If the new Irish marathon record of 2:07:54 requires some context, it would have won gold at every Olympics bar two, and is almost two minutes faster than the previous mark.
But those taking to the Dublin streets this weekend might not glean many tips from Fearghal Curtin. It turns out Ireland’s newest record holder doesn’t stick to many of the conventional rules of marathon running.
There’s no denying his dedication, but he clearly doesn’t sweat the small stuff, learning for himself as he goes along.
Your first assumption would probably be that Curtin would be back home in Youghal in east Cork, with his legs up after winning the Gyeongju International Marathon in South Korea last Sunday. He earned a tidy $50,000 for his victory, upsetting all the elite African runners and bamboozling the local TV commentators.
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Instead of resting up after that mighty run, Curtin is already back at his training base in Portugal, logging up the miles again for his next marathon, in Singapore on December 7th. A mere seven-week break between major marathon efforts like this is not unheard of, but Curtin believes it’s all perfect practice as he begins his qualifying quest for the Los Angeles Olympic marathon in 2028.
Curtin has been living in Tavira, on the Algarve, for much of the last year, where he mostly trains alone. It’s a considerable distance away from his coach and he also works part-time as he has no shoe sponsor and no funding whatsoever. Not that he’s going to waste any time complaining about that.
Not the conventional way of chasing Olympic qualification.Curtin is also open to breaking the mould in other ways, including how he races. He hit the front shortly after the starting gun in Gyeongju, running solo the rest of the way without any pacemakers. It’s refreshing, audacious and perhaps a good lesson for marathon runners everywhere.
Because Curtin’s approach is a reminder that there’s no right or wrong way to run a marathon, only the way that is right for you on the day. That’s a good tip for anyone starting Sunday’s 44th running of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon.
It’s easy to get lost in every little detail of marathon running, from the tips and tricks to the technology. But sometimes the old-fashioned “just run” approach is still hard to beat.
At 27, Curtin is only entering his marathon running prime. What also sets him apart from most Irish marathon runners of modern times is that he made a conscious decision to move up to the 26.2-mile distance as soon as he was done running in college in the US. That period included stints in Florida State University, Charleston Southern (in South Carolina), and Arizona State University. And although Curtin never won much, he was always learning.
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“My strength is that I can run in a very good rhythm for a long time,” he says. “Even if I have to do it by myself. A lot of people do need pacers, or big groups, but I’m okay to do things by myself, and that’s a good strength to have in road running. It’s a bit more unpredictable than track races, which can be the same thing a lot of the time.”
He planned to run his first marathon in 2023, but delayed that because of injury before making his debut in Seville in 2024. He didn’t finish. An old quad-muscle injury was holding him back, but once that was dealt with he started the Düsseldorf Marathon last April with fresh ambitions.
“My main problem that day was I dropped two bottles. It was a warm day, and I basically just ran out of fluids and carbs. And limped home the last 5km. But that meant my main focus for Gyeongju was to make sure I got all my drinks in, all my carbohydrates.”
Düsseldorf was won by Peter Lynch from Kilkenny, who improved the Irish record to 2:09:36, but Curtin was still satisfied with his 2:11:35, in 10th place, and promptly turned his attention to Gyeongju.
South Korea’s only World Athletics elite-level marathon, Gyeongju wouldn’t be the first call of any Irish marathon runner. Curtin was invited via his German agent Philipp Kopp, and, despite the threat of severe heat and humidity, and the hilly course, he saw it as some early preparation for LA28.
“If I do get to LA,” he says, “it’s not too early to start thinking about that course, which will also be hilly, and hot and humid. Being in Asia, the prize money is generally much bigger, so it was good on the financial side too.”
Gyeongju lived up to expectations. “Then I got lucky,” he says. “Just before halfway there was a shower of rain, and it basically rained the entire second half. From there to the finish, I just kept getting faster. My confidence was on a different level compared to other races.”
In the build-up, he spent five weeks training at altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona, where his coach John Greene is based. He also benefited from training partners there, but he’s otherwise content logging up the miles alone.
Running two hard marathons seven weeks apart is not something he necessarily advises – maybe not every year. But the shoes have got so much more cushioned now, the marathon is not the extreme distance that it once was. “You’re able to recover much faster.”
After Singapore, he’ll target a flat course, aiming to get down to 2:06 in the spring. “Singapore will be very hilly, one of the toughest elite marathons in the world, but that’s a good challenge in itself.”
Another approach which may not appeal to every runner, but one that is clearly working for him.
