LETTERKENNY AC athlete Michael Harkin says the spirit of Aidan McGlynn will be with him and the club’s marathon group when they take to the streets in the Dublin City Marathon.
Twelve LAC runners – Harkin, Robert Kavanagh, Clive Monohan, Barry Mackey, Conor McDaid, Mark O’Donnell, Mark Nee, Chris McMenamin, Eamonn McEldowney, Enda McLaughlin, Gary Kearns and Derek Campbell – have been busy training for months in preparation for the prestigious event.
They have selected the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association as their benefitting charity, and almost €5000 has been raised via a Go Fund Me page already.
It is a charity close to the hearts of the LAC members and indeed the people of Letterkenny following the sad passing of the popular Aidan McGlynn last month.
The late Mr McGlynn was a proud Letterkenny AC member, and previously completed marathons himself.
“I ran the marathon with Aidan in Dublin in 2019,” Harkin told the Donegal News this week.
“A few of us from the group were involved back then and we would have trained together, and we all have great memories of Aidan.
“He always brings a smile to our faces when we talk about him.
“When we’re running on Sunday we will be thinking about him, and we will bring his spirit around the streets with us.
“We will all have the words ‘In memory of Aidan’ and his image on our vests.
“It’s a great cause for us to support.”
Harkin hails from Clonmany but is now based in Lismonaghan.
He works as a Science and Physics teacher in St Eunan’s College.
Harkin is well-known on the local athletics scene and has squared up to the 26.2 miles distance before.
“This is my fourth marathon and my third time in Dublin.
“I’ve done Belfast before and Dublin twice.
“I am looking forward to it. All the hard work is done now and I’m excited.
“You can’t beat the Dublin marathon for the buzz, and the crowds are amazing.
“They’re expecting 250,000 people to come into the city for the day to support it.
“There’s a great atmosphere going around the course, and when you have the Letterkenny vest on you, there might be people up there from Donegal who will come out to watch the marathon, and they will give you a shout when they see the vest.
“It all helps when you’re running the marathon.
“My wife Melissa and my two girls Cara and Abbey are coming up as well and they always enjoy it.
“They walk around and are usually in two or three different spots. They do a lot of walking but they get there which is great.”
Harkin was in the capital on the October Bank Holiday last year in a supporting capacity and that has whetted his appetite to compete once again.
“My last marathon was in 2022.
“Last year, I thought I just needed a break because physically and mentally it takes a lot out of you.
“I decided to take the year off and I was focusing on 5ks and 10ks but then I got the hunger for it again.
“I went up to support it last year and I got the hunger when I was there and saw the atmosphere.
“I decided I would do it again and I signed up a few days later.”
The marathon is put on the back burner over the winter months, but as the summer looms, the training load increases.
Harkin is thankful that he was able to train alongside a motivated group of runners.
“You don’t normally think about it until February or March and then it comes back into the mind, and you start to gradually up the miles.
“When May and June comes around then, you get really focused on the marathon.
“Ciaran O’Donnell does a twenty week training plan for us so we really have been going at it since June and gradually upping the miles.
“There’s 12 of us in the group. We normally meet up on Sunday mornings for the long runs, and then we try and meet up in twos and threes during the week to train together.
“I did a lot of my training with Mark Nee and Clive Monohan.
“With work and family it’s very hard for everybody to meet up all the time.
“But you try and meet up with two or three because it’s a lot of miles and you need the company.
“In the last couple of weeks now we have been tapering and gradually reducing the miles.
“We’re allowing the body to heal and repair itself so it will be fresh on the day.
“You might go out two or three times this week for four or five miles of a light jog just to keep the legs going and to take the mind off the marathon as well because it can be overwhelming at times as well when you’re so focused on it.”
Harkin has a time in mind that he would like to hit but getting through the gruelling challenge is the number one priority, and he hopes he can enjoy the experience.
“I have a target but you never know until the day.
“It’s a physical challenge but it’s also a mental challenge and you just have to prepare yourself as best as you can.
“When you hit the wall – and you will hit the wall – mentally that is challenging.
“I do have a time in mind and hopefully I will get there.
“We will stay up on the Saturday and we will come down afterwards on the Sunday and meet up with the group to celebrate.
“Hopefully all goes to plan. The work is done. The phrase is that the ‘hay is in the barn’.
“Hopefully we can enjoy the day. For a few guys in the group, this is their first marathon so it’s exciting for them and hopefully it will go well for everybody in the group.”
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