With some reluctance I signed up for the national masters track and field championships on July 26th in Tullamore. Joining me in the midlands were Adam (045 800m), Gavin (045 5k) and Anthony (055 800m).

A few years ago, I couldn’t run 100 metres. I stepped onto a treadmill and stepped right back off, gasping for air and questioning how I had become this unfit. Running wasn’t part of my life — not then. But something shifted. I read a book from David Goggins, say what you want about him, he has changed my life.  First to the gym, then to the road. Then to the trails. And now — here I was, toeing the line of a Backyard Ultra in the Dublin Mountains, about to take on something I could never have imagined back then on that treadmill.

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The Build-Up

In the six months leading up to the race, I trained harder than ever before in the gym and on my diet. Under the guidance of Luke at Prime Performance, I focused on strength and diet for running, improved a lot and learnt so much with this race and my running future in mind. Those sessions were so beneficial as I had struggled with injuries last year,  they gave me the foundation I needed.

Running-wise, I pushed into new territory: 80-140km training weeks, most of it on hilly trails, something I’d never done before. There were early mornings, double run days, long stairmaster sessions, 7 hour solo runs, back to back 32km long runs, I was starting to see what it took to call yourself an ultra runner.

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Race Day

The format was simple: one 6.706km loop every hour, on the hour, until you can’t continue.

The day started well. Conditions were very sunny and warm, and the course was tough — technical trail with zig zags through trees, walking the sharp climbs to keep the heat rate down, tree roots which tripped me up a few times I started to daydream, and a few steep descents where you would just be praying you didn’t fall. It was relentless. But I stayed focused. One loop at a time.

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Fuel & Focus

I had spent a lot of time trialling and erroring my nutrition and hydration plan. Thankfully Michelle was there to have the food and drink ready during the break, and refilled my vest with drinks and snacks during the lap. Here’s what it looked like over the 14 hours and 14 laps, (keep in mind it was very hot and I eat a lot on a normal day):

Hydration

14 litres of water

2800mg sodium

280g carbs from Vitargo

280g carbs from Bulk Hydration Drink

5 Coffees

Food

4 regular gels

4 caffeine gels

10 nutri grain bars

8 flapjacks

21 slices of bread with honey

4 bags of white rice

2 packets of TUC Crackers

4 bananas

Category – Calories – Carbohydrates

Hydration     ~2,250 kcal ~560g

Food             ~8,470 kcal ~1,430g

Total             ~10,720 kcal ~1,990g carbs

Consuming this much alone was a huge accomplishment that I’m very proud of.

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The Middle Hours 5pm

By the fifth loop, I was deep in it. The heat had peaked, legs were heavy, there was very little talking or fun being had, and the course wasn’t getting any easier.

From lap to lap, the field thinned out, starting with 170 people. People were limping, some lying on the grass after quitting. I was still standing — barely — but I was still starting the next lap every hour. That’s all that mattered.

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Into the Night 8pm

I ran with a torch for the first time ever on Lap 9. The forest turned into a tunnel of shadow. I couldn’t see much beyond the beam, but I just kept moving forward with the other headlamps in front leading the way.

I struggled beyond anything I’ve ever felt. My hips were tight, back sore, muscles cramping, feet and legs swollen, stomach unsettled, toes throbbing in pain, blisters everywhere, but they were all an issue for when I finished. Never once did I think about quitting. Not even for a second. It was as if every hard session, every early morning, every setback had brought me here to prove something — not to anyone else, but to myself.

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The Final Loop 1am

Lap 14. Midnight behind me, darkness thick around me. I ran it as best I could, body in bits, but mind absolutely clear: you don’t stop until you have nothing left. I tried and failed to run, my trusty Fartlek of running for ten seconds, walking for ten seconds was even too much to ask.

At 95km, I couldn’t start the 15th loop in time. The race was over. I was done — physically spent — but proud beyond words. To see how much progress I’ve made, I’m delighted with myself and I feel like I can take on the world.

A Short Section Not All About Me

The race was superbly organised, with clear communication, friendly volunteers, and a supportive atmosphere from start to finish. It was inspiring to see so many runners pushing their limits and achieving personal bests across a range of distances—25km, 50km, 80km, and even the full 100km mark. The energy on the course grew with each loop, as runners encouraged one another and celebrated individual milestones.

A standout performance came from Myles Barns, who claimed victory with an impressive 22 loops, 154km, showcasing extraordinary endurance and determination. He has won many of these events before, so it’s great to have a deserved champion. The event truly captured the spirit of ultrarunning—community, perseverance, and personal triumph.

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Now Back To Me for Some Reflection

This race was about so much more than distance. It was about showing up, completing my weekly schedule in training no matter what, getting off the camping chair lap after lap, regardless of how you feel, growing stronger each step of the way. It was about patience, discipline, planning, and a deep belief in your own ability to endure.

