HEALTH MATTERS 79 HealtH & Well-being SPORTING PASSIONS


Health Matters talks to Tom McGuirk, who combines working as an Information Scientist in the National Disabilities Office within the HSE, and participating in marathons across Ireland and other countries. Recently Tom completed the 26.2 mile marathon in Limerick as part of the inaugural Great Limerick Run, an event which attracted more than 6,000 runners.


When did you first start competing in marathons?


When I finally gave up playing football competitively, my fitness levels began to decline, so I joined the local gym. At first I used the normal array of equipment, but I always kept coming back to the treadmill for longer and longer periods. I signed up for some short races over 5 and 10k and half-marathons and then, inevitably, I set my sights on the full marathon distance of 26.2 miles. My first race was in Dublin in October 2004.


Describe your training plan or preparation plan prior to a marathon Preparation is the key to success in most walks of life and running is no different: I normally do four marathons a year with a 10-16 week training period. I tend to run four or five times a week, averaging roughly 35 miles. Running is a pastime not an obsession, so if I miss a training run due to other commitments or just plain tiredness, I don’t worry.


How many marathons have you competed in and can you describe some of your best experiences?


I’ve competed in 19 marathons in seven different countries; in huge city events such as London, New York, Berlin and Paris; and in small local runs in Longford and Dingle. I’ve enjoyed all of them and relished what each race had to offer. In Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate is a hugely significant historical, social and political symbol for Germany and you really got a sense of that. There are lots of other highlights of course: like being cheered on by my family near the finish line in my first marathon in Dublin, standing on the Verrazano-Narrows


Bridge in New York with 35,000 others watching the Black Hawk helicopters fly overhead, running over the Charles Bridge in Prague or maybe running along the Dingle Peninsula staring at the Blasket Islands from the top of Slea Head. I also still have a soft spot for crossing the finish line in Valencia in 3.53.46 – my personal best time.


Describe the toughest race or your most difficult moment in a marathon. I guess that has to be London in April 2009. It’s the most popular marathon in the world, as well as being one of the biggest, with over 175,000 trying to register for the event each year. About ten miles into the race, I went over on my ankle. I carried on for a mile or so and then finally hobbled to a St John’s Ambulance tent. My foot was


black and blue and severely swollen. More importantly, my race was over.


What goes through your mind as you are running the 26 miles? At times you’re focusing on your running style or your breathing, other times you’re enjoying a chat with other competitors or taking in the views around you or enjoying the support and encouragement from the spectators.


“Preparation is the key to success in most walks of life and running is no different.”


+ Tom McGuirk pictured with Shigeru Nakaki from Japan at the finish of the Berlin Marathon in September 2008. ed with Shigeru Nakaki from Japan at the finish of the Berlin Marathon in September 2008.


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