He’s the definitive marathon man in every meaning of the phrase – and for the 42nd time, Athenry AC’s Peadar Nugent completed the Dublin City Marathon…maintaining his perfect record of never missing a year since the race began.

The Clare-born adopted Galwegian turned 80 during the summer and he is now part of an elite group of just nine athletes who have never missed a Dublin City Marathon from its very inception.

And with candid honesty, he acknowledges this wasn’t even his toughest one.

“My most difficult one of the 42 was in 2022 when I struggled to complete the 26.2 miles, less than nine weeks after surgery for a severed quad. My surgeon, Professor Cathal Moran from Gort, told me it would be a year before I’d be fit enough,” he says.

“Many people told me at the time that I was mad to take it on. I always replied that there’s no point being mad unless you prove it and I’m glad I didn’t break the chain of unbroken participation,” he adds.

Even when the race fell foul of Covid restrictions for two years, Peadar kept up his perfect record by running the race virtually – firstly 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.

His best time over the distance was 2.58 back in 1992, but, having celebrated his 80th birthday last June, he has been walking the route in recent years.

Caption: Peadar Nugent and Athenry AC training partner Máire Treasa Beatty after completing their latest Dublin City Marathon.

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