I begin my running journey at the age of 35 to lose weight. 9 years later and 6 stone lighter I am now a Senior International Mountain runner for Ireland and became the first Irish person, and first person over 40 worldwide to complete all the World Marathon Majors of London, Berlin, New York, Chicago, Tokyo and Boston in under 2 hours and 30 minutes.

It took me 35 years to find a talent I didn’t know I had. 35 years of self-doubt, 35 years thinking I wasn’t good enough. Then I found running and my life changed. I got a second change in life, and I took it.

I heard stories about Boston as a kid growing up in Southill, stories from my uncles that would plant a seed in my head. Seeds are like dreams, all they need is someone to water them and they grow. In 2015 someone watered that seed, and my dream began.

The Real Heartbreak Hill

Growing up in Southill in the 80’s and 90’s the area was in the media for all the wrong reasons. When we were young we all knew who Dr Marie Cassidy was because we would see her in person and then on TV when the news came on.

I always say to people if you grew up in Southill, Weston, Moyross or any of the other disadvantaged areas and you have been a good citizen and stayed out of trouble you deserve a lot of respect, and your parents deserve a lot of credit. Because the choices we were presented with growing up were a lot different from the choices people in other parts of the country were getting.

You can’t choose where you are born and can only play the hand you are giving, and a lot of people were giving a bad hand before they were even born. If you get through that test growing up, with all the opportunities around you to take the wrong path then you can achieve anything. All it takes is the right person to come along and open a door for you and show you the way forward.

I was lucky growing up to have good neighbors and good role models around me. Hearing stories about Boston from my uncles and the older generation who travelled with FR Joe Young and Billy Higgins always gave me inspiration, I guess it gave a lot people a bit of hope. It showed people that there was more to life outside of Southill and gave people belief in themselves.

When I did the Regeneron Great Limerick Run in 2015 I thought it was just another part of my diet to help me lose weight, I was down 4 stone and had 7 weeks of training done for the it. I didn’t expect anything but ran as hard as I could and finished the 10k in 39:42.

Someone mentioned that it was fast and if I trained for a Marathon I could qualify for Boston. So the fuse was lit, and I had a chance to follow in my uncles footsteps. A year later I ran my first marathon in 2:50.

Before I could register for Boston I tore my meniscus and had an operation to remove 50% of it. I thought that was it, game over for running but in 2018 I did my first run after the injury and had an entry for the London Marathon. 12 weeks later with nothing to lose I ran 2:49 and qualified for Boston again!

I was finally getting my chance to run Boston in 2019. Because of the connection with Southill I went back up before the race and went around to all the families of the people I grew up with, people who were no longer here. I had them sign my sleeve and I was going to run Boston for them, the young people who had hopes and dreams. Young people I played soccer with, neighbours, classmates and family who never got to find out what their talent was. My sleeve was full by the time I left, many of them barely 18.

People ask what if I found running when I was younger, but I am glad I got the chance. It took me 35 years to find out I was good at something and have belief in myself. A lot can happen in that time and I think me or anyone growing up could of had their name on that sleeve, so I am grateful to have got the chance, and when it came I took it.

Every article I read about the Boston Marathon was Heartbreak Hill this, Heartbreak Hill that. I ran up it at mile 20.5 in the race and I was hurting bad, I remember touching the sleeve and said we did it (talking to the people on the sleeve). That’s the first photo from Boston (see pic below).

I came back last year to Boston because I made a promise to my family that I will run it in memory of my uncle Christy who passed away, he was with the group that travelled with Fr Joe in 1983. I ran 2:27 and was first Irishman home. This time on Heartbreak Hill I just said yes! And let off a scream because I knew it was going to be my day. People were cheering my name, that’s not heartbreak I’m thinking, if I stop and the pain of the hills goes away. In Southill the pain for many never will never go away.