Who TF is Fearghal Curtin? 2:07:54 Marathon FTW (Irish record, former NCAA runner)

There are probably also some benefits of being in the small pond and having a much more realistic chance to make WC/olympic teams and make some money. If you are a mid 28 guy in the US you know there will be some 27:40 guys doing the same thing. That can be discouraging.

US really needs some postgrad program where we give all those 13:40/28:30 guys 3 years to see if they can become 2:08 guys.

the thing is we could probably get Japan level of 2:08-2:10 depth with something like that. But the sub 2:06 guys feel like they are going to be the 27:40 guys…

This monster must have a Good Heart. It's hard to find.

I checked the Ethiopian who finished second to Curtin -

Ethiopian is a 59 minutes, half, 2:06:55 runner by way of 27:49 on the track so he's legit.

I can hear people thinking that the Irishman is juicing up to run such a time but I believe it's perfectly legit.

How is it that literally hundreds of Japanese can run between 207 and 208 with similar or worse track credentials than the Irishman and no one raises an eyebrow? But when a mzungu runs under two hours 10 minutes people start getting hot under their pants. Doesn't make any sense especially taking into account that Wazungu (plural of Mzungu ) are fundamentally more Athletic.

Yeah, Tracy's record was long overdue a refresh. Peter Lynch's 2:09:36 caused a lot of stir because it wasn't on the horizon..Hiko had shown promise and intent for a few years before his 2:09:45 or whatever.

Prior to that we had Paul Pollock, Kevin Seaward, Mick Clohessy and Sergiu Ciobanu all in or about 2:10 back in 2016, they even had a selection crisis.

Back in 2008 and 2012 we couldn't get anyone to run the A standard I can't remember if Mark Keneally got it but I think he had a B standard only.

Dick Hooper the great Raheny coach took up a Marathon Project for 2016 and successfully qualified 3 women for Rio. 3 men and 2 women at Tokyo.

Fuonnula McCormack had been locking it down on the women's side for a decade now and the general rise in standards coaching and participation it's looking like things are still on the up.

Soloing a 2:07 is crazy. Good on him

Its not looking good on the womens side for long distance though for Ireland. No sign of a competitive 5k or 10k runner in the ranks. If you take out Sarah Healy we are very short on the womens side at the top end.

Yeah, this is a big problem.

The pattern of Women showing great potential in their 30s after spending their 20s not running is hard to ignore.

Meg Ryan (A former Gymnast not the Actor) age 31

Niamh Allen age 30

Lizzie Lee Rio Olympian aged about 30 at the time

Sinead Diver was 33 when she started running before she got shafted by Athetics Ireland.

The talent is there. The trick is getting girls into the sport and keeping them there

a different school each year he competed essentially. That's got to be close to a record for transfers lol

Hi, I would agree with this. However 2 women won medals at the European U23 this year, Sophie O'S if she gets it right, could do anything at a major championship,

Last but not least this years U17s have had some outstanding results.

He spend 3 years at ASU, 1 in each charleston southern stint, and used his last season of xc at fsu.

That's true I forgot about Annika Thompson.

I was thinking 5000m and upwards the future is bright for Sophie but its hard to see her moving up to be honest.

Zero women in in the steeple, 5000m and 10000m at Tokyo isn't great.

Jodie McCann I suppose if she keeps improving has a shot

I remember this guy used to win all around him underage in Ireland. I actually think I was in the same XC races as him a few times.

Always thought it was surprising he didn't go on to do bigger and better things as a senior, but he finally has.

Good article here from an Irish newspaper from before the Korean marathon.

irishexaminer.com

Cork's Fearghal Curtin smashes Irish marathon record in South Korea

PJ Browne

The Youghal native ran 2:07:54 to claim victory.

Open link

Not the point of the thread so forgive the detour, but which shoes are known to really help heel strikers?

I raced against him a few times in college, one performance that stood out was the 2021 Southeast XC Regional his senior year, he placed 3rd ahead of Zach Facioni (4th) and a young Parker Wolfe (5th).

He ran in the Puma Fast-R 3

I remember Dick Hooper when I lived in Ireland in the 60s and 70s and went to school at Sutton Park School, nearby. I think he was a bank employee. Sadly his brother, Pat Hooper, an Olympian, passed away a few years back.

My Heroes at the time in the early 70s were Danny McDaid (Clonliffe), Donal Walsh (Leevale Cork), Ted Keegan, Johnny Bolger (Crusaders), Jerry Finnegan (Clonliffe), John and Martin Greene (Clonliffe), Derek Carroll (Clonliffe), Billy Belew, Kingston Mills, Des McGann (Civil Service), Jerry Redmond (Avondale), Paddy Coyle (the flying priest), Roy Dooney (Dundrum South Dublin, coach Eddie McDonagh), Paddy Kerrigan (DFRC), and many others. I was starstruck by these monsters. I remember McDaid going on his 20 mile runs on the weekend with his mates running out towards Howth and then back into Dublin somewhere else. Clonliffe, Santry - high performance Mecca. Phoenix Park - so many monsters trained there. Kingston Mills (2:13:00), loops around the cricket field, Trinity College! Medical student, boffin.

The standards in Leinster were Sky high.

He has the record for the bridge run in Charleston. Arguably one of the toughest in the US. Not surprised to see a fast marathon time

Fantastic performance for him. To think that Ritz's marathon pr was 2:07:47. So, you don't need to run 12:56 to run 1:00 and 2:07:54. Obviously, the shoes cut minutes off in a marathon but the guy is also clearly made for the marathon like Ritz was made for 5000m-half marathon but thought he had to run marathons.

Correct Togher!! Scullion self promoted that! While not record eligible now it was then, I believe Treacy was 3rd that day in Boston in a world class field following on from his debut in the 84 Olympics winning Silver. 2 time world cross champ. Anyone who has run Boston and London knows which course is faster and Scullion couldn't beat that with super shoes still!!

Peter Lynch had lowered Scullions time anyways!

Efrem, Hiko etc likely to give Curtins time a run in next 12 months. Tobins time in Dublin be interesting to see if he can be 210-212 might show potential down the road.