https://www.strava.com/activities/15794531959
Long time no speak. Contrary to the lack of updates since Athboy, or for the majority of 2025, I have actually been training. How well I have been training is up for debate but I was fairly happy with the effort at the 2025 Ratoath Half Marathon. I wasn’t putting much focus on this race in training, with no real half marathon sessions, so I was unsure how I would go. Contrary to that, I did taper into the race so my legs felt the freshest they have in a few weeks. Unfortunately on the day before the race, I had a chaotic day featuring multiple technological issues, crazy traffic, a parking nightmare and a tomato soup that ran through my body faster than I can hope to run any half marathon to cap off an all round destabilising pre race day.
On the morning of the race, I woke up nice and early and had the usual pre race breakfast of porridge and coffee. By the time I arrived at the start line to warm up, my stomach was really unsettled and that didn’t change much during the warm up either. I ran a couple of strides and that seemed to loosen things up a bit and thankfully my bowels showed me some mercy. I was led to the start line with lovely words of encouragement from Emma and I took my place near the front of the pack. There weren’t many of the usual faces I’d expect to see, my assumption being that many opted for the Charleville Half the following day. But where else would you want to be than on a cold and windy Fairyhouse Racecourse of a September weekend? As I pondered this, the gun went off. We were off.
0 – 5K – 17:57
Immediately prior to lining up, I spoke to Graham Gilshinan who had a vaguely similar plan for the race as I did – start around 3:40’s and if feeling good then get moving. I was looking around for Graham for the first few hundred metres when he came up on my left hand side and made himself known. I was happy to have a familiar face as he was the only other person I knew. The lead pack was only 50 metres or so ahead and then it was all strangers in the chasing pack. The first kilometre was a 3:32 and unfortunately for me, Graham was true to his word and he backed off. I was alone again. We took the first left turn off the main road and onto the first boreen of the day. A group of 8 or so lads formed around me and we were being lead out by two lovely brave souls. I tucked in behind them and was stoked to have a good sized pack. I wanted to run to feel and this felt just a little too easy. Conscious that the course gets tougher as it goes on, particularly with the last 3km on the race course, I didn’t feel it prudent to leave any time out there during the early part of the race. There was nobody up ahead of me save for one lad on his own, more than 100 metres up the road in a pair of Alphafly 1 runners, so I knew this guy was an OG but I would likely burn one too many candles if I tried to catch him. I usually play it safe but with a lousy build up the day before and an upset stomach the morning of, I decided “fuck it” and that I’d be brave. I broke away just before 4K and left the group. Fortunately, three lads came with me and we were at the races. The watch beeped for 17:57 through 5K.
6K – 10K – 35:53 (17:56)
For the next 5K, the wind was mostly on our backs with the odd gust blowing right to left. It was a comfortable enough pace and we were in and around 3:35’s for each split. Before long, the Alphafly 1 man was slowly coming back to us and that made me feel slightly sad for him and very happy for me that I didn’t try race up to him only for him to start fading. The gap at about 8K was only 30 metres or so and it seemed that each time we got close to him, he would put in a slight surge and try burn us off. After the third time this happened, I let him off and didn’t bother trying to stick with him. Our little pack was down to 3 now – myself, a lad in a yellow Madrid Marathon singlet and Shane Ashmore from Donore Harriers. We were like pigs in shit as we went through 10K in 35:53.
11K – 16.10K – 57:48
Not long after this, I realised I was working. And that I was pacing a group. I turned to my new friend Shane and ushered him ahead to take the lead. Initially he laughed, then he pointed at Alphafly 1 man and said we should stick with him (I explained the surging issue) and then he was obliging and took the lead. He said he wanted to hold 3:35s and that felt ok to me. He slotted in at the head of the pack and was amazing. He was metronomic, even with the wind and the one sharp climb that is on the course. The man in the Madrid top was much less helpful, taking the lead for about 200 metres and then slotting back in. Around about 14k, the pace was becoming a little hot for me and I made the decision to back off a touch and within a few minutes Shane was gone – leaving me with Madrid man. We turned left off the main road and down the last boreen of the day, just before the 10 mile mark where you take another left towards the racecourse, and the watch showed 57:48 through 10 miles.
16.10K – 21.1K – 1:16:05 (18:17)
When we got to the main road, I told Madrid man that he needs to do a bit of work. His response? “I can’t, I’m just holding on. I’ll buy you a dinner don’t worry”. Spoiler alert – he did not buy me a dinner. Our two did soon become a three when we happened upon a man from Kilcoole AC called Reuben Whelan. We had seen Reuben in the distance for a bit but now we had finally caught up to him. As we slowly went passed him, he found a second wind and went to the front of our group and lead for about a kilometre. Just before we took the turn back to the Racecourse, he declared that was all he had and said he couldn’t do any more. A very selfless man to take the lead at that point in the race. Madrid man and I were back down to a two as we headed for the lap of the Racecourse, which is the part of the race that everyone fears. It was very windy at points during this race but that doesn’t compare to the gusts on the Racecourse. I told Madrid man that this is where it’s going to get grim and he was shocked – wasn’t it grim already!? The two of us entered the final 3km together just as a new man joined us – Ger Clerkin of Clonliffe Harriers. Ger went straight to the front with me and the pair of us shared the lead for the rest of the race, exchanging the lead a few times in the last couple kilometres as the wind really blew hard. Only for Ger and his help, my splits would have been terrible throughout this part of the race but he helped keep our splits respectable. A kilometre from the end, we happened upon Andy Nevin, who had blown up and was jogging it home. I tried to corral Andy to come with us but he was pretty set on jogging it in. As we took the final two turns and headed towards the finishing gantry, I tried to raise a sprint to dip under 1:16 but it was just a little too much too late. Myself and Ger crossed the line together and I was happy with a small PB.
This was a great blow out mid marathon block and I’m very happy with the time and effort and also with the consistency of the splits. I feel like I am not as fit as I was last year but ran a minute quicker in the same race. If I follow a similar trajectory for Dublin Marathon, I’ll be a happy boy.
Buckets of Rain 