2023 began well for Oisín Ó Gailín and he is hoping for even better as he eyes a medal at the Irish National Senior Championships this year.
Ó Gailín is doing a Masters in Statistics at the University of Wyoming in America but his achievements away from the books have been second to none.
In January of this year, he became the second ever Donegal person to run a sub four-minute mile, doing so in a time of 3:59.07 at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University.
The Donegal News Sports Star of the Month for January had been edging closer and closer for a number of months to the achievement, and it was a special day when he did it while being cheered on by family and friends.
“I gave it a good few rattles and I was getting closer and closer but I was delighted to get it over and done with in January, I was over the moon.
“In other races you kind of know that you’re not getting it but when I got to halfway through and I saw the clock and it was 1:57 and I knew how I was feeling I just thought I had this in the bag.
“It had been building up to that and I had a really good Autumn and Winter training, I knew I was in good shape.
“I only had one race before it two weeks before and that was just a tune up so I said to them if I’m going to do this it’s going to be in Boston.”
“There was a lot of pressure leading up to it, my father and brother flew over to it from Ballybofey and I had friends and my girlfriend in America all flew in too so there was pressure but it was fantastic to have everyone there.”
Ó Gailín was a keen sportsperson in his youth, and athletics wasn’t his only passion.
He played with Cappry Rovers and Sean Mac Cumhaills, but there was always something with Finn Valley and athletics that kept him going.
“We had a big squad (at Finn Valley) and I thought it was great then one by one boys started dropping out and there was only a handful of us left but I kept going and wanted to see where I could take it.
“I remember the days with the gravel track but there’s some set up there now.
“There was a point in my mid-teens where I thought that with running, I could really control how I do. I don’t have to depend on anyone else, I just put in whatever effort I want to and go for it.
“That was intriguing to me and I didn’t even know about going to America at that stage then when I found out about that it was another lease of life.
The Ballybofey native’s coach at Finn Valley since a young age has been Neil Martin, who played a part of his own when the Finn Valley athlete hit the sub four mile.
His coach in America is Scott Dahlberg, but he praised the help that Martin gives him when he is back in Donegal.
“I still be in touch with him and he’d be chatting to the mother about me.
“But the funny thing is with the race in Boston, before it there was a race in Donegal and I showed up a bit late and I had no vest.
“Neil had one in the car and he gave it to me, it was an old cotton one and I held on to it.
“The brand of it was Sub4. So when I ran the sub four minutes in Boston I was wearing his vest.
“But never again, it’s way too heavy! It wasn’t breathable at all but I’ll bring it home in Summer and frame it and never wear it again.
“But the coaches have all been supportive of me and when I’m back they’re all chatting away and Neil will still time my sessions and they’ve been great.”
Ó Gailín will be back in Ireland for the Morton Games and All-Irelands in Santry in July where he hopes to improve his year.
He has a number of sights set, as he looks to improve his own mile time, while he is also eyeing up the Donegal record in the 5k.
The Donegal record is Gary Murray of 13:44, which Ó Gailín would love to hit.
“I’m transitioning a bit to the 5k but at the same time, going sub four minutes is nice but I know I can go quicker so I want to lower that time and the 1500m.
“The 5k I think I can go quick, in Callifornia two weeks ago I got 13:55, but it was a disaster at the end, so I’d love to get into the 13:30s.
“It was my first time under 14 minutes but I was on my hands and knees.
“The All-Ireland’s, it depends on who is there because Irish running is getting really competitive, I’d love to give it a crack and get a medal but it does depend who is there and it depends on the day.
“Looking back to 15 years ago the standard has increased a lot and there are boys flying, even ones younger than me, but that there is my ultimate goal to get top three in the 5k.”
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