Irish Life Dublin Marathon Announce Olympic Duo as Coaching Team for 2022

Irish Life Dublin Marathon Announce Olympic Duo as Coaching Team for 2022
Harnessing the Power of Support to Help Runners Achieve their Goals
Today, Irish Life and Dublin Marathon organisers announced Olympians Catherina McKiernan and Mick Clohisey as the coaching team for the 2022 Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Race Series. The Olympic duo have developed training plans for all races in the series and the marathon using their vast expertise and knowledge. They are part of the overall Runners’ Support Squad to help runners harness the power of support to achieve their goals, whether they aim to run sub 60 minutes for the 10km, complete the half marathon distance, or run sub 3 hours for the marathon.
Coaching Team
Irish Marathon record holder and former London Marathon winner Catherina McKiernan said, “I am delighted to be part of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Race Series team to help runners realise their race goals. We all run on support, from emotional encouragement to advice and guidance, especially when taking on the challenge of training for a marathon”
Jim Aughney, Race Director, added, “It is a fantastic resource for runners who have signed up to participate in the Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Race Series to tap into the wealth of knowledge that both Mick and Catherina can provide. They will offer guidance and tips for runners of all abilities as they take on the journey to train for races ranging in distances from 5 miles to 26.2 miles.”
Runner’s Support Squad
The Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Race Series, Runners’ Support Squad will also provide advice from a panel of experts along the journey, including a nutritionist, psychologist, and physiotherapist.
Declan Bolger, CEO of Irish Life, said: “We are acutely aware of the importance of a runner’s support network. We believe that this support in the lead up to the Irish Life Dublin Race Series and Marathon will make all the difference to the 45,000 runners who will toe the line in what are the largest participating sporting events held in Ireland. We aim to positively impact their experience by supporting and empowering them with access to expert advice.”
Research has shown that support from coaches, teammates, family, friends, and runner’s support team members such as physiotherapists and psychologists, positively affects an athlete’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioural state.
Research on Social Support
Jessie Barr, Performance Sports Psychologist and one of the runners’ support squad, said, “Social support is broadly reported to be an essential factor for an athlete’s success regardless of ability. It creates a perception of being cared for by others and having a reliable network to turn to when needed. If you are taking on a significant personal challenge having the right support structure in place can increase your chance of success.”
While inherently an individual sport, having that sense of someone having your back and supporting your journey can be beneficial and vital to running success. Olympic marathon athlete Mick Clohisey said, “For me, the support of my clubmates makes such a difference. Working with others pushes us out of our comfort zone, creates accountability and exposes vulnerability. We can help each other along the way. And let’s not forget the support from those we live with, dealing with time spent on long runs and our frustration when training isn’t going to plan.”
One-to-One Coaching
There is also an exciting opportunity for two runners who have secured a place in the sold-out Irish Life Dublin Marathon to win one-to-one coaching and mentoring from either Catherina or Mick. To be in with a chance to win, all runners need to do is share why they have signed up to race the Irish Life Dublin Marathon, whether that be to raise funds for a cause close to their heart or a personal journey to prove something to themselves. Entries can be made at IrishLifeDublinMarathon.ie.
Race Series
Entry for the Irish Life Dublin Race Series is open on IrishLifeDublinMarathon.ie. There are bundle offers in place for the four races in the series: 5 Mile in Tallaght (19th June), Fingal 10km (17th July), Frank Duffy 10-Mile (20th August) and the Half Marathon (17th September). The Irish Life Dublin Marathon on Sunday 30th October is sold out.
Mentoring Coach Programme
- To be in with a chance to win one-to-one Coaching with Olympians Catherina McKiernan and Mick Clohisey, all runners need to do is share the reasons why they have signed up to run the Irish Life Dublin Marathon, whether that be to raise funds for a cause close to your heart, or on a personal journey to prove something to yourself.
- Entries can be made on irishlifedublinmarathon.ie and winners will be selected by a panel of judges. Entries are open on Tuesday 10th May and close on Monday 7th June. Winners will be announced on Tuesday 21st June, and they will be contacted to let them know which coach they will work with as they prepare for the marathon.
- The Prize
- A goal-setting session with one of the coaches
- A training programme developed by one of the coaches to help you achieve your goal
- A monthly catch-up call with their coach
- A one-to-one training session with one of the coaches