On Sunday 26 January 2025 I took part in the renowned Raheny 5 Mile Road Race. This race is one of the best and most eagerly anticipated events on the Irish road racing calendar. What has made the Raheny 5 Mile so popular is the fact that it caters for runners, joggers and walkers of all abilities and no one goes home empty handed, with every finisher guaranteed the now famous Raheny 5 goody bag and plaque.
The race had sold out weeks previously and on the day there were 3,754 finishers with runners from clubs throughout the country represented. It was wet and windy in Dublin from early in the day and as the race start time of 3pm approached, competitors had to brave the wet and windy conditions that prevailed throughout the course that ran along the perimeter of Saint Anne’s Park and included a stretch along the seafront on the Clontarf Road between the three and four mile markers.
Over the Christmas season I had taken part in two 5k races in preparation for Raheny, the Shane Brennan Memorial 5k in Newtownforbes, Co. Longford on St. Stephen’s Day and the Tom Brennan Memorial 5k in the Phoenix Park, Dublin on New Year’s Day. These events gave me a feel good vibe during my holidays from work. The Shane Brennan Memorial 5k is a charity race in memory of the late Shane Brennan, who lost his life tragically in 2005, and is organised every year by his family and friends in Newtownforbes. Meanwhile the Tom Brennan Memorial 5k on New Year’s Day race commemorates the great Liffey Valley AC athlete and this year’s race marked the 50th anniversary of his 1975 National Cross Country triumph.
Being steeped in the athletics community for most of my life has given me a tangible sense of connection with those I have encountered on that journey, as an athlete, official and coach. Memorial races prompt me to take a few moments on the start line to pause and remember those in the athletics community and wider sporting community who have passed away. I am prompted to count my blessings that I am still able to compete in races more than thirty years after I began running with my Dad as a young ten year old in Castlerea, in County Roscommon. I am always delighted when I meet running friends old and new and it reminds me of the experience of belonging the running community has given me.
Because I have received so much from the sport of athletics over the years I have always been keen to give something back to the sport. In my twenties I spent some years helping in various roles in my club Mullingar Harriers and last year I undertook the role of Secretary which I had undertaken twenty years previously. I have a passion for athletics and helping the sport to grow and develop. More recently I have taken a greater interest in coaching, progressing to the Level 2 coaching award with Athletics Ireland. Coaching excites me because I like to help others and to pass on some of the skills I have learned.
Returning to run the Raheny 5 run after a long hiatus from the event renewed my motivation for running and striving to build up my fitness again. It felt good to run in a race of such magnitude with so many runners competing and fantastic spectator support. I enjoyed running in familiar territory. I have run many races in Saint Anne’s Park over the years and the park is of spiritual significance for me also as I spent much reflection time there when I undertook retreats at the nearby Manresa Jesuit Centre of Spirituality.
My day out in Raheny reminded me of the goodness of people too. I always love being in Dublin because it is a familar place for me. I lived over 9 years of my adult life on both sides of the city and I have met wonderful people in that time. This time I travelled on the train to the city with a clubmate from home and just as we were rushing to catch a bus in the lashing rain a very kind taxi driver pulled up in Portland Row and offered us a lift to Raheny for free. We had a wonderful conversation and he dropped us off a hundred metres from Race HQ. This random act of kindness without expecting anything in return encouraged me to do the same – to brighten someone’s day and strive to make a difference in the world.
This is an incredibly wonderful post. Thanks for sharing.