beyond however a torn hamstring putting him out for six weeks of the summer put a spanner in the works of his preparations. Nevertheless, a B goal of 3:10 is a strong B goal to go to and Owen was comfortably inside of that today with a 3:07.
Fintan Crehan, never one not to take on a challenge, took on his second marathon in a month following on from his trip to Berlin in September. Dublin’s always a harder prospect but he made light going of it today, running 3:15.
Stephen Douglas like Fintan, ran Berlin, but also ran Waterford earlier in the summer. No biggie! It is some achievement, all for a good cause, meningitis research. Stephen has raised thousands this year for this worthy cause, finishing off the trilogy with a 3:23 today.
Stephen Doyle set out with sub 3:30 intentions and he got there, with plenty to spare. Good to see Stephen back marathoning after being out for most of 2014. Finishing time 3:27.
The club had a good clatter aside from Stephen in and around the 3:30 balloons. Three of these who were in high spirits for all of the 26.2 miles were Dave, Mick and Antoinette. The trio had travelled to Berlin for that marathon last month as well.
Antoinette had plans to do Berlin but injury woes kept her out of the race. Thankfully she made it to the start line for this one although those woes meant she’d a revised target, which she hit with a time of 3:29.
Dave has ran 5 or 6 marathon plus distances since for his charity efforts, like Stephen raising thousands for worthwhile causes. The miles obviously stood him in good stead. 3:30 on the day for Dave.
Mick is another experienced marathoner within the group. He was running today with one eye looking over his shoulder at his fledglings. We hear they all got on fantastically well, so with that contribution as well as a 3:34 we congratulate Mick on a massive achievement and the end of a great journey over the summer.
The girlo’s, Clodagh (3:44) Norma (3:45) and Heather (3:49), we have to take together, despite finishing order. All three finished within 5 minutes of each other today as they have, pretty much, all year since they set off on their marathon journey last March in Bohermeen. Clodagh and Norma were making their marathon debut, Heather has a couple under her belt but his was her first since making the move to the Senior set up.
In the mix with the three ladies around the 3:45 mark were Garbhan Blake, John O’Malley and John Meegan running 3:44, 3:46 and 3:48 respectively. Garbhan, we’re not too sure whether this was your first or not, for the beardless John O’Malley it was. John was one who stuck to the plan and reaped the rewards, with a smashing debut. John Meegan, with his time, managed to knock a good chunk out of his 2014 time.
Geoff Hamilton and Paul Lord…never much between them, there may be a bit of a friendly rivalry going on there! Geoff finished first this time, posting a time of 3:52, whilst Paul posted a time of 3:54, comfortably getting around the course and both had plenty of waves for us when we seen them out there.
Nice to see Paul Gorey back at what he one of the many things he does well, and this year he hit his target time of sub 4. As always, our multiple marathoner (must be near 50!?) will be reported upon within F4L, as an honorary member having given so much of his time and assistance as a coach over the years, as well as doing most sessions with the 8pm’rs. He says he doesn’t have a favourite group but…!
Man of the day. Shay Dunne. Shay has done all the Dublin marathons since they began back in the early 80’s. Shay goes about his business with little fuss but a lot of hard work and is in super shape. This man could go on and do another 15+ years DCM’s. Well done today Shay and thanks from everyone in the Senior group for all the help, advice, encouragement and company this year during training, as every year. We owe you a pint. 4:05 today for Shay, who has a 2:35 or so to his name from back in the day.
All that stuff up above about training, preparation, 15 weeks diligent planning, Ray Mitchell doesn’t do all that stuff, that’s hardship and stress, if you’re gonna do a marathon take the stress free approach like Mitcho, and decide on the Friday night beforehand that you’re doing it. Still, with a 4:10 or so performance, it’s a great run.
Another taking the Mitcho approach was Anne Gorman, no stranger to the marathon Anne picked up a number on the 18th October and armed with just one 16 mile long run to her name decided to do the marathon. She did well though! Comfortably clocking 4:30.
Philip Mahoney is a regular sight on the Moor of Meath at Crazy O’Clock every morning, often accompanied by one or two others from the Club. He gets down to sessions on occasion too when he can. He’s accumulating quite a few marathons to his name now and ran 4:25 today.
John Holian vowed after seven effort he’d hung up his Asics and blue & white singlet, however sometimes decisions are reviewed for good reason. This race was a special, poignant one for John who shared the occasion with his sister Sarah, who had travelled from Cape Cod for her first DCM. John and Sarah finished hand in hand in 4:26, John guiding Sarah to a massive PB.
Sin é, as usual with TDL doing the timing and such a big field there is always one or two who we have missed – if you know their name and race no send us a pm and we’ll review the post and include them.
Not that anyone needs reminding but there’ll be a bit of a buzz in Bradys tonight, please come down for 9pm. If you ran today training is probably the last thing on your mind, but Tuesday night at the Club is a celebration of a great day, so come down, waddle around for a couple of miles, bring your commemorative t-shirt and we might hijack the F4L tradition of the post race group photo.
Check out our photos here with thanks to Loughlin Campion.
