Guest Post: GOING FOR THE MAGIC 40-IN-A-ROW... by John Walshe

Guest Post: GOING FOR THE MAGIC 40-IN-A-ROW (John Walshe)

For 13 dedicated runners, tomorrow’s KBC/Dublin Marathon will be a momentous occasion as they will be taking part in the iconic event for the 40th consecutive year.

A total of 1,420 runners finished the first Dublin City Marathon on October 27, 1980, but only this ‘bakers dozen’ remain who have taken part every year since. Seven are from Dublin and there is only one Munster representative, Seamus Cawley from Rathkeale in County Limerick.

He was just 21 years of age when he dipped under the magical three-hour barrier on that Bank Holiday Monday in 1980 with a time of 2:59:34.

He would go on to run 2:35:56 in 1984, knocking another half-minute off of that time 12 months later, and was comfortably inside three hours in the first 17 of his Dublin marathons. He also featured in the old Cork City Marathon, finishing in