Irish Life Dublin Marathon announce Olympic duo as Coaching Team for 2022

The Irish Life Dublin Marathon has today 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 when taking on the challenge of training for a marathon, from emotional encouragement right the way through to the more specialist advice from professional experts.”

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.”

Runners’ 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 understand the importance of having the right support and guidance to be confidently prepared for the big events in our lives.

“We believe that support in the lead up to the Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Race Series will make all the difference to those 45,000 runners who will toe the line across the five races, making it the largest mass participation event series held in Ireland.

“We want to positively impact their experience by giving them more access to the expert advice that will help them to achieve their goals.”

Research on Social Support

Research has shown that support from coaches, teammates, family, friends, and experts such as physiotherapists and psychologists, positively affects an athlete’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioural state.

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 at 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.