Athenry’s marathon man goes on and on
The oldest runner in this weekend’s Dublin City Marathon is modestly warning that he might not win his age group this time. as he maintains his perfect record of running in every one of them – because there are a couple of younger athletes joining his Over-80 category this time!
Peadar Nugent won the Over-80 section last year at the age of 81 – and now the President of Athenry AC is back to keep up that perfect record of running in all 44 iterations of the Dublin Marathon this Sunday, joining 25,000 on the start line.
This race has been run without exception at the end of October every year since 1980, barring 2020 and 2021 when the Covid-19 restrictions put a halt to it.
Only nine competitors, eight men and one woman, have completed all of them – including the 82-year-old Derrydonnell resident. It’s a record he is immensely proud of, particularly given that he didn’t even let to Covid cancellations derail his unbroken record.
Because despite the travel restrictions under Covid, Peadar kept up his perfect record by running the distance virtually – meaning he has 45 runs compared to the official 43.
The first year, he ran it within the 5k restriction around his home place in Moyvilla, Oranmore, and a year later around Esker in Athenry, when the rules were more relaxed.
Peadar won gold in his M80 age group in the 2023 National Championship, run in conjunction with the Dublin event, and retained his title last year.
Caption: Peadar Nugent and Athenry AC training partner Máire Treasa Beatty after a previous Dublin City Marathon.
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