From failing to run 100m to running 95km in the Dublin Mountains, I’ve come a long way. But what I’ve learned is this:

There are no secrets to making progress, and most of it feels like a struggle. Just set your goals, make a plan, execute the plan to the best of your ability. Then just let it happen.

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One last thing…

To everyone showing up to our club sessions — you’re doing something amazing.

It’s easy to stay home, to choose the couch and comfort, but instead you’re out there in Bushy Park, putting in the work. That takes effort, discipline, and no small amount of heart.

Whether you’re chasing a PB or just trying to keep moving, you’re showing up — and that matters. Be proud of yourself. Every session counts, and so do you.

Thanks for reading

Ross Young

London marathon…nothing I write here will do it justice, what a day, what an experience. I might just have to give up running marathons at this point.  I’m not sure any other marathon would be able to beat London.  

This race was a long-time bucket list race for me, like it is for a lot of people. After consistently getting the ballot rejection emails over the last few years, 2025 was finally my year to do it. Unfortunately, I can’t say my training went exactly to plan. I was on a high after running Berlin marathon last year and probably a bit over enthusiastic as I ended up overdoing speed work early this year and picking up an injury in January that led to a few weeks off, then there was flu, another break, a lack of consistency over dark winter evenings and right before the race, a lack of discipline in the face of Easter eggs.  

So that’s the excuses out of the way, onto the race…while disheartened at training, I decided regardless of fitness, this is likely the only time I will run the London marathon, so my only objective was to get to the end, finish in one piece, with no pressure on time, and that’s what I did. As it turned out, the heat on the day made anything else unsafe anyway.  

This race from start to finish is such an amazing experience. It was incredibly well organised, everything seemed easy, from bib collection, to bag drop, with a great atmosphere as we waited to go to the start pens, to the start itself, everything was just straightforward and hassle free. They have three start lines that merge after 3 miles and because the waves are so well done, it never felt too hectic, even when we all merged…very different to my scarily overcrowded experience in Berlin last year. 

It ended up being over 20 degrees on the day and there were lots of emails from the organisers about taking precautions and the dangers of over exertion in the heat. I was very happy to heed that advice and despite setting out at a conservative pace right from the start, 10k in I decided to slow a bit more or I might pay the price later. From that point on I stopped to drink water frequently and slowed to accept sweets and high fives from all the children out supporting. I think this strategy also meant I had a very easy marathon recovery and had no trouble navigating the underground steps afterwards thankfully. Back to the race and again, great organisation meant there was lots of water provided in bottles you could take with you and replenish in refill areas between water stations. They also gave out ice along the way and there were regular spots with very welcome cold-water showers to run through.  

Words really cannot describe the London support, it’s just unreal, so many witty signs and words of encouragement from spectators and fellow participants…that support really pushed me along despite the heat. I don’t know London particularly well and didn’t recognise a lot of the areas we ran through. It’s a nice course though, not as flat as I was expecting, but no huge inclines either. There were very few quiet areas…turning a corner and seeing Tower Bridge was a highlight, especially as I hadn’t realised I was so close to it and wasn’t expecting it. The last 3 miles were also pretty standout, the support from the sidelines reached new levels there, it seemed like the whole of London was out and celebrating the marathon, turning the whole city into one big marathon party. 

Eventually though, the party ended, I crossed the finish line and got my lovely medal – the evidence of my efforts to bring home to show off to my children! I then discovered lots of restaurants and bars around London were offering freebies to runners on production of a London marathon medal and spent a great evening taking full advantage of these promotions. Great race and great weekend in London.   

The photos from the Lisbon half marathon caught my eye some years ago. The sight of hundreds of people running across the 25 de Abril Bridge over the Tagus River was amazing, and I remember thinking I would try and do it at some stage. Last autumn I saw something online about it being nearly sold out, so decided this might as well be the year and signed up. The weekend coincided with me getting results from three years of parttime study so I thought I would mark it with a little weekend trip, especially when I found cheap flights and great value hotel, it seemed like fate.

Little did I know it would be akin to monsoon season in Lisbon when the weekend came around. I arrived to grey skies, emerged from the Expo with my race number to lashing rain, and spent most of Friday afternoon and Saturday dodging downpours. I had no option but to make an emergency shopping trip to buy dry clothes as by the Saturday evening everything I had packed was soaked and I didn’t want to waste any more time drying things with a hairdryer.

Anyway, back to the race and I’d heard from previous years the Lisbon Half can be somewhat disorganised. Its also a bit of a faff getting to the start as the only option is by train and while you are recommended a time train for your wave, it’s really a free for all. Knowing this, with a 9.30am start I decided to leave early and headed off into the drizzle at 7am. The train arrived, but there was no hope of getting on…I’m not sure how they managed to get all the doors closed. I’ve seen the Luas at rush hour, but this was next level crowded. Luckily the next train was a bit better, and I even managed to get a seat.

We crossed the river and arrived at the station. From there it was a 10-minute walk to the start area. Amazingly, for the first time in two days the rain stopped…then came a lot of hanging around, and apart from one brief torrential downpour, the sky cleared. Eventually at 9.15 they let people into their waves. I don’t know why they bothered with them, no one stayed in them, it was easy to move forward and back. A bus with VIPs arrived and were let into the front also – I found out later the VIP buses were filled with people who had paid extra for a VIP pass to avoid the train and start up front. It meant there was every pace in every wave. The 6 min per km pacer was up front in wave one chatting to the 5 min per km pacer as we started. Not sure how that would have worked out seeing as those aiming for 2 hours were in wave 4.

Just as the gun went off the sun appeared and luckily it stayed nice for the rest of the morning. Unfortunately, I, along with a lot of other runners, had dressed for the rain and cold, so overheated a bit in leggings and a jacket, but it was a small price to pay for the thrill of running over that bridge. That really was a great experience and the atmosphere was super. The rest of the route is somewhat uninspiring, but welcome downhills, good support, and a bit of banter with other runners occasionally made it a fun experience. It was all very noneventful, right until I turned the corner to the finish and couldn’t believe what I saw – tailbacks…the finish area was the most chaotic I have ever seen, it was impossible to run over the timing mat, there was a huge crowd at a standstill, the only option was to shuffle along over the mat eventually and then slowly on to where we were given a water, an ice cream and a nice medal featuring that incredible bridge.

I heard stories after the race of people who couldn’t get to the start on time because of train issues, who missed bag drop and had to run with their belongings, and of general chaos. I was so glad my hotel was near the finish, and I hadn’t bothered with bag drop. Despite the rain I really enjoyed exploring Lisbon, there is something charming about its hilly streets, colourful, dilapidated architecture and friendly people. Then there are the pasteis de nata.

I’m glad I did the race, apart from a lot of waiting around and the disorganised finish, my experience was pretty good. I think if you don’t mind a bit of chaos, it’s a nice event. If they sorted out the final traffic jam at the finish area it would even be a good place for anyone aiming for a PB as its mostly flat and where it’s not, its downhill.

Yesterday at Abbottstown marked the final race in our Meet and Train series.

The journey started back in Tymon Park, where I took part in my very first cross-country race. I was excited but also a little apprehensive as I didn’t want to let down my team mates or Sportsworld. I run the 5k parkrun at Bushy Park, so I thought, “Two miles? That’s nothing.” How wrong I was! I quickly found that cross-country is a whole different beast. The hills, the uneven ground, and starting off way too fast made it an unbelievably tough experience. I spent the entire race huffing and puffing, feeling like I was at the very edge of my limits. Luckily, I didn’t yet have a Sportsworld singlet, so I could fly a bit under the radar while my lungs and my legs screamed at me. The soreness in my legs lasted until Tuesday, which was a reminder of how much harder cross-country running is than I initially thought! Since then, my legs haven’t hurt so I must have become a bit more accustomed to the challenge.

Yesterday’s Race, was a bit easier in comparison, though “easy” is hardly a word I’d ever use to describe cross-country. The course yesterday was 2 laps, and I have to admit, the lap felt long! Luckily, during our warm-up, we ran the lap once, so I knew in advance just how tough it would be. It was good to know what to expect, but honestly, even though it was only 2 miles, it felt like so much more. For me, running is often more of a mental game than a physical one. 2 miles is 2 miles, but on that course, it felt like an eternity—every lap seemed longer than I anticipated.

As for the race itself, I was so focused on getting around the course and pushing through those tough hills that I honestly didn’t notice much around me. I didn’t see any of the men warming up on the track, which I saw mentioned on the WhatsApp afterwards. I was oblivious to everything except getting to that finish line! It’s funny how in the moment, all that matters is just finishing. And then once over the finish line how great you feel.

One of the things that I’ve appreciated the most about this series is the amazing spirit of the club. All of the ladies are absolutely incredible, and I’m in awe of their talent and determination. A special shout out to Ann Marie, who has organised the series with such care and enthusiasm. Her cheers during the races were a constant source of encouragement. Also, a big thanks to Olive for her cheers yesterday! She’s usually at the front of the pack but despite being sick, she still found the energy to come and help push us along. I also want to extend a huge thank you to Emily and Myles for all your support and encouragement throughout the series, as well as the unbelievable dedication you put into our training.

And of course, we can’t forget one of the best parts of the day: the teas, coffee, and cakes at the end of the race! It’s a fantastic opportunity to chat and celebrate each other’s efforts. It really makes all the hard work worth it.

Reflecting on this experience, I can confidently say that the Meet and Train series has been a fantastic experience, and it was great being part of a team. A big shout out to my Team E teammates—Joanna, Emily, and Jessica. We may not be collecting any medals this time, but it was all so worthwhile. Here’s hoping all the other Sportsworld teams will bring home some well-deserved medals!