Dublin Marathon 2023

Lambay island

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121300172#Comment_121300172

Great photos, thanks for the loud shout out of encouragement!

Wottle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301168#Comment_121301168

Smashing run! Congratulations.

woodseythelegend

Great day. Blew up after 20m. Aiming for 3:30. Finished around 3:50. Approached start area from Davenport Hotel end. Area not open til7:45-wtf?? Other than that well organised despite the weather. Final moan-what **** idiot thought it was a good idea to put a zero sugar Lucozade into the bag at the finish line??? If eve a lad needed sugar it’s after 4 hours of hard slog😂!!

Seifer

Completely agree on the Lucozade Zero; it was only when I got home I realised I was trying to refuel on flavoured water.

sdevine89

I have enjoyed reading racing recaps on here for the past few years so I guess it’s finally my turn. First marathon in the bag and feeling pretty elated this morning. Going to try, for myself as much as anything, to write as comprehensive a recap as possible.

First some background. This was my first time hitting the start line but my third entry. First entry was cancelled and rolled over because of COVID. This time last year my fiancée, Rachel, ran but I was in no shape for a marathon, I let me entry go, then immediately re entered. Did the Clontarf 5mile at the end of November 22 and crossed the line, utterly spent, in 45:47.

On the 1st of Jan 23 I weighed in at 97kg. I had run a cumulative 88km in 2022. I was in no shape for a 5km let alone a marathon. Something clicked though. I stopped drinking on the 7th of January 2023 and haven’t looked back. Started off the year slowly but followed a Hal Higdon half marathon plan in advance of the Wexford Half Marathon in April. It went great, finished some strong, and was delighted to get across the line 1:57:16. Huge confidence boost.

I have a few friends, who I’d considered serious runners, who are coached by Emmett Dunleavy, and they encouraged me to sign up for his marathon plan. This was, without question, well maybe behind stopping drinking, my best decision of the year. I followed the plan to the letter, didn’t miss a single run, but did very little of the strength and conditioning, just couldn’t fit it all in. I could really feel my fitness come on over the summer and running became my happy place, no matter what was going on, my head would be cleared by the 4th km of any run. Don’t think there was any training running I dreaded.

Ticked off a good few races over the summer and again grew in confidence with each one: Irish Runner 5 Mile (39:17), 10km (actually 8.5km) Nationals (44:56), Fingal 10km (48:49). Then the wheels seemed to come off in the Medic HM in Monasterevin in September. I went in to it feeling great. Hoping for a great PB. The weather did me in. Humid, sunny, and in the 20s for the whole race, ended up walking for sections, having completely overheated and crossed the line in 1:55:21. Confidence bust. To that point a 3:45 marathon had seemed possible but in truth I never got back the confidence to go for it.

Jumped straight back in to training. Emmett said not to worry about it, put it down to the weather and experience. I stuck at the training for a 3:45. Running my AT efforts at 5:23 per km. Got through all the sessions ok bar one in which I again blew up. Another little confidence dent but tried to forget about it. Did the really long runs along the Seine in Paris when over for the RWC. An amazing city for running but got in my head that maybe I hadn’t worked in enough hills. Luckily, as will become important below, we live right at the 9 Arches in Milltown, so was able to run Roebuck Hill in 90% of my training runs.

So enough background. The taper in the past weeks was a mind ****. Weird twinges everywhere. Thought I had the flu for about 20mins on Wednesday. All in my head thankfully. Loved the Expo but got in and out not wanting to spend too much time on my feet. Also didn’t want to get too taken by the emotion etc of it all. Was just focussing on going out and running my own race.

Plan was to go over between the 3:50 and 4:00 pacers and hopefully just switch off until 30km. First problem, realised on Thursday I was in wave 4, I had, reasonably, put in 4:30 as a finish time last November. A few people said it wasn’t difficult to move up a wave but it was a stress I could do without. Posted about it here and the suggestion was to just settle into the front of wave 4 at my own pace if I could. Decision made. Trust the training.

Rachel dropped me down in lovely time yesterday morning. Didn’t realise, having got out at Haddington Rd, what a trek it would be to bag drop, then back to the Wave 4 start, saw a few faces I knew at bag drop but all were in the faster waves. Met a lad I knew from college, a man with many marathons under his belt, who has a few simple words of wisdom, to just focus on myself. Stood at the top of the Wave 4 pen for what felt like an eternity. Stewards were great and kept the craic going. A steward whose name I didn’t get offered to let me into Wave 3 if I wanted. Thought about it for 30secs but decided to stick to the plan.

Finally, we get moving, I’m right at the front, all is good. Just turning onto Fitzwilliam, I decided it was time to ditch the hoodie and tracksuit bottoms. Pull the hoodie off. My left airpod goes flying. We are marching forward at the time. No way I can get back to search the ground. Disaster, I’ve never run a km without noise cancellation. Struggled to get the tracksuit bottoms off over the Alphaflys. Bulling about the AirPod, both the cost and what it means for the 26miles of hearing my own breath. All I could think of was an Andy Farrell press conference during the RWC when he said that adversity should be welcomed as it makes you better. Losing an AirPod seemed like perfect first world problem adversity.

Finally, we are off, this is it, no matter what happens from here, I’ve made it to the start. Plan was to run as close to 5:30 as possible on the flat and 5:40ish on the uphills. Looked down at my watch for the first time coming up to Kevin St Garda Station, 4:55, ok time to slow down and settle in up by Christchurch. Runners nice and spaced out - enjoying the one airpod being able to hear the shouts of encouragement in the other ear. Tick off the easy kms over the Liffey (5:27, 5:32, 5:38) before the hill in to Stoneybatter. Focus on keeping the HR in the low 140s and keep it there through the park. Feeling good. Get chatting to a gent in the park about what we would eat for dinner. Recognise a guy I know coming up to the Castleknock gate - he offers a bottle of lucozade but I’m all good. I’m a couple of gels deep at the stage and everything is good.

Out the gate into Castleknock. Have watched all the course reviews, listened to Emmett about different sections, but didn’t know what these roads were like. The support is immense. The band on the back of the truck give me a huge smile. Grab another water bottle and aim for one of the bins when I’m done with a big shout of “Kobe” - no idea where that came from, but I did it for the whole race.

Back into the park, feeling good, watching the HR as much as the pace, HR dropping into the high 130s, lovely. Next up the hill in Chapelizod. Holy ****, that’s a mountain not a hill, I thought Roebuck was supposed to be the worst on the course, this thing is **** vertical. Anyway judged the effort by HR on the way up it. Got to the top, glad to see the back of it. Let the pace back off for a km to drop the HR again. All good. Not a clue where I was but the support was great. Down to last gel but knew Rachel was going to be somewhere near Rialto with a water bottle that had two gels tapped to it.

Hold on, what’s the pain. All through training my biggest problem had been bleeding nipples. I had basically lived with my nipples tapped since August. Good luck texts had all referenced it. I’d bought new plasters the day before. Of course it was the one thing I’d forgotten that morning. Left nipple was getting sore. How the **** had I forgotten. More adversity. Lean into it and keep going.

Though Rachel said she would be near Daddy’s in Rialto. No sign. Then I hear manic shouting at the turn to Dolphins Barn bridge. There she is. No time to stop. Grab the bottle. Scream at her “bring plasters to Milltown”. Zone back out. Found the miles from here to Walkinstown Roundabout the most boring of the course. Some lad shouts at me “who is the **** in Alphaflys in Wave 4” gives me a great laugh.

Colin Griffin, who finished 24th overall yesterday, was the S&C coach for the plan, he said his slowest mile is always the 14th, so I kept this in mind. Through half way in 1:59:19. Sub 4 is on - but just. Knew the wall could strike at any time so every step was important.

Started to feel sorry for myself around here. Thought a few more people I wasn’t expecting would be out to support. I’m 33, what the hell am I getting sad about, but couldn’t shake it. Played a lot of sport in my teens and at least one of my parents had been at every single game - no matter where it was. I knew they wouldn’t be on the course. My mum is in a hospital bed on the 6th floor of the Beacon and although he didn’t say it my dad isn’t coming to not make her feel bad about not making it. Had ‘Mum’ written in sharpie under my watch strap. Try to put it out of my head. Keeping that emotion for post mile 20.

Don’t see anyone I know or hear a shout of name up until the turn at Terenure College. Still feeling good. Then all of a sudden a big shout of my name. Spin my head to the right. A work colleague, who has been unwell, with a big smile on his head. The perfect fill up. Emmett has said these are good miles from here to Milltown. Try to up the pace a little whilst keeping an eye on HR. Came out of a daze when turning in Rathgar, another colleague I wasn’t expecting, another shout, still feeling ok, HR still in mid 140s, but rising.

Biblical rain as I turn onto Orwell Park. More adversity. Thinking about the next bottle and gels from Rachel in Milltown. Coming down the hill to the Dropping Well - familiar. Big shout of my name at the Dropping Well. My closest friends were away for a Stag, I should have been on, all weekend. Turns out they have got up early and come back especially. ****, I’m lucky.

Down to 9 Arches. My bed is a 30sec jog from here but that thought is gone in 30secs. See Rachel, hold on, all my nieces and nephews are with her, didn’t expect to see them, they had said they wouldn’t make it. No time to stop, grab the bottle, shout not to worry about the plasters, the nipple can do as it pleases, I’m not stopping. Had written 2:53:20 to 3:02:20 on my arm, as the range I need to be in crossing the 20mile mark, 3:01:05. Still good. Maybe this is on.

Only thought in my head then was “these are my roads”. I knew every single incline. See the 4:10 pacers, who had gone off 20mins ahead in Wave 3, just coming in to Clonskeagh, go past them at the back of UCD, now we’re laughing. Miss the water station at Killian’s school, curse a few lads just stopping in the middle of the road, could have done with it, but hey, more adversity. Skip the lucozade on purpose before Roebuck Hill, chug a gel, ok here we go up this fucker one more time. See friends at the bottom, fly by them, before I know it, more friends at the top, **** I’ve got this.

Turn down Foster’s. Ok let’s settle in and enjoy the downhill, once we hit the dual carriageway it’s time to see if we can turn the screw. See the same lad I met on the way to the bag drop. “I’ve **** got this Paddy”. High five without stopping. Onto the dual carriageway. Passing people. Feeling strong. My god, I’m thirsty, is there another water station, can’t remember, looking for any supporter with water, I’m going to need some before the finish. Have the rolling km pace down (5:27, 5:24, 5:28, 5:29). Water station at the end of Nutley is manna from heaven. Chug half a bottle, throw the rest down my back.

Turn left off Nutley. In my head it’s “St Micheal’s College, the Four Seasons, The Bridge, US Embassy, the Finish”. Pass Michaels. All of sudden, **** this is tough, where the hell is the Four Seasons, this road is never ending. Thankfully, mum pops into my head, a text from the day before, there’s no way I’m letting up now mum, these miles are for you. Legs are heavy but I would have crawled if necessary. See Emmett outside the US Embassy, scream a “thank you, you got me here”. See more friends just up ahead then hit the wall of sound. Holy ****, the crowd must be 5 deep, this is electric, cross the bridge, there’s the finish, what time am I on for, haven’t a clue, push it out to the finish. It’s over. Stop but it feels like my legs are still running. I’ve done it. No phone so not sure of chip time. Watch says I’ve run 42.44km but I’m under 4 hours.

Dying for more water but it’s medals and T-shirts first. Long walk to bag drop (I’m in to 20,000 numbers). Elated but stiff. Find everyone just on Baggot St. Let the emotion sink in. Handed a phone and it’s my mum on FaceTime. Now it’s bloody real. Every single mile in the dark on my own is worth it for that smile. If I could bottle this feeling.

Obligatory photos and then the Luas home. Shower and some food. Straight to the Beacon. Walk in to the room to the sound of her banging one of the Irish Life clappers so the whole hospital can hear. The photo of the medal around mum’s neck, beanie on her head, me beside her in the bed, money can’t buy that, instantly one of my most treasured possessions.

Thanks Dublin City Marathon, every volunteer, every supporter, every garda and paramedic along the route, you gave me a day I’ll never forget. Now what’s next because I’m not letting this level of fitness drop.

3:57:42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301104#Comment_121301104

The rules for the National Championships state that getting a drink from somebody in the crowd is considered "outside assistance". Probably more appropriate for the "elite" runners. The runner in question is not very far off that.

racersedge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121300172#Comment_121300172

Some great shots there. Found myself amongst them although I never have a good running photo at that stage in the race.

My own race was going great until Clonskeagh Road section yet again. Far as I’m concerned that whole section can get bulldozed and levelled! 😂 Ultimately, hit the wall and struggled home from there with a couple of brief walking breaks on the far side of the bridge over the road to try to compose things and try to grind out a finish. While I did come home with a 27-odd second PB, had hoped for more on the day.

Great support despite the weather. Know the marathon is volunteer-ran but definitely needs better communication with people ahead of where to get into bad drops. Anyone who was at Merrion Street Upper will know what I mean. Felt for the lady who was having to deal with everything but she clearly had been given poor info as she was sending runners the wrong way and even saying different waves had to go elsewhere (I have a suspicion she was told the plan for what it’s like inside the baggage area, not what it’s like on the outside of it).

I’d say my current thinking is this will be last Dublin for a while. That’s my fourth and each time I have been snake bitten a good few times now and a change of scenery might do the world of good as I chase the feeling I had at Manchester last April. That’s once I avoid that ‘sign up now to guarantee your entry’ lark in the next few days.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301104#Comment_121301104

The AI rules state that getting a bottle/gel from somebody in the crowd is considered "outside assistance" for runners in the Nationals. I can only assume that being paced by somebody not actually entered is covered by that. Probably is more appropriate for the "elite" runners, the person in question is not far off that.

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301309#Comment_121301309

Do you work in data analytics??

congrats

sdevine89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301384#Comment_121301384

Ha I don’t but I do love tracking things!

Beric Dondarrion

That was my 8th DCM yesterday and I know next year will be my last. The body just can't take it anymore unfortunately 😕. Having said that, the support from the crowd and spectators yesterday was out of this world. It definitely lifted my spirits on more than one occasion. Fair play to the guy who ran it in just a pair of speedos. I'm still wondering where he pinned his race number🤔

Well done to everyone who finished yesterday in such terrible conditions at times!

comete

First marathon for me too, mostly a triathlete with strengths leaning heavily towards swim and bike (run is about survival for me). Had been gearing up for cork 70.3 since January but with everything that happened that weekend I never even got to the start line on the Sunday so needed to salvage a season of training and picked up a marathon entry at the last minute. Had 8 weeks to build from half to full distance marathon and a good mate that does some coaching very kindly offered to help me out. Stuck to his sessions rigidly and identified 3hr20min as a top end goal time.

Spent a lot of time in my own head the night before about pushing myself for 3:20 vs finishing strong with 3:30, but when I met an old college friend at the start line with a 3:20 goal time, and with the support around the course, I decided to stick with the wave 1 3:20 pacers as long as I could. I would say I barely felt the road under me til heartbreak hill, and at that point slipped off the 3:20 pace group to save myself, and held them within 500m til the line. That last 2 miles was the toughest bit of running I’ve ever experienced but was elated to finish with a 3:21 chip time.

FTBr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121300959#Comment_121300959

Not sure if a widespread problem, but seems my chip didn't record across the finish line, so it's saying I didn't finish!

I've emailed the organisers but I'm guessing I'll have no way of getting an official time now?

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301576#Comment_121301576

They’ll have you on camera

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121300973#Comment_121300973

The road racing rules are posted on the Athletics Ireland website.

echancrure

From Twitter @killianbyrne:

After the fake quote, the fake award!

echancrure

How much can W.B. Yeast (!) take before he arises and go once again?

Tommy Max

just over 16k ran this year. was the capacity 25k or 22.5k?

God knows how many of the 16k were not the registered person.

yosser hughes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301914#Comment_121301914

I personally know 3 people who ran under someone else's entry

There needs to be an exchange system. Lots of people who would have run, couldn't get an entry because of the lottery system.

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121301726#Comment_121301726

It really is embarrassing.

Trampas

They cut the live feed at the end early enough. 5:15 on 8:45 clock. A small amount of wave 4 starters would have got in before the feed was cut and many wave 3 be only crossing the line. Did the go over the internet allowance resulted in them cutting the feed.

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302389#Comment_121302389

To be fair, they can't be expected to hang around for much beyond the elites for the live feed.

left_hander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302258#Comment_121302258

I know 8-9 people, and if I asked around probably more.

Its farcical. They made an administrative burden for themselves in giving out the race numbers and don't seem to get that all they need to do is make an Eventmaster event called "Ticket transfer" where I can change my name to somebody else right up until a few days before, or to just give it back and give me a part refund pending it being re-sold.

I just don't get it.

Lazare

I wonder do they have any stats on the drop out zones.

I was spectating yesterday, even managed a stint at a Lucozade Sport station which was amazing.

One thing I found really fascinating was the sheer number of people who went into it so very under prepared.

That Luco station was 9 miles in and the amount of people that looked absolutely goosed at that point had me baffled. I wondered how they were going to face another 17 miles.

Even at the 4 mile marker I saw a few who were walking, not 'walking the marathon' walking, but struggling.

Bonkers stuff.

Trampas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302503#Comment_121302503

They can just leave the camera streaming like last year. No need to talk

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302536#Comment_121302536

I'd say there is a huge amount of people who don't prepare properly, but in fairness there may also be a lot of people who did do a lot of training but didn't think about proper pacing or strategy, and so went out far too hard and ended up on their arse early.

witnessmenow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302600#Comment_121302600

Or didn't get their fueling right (unfortunately, guilty)

sdevine89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302536#Comment_121302536

I couldn’t get over this either. Having started at the front of Wave 4 I expected everyone ahead of me to be in good nick but by the time I was in the park people around me looked like they wouldn’t make the halfway mark. Whatever about lining up without a full prep, wouldn’t be for me but I suppose people feel they have paid the money, I don’t know why you wouldn’t drop down to the back of Wave 4.

jams100

Couldn't really do any training at the start of the year and then just got lazy by the time I could do any training...so only done a total of 27 km of training in the preparation.

Ended up doing 5hrs 5mins. (With a goal of anything under 6 hrs).

Hoping next year to do 4:15 or less but know that I'm going to have to do multiple long runs, something I've generally been not great at, usually stick to 5 and 10k's

Surprised that overall I don't feel that bad today considering the lack of prep I done...well done to everyone who completed and I echo everyone's comments on the brilliant crowds

Seifer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302632#Comment_121302632

It was fairly evident to me the whole way through the Dublin Race Series. So many people would be better off just working on shorter distances while building their fitness up instead of signing up for a marathon. You get to learn what works with much faster feedback and it's generally more forgiving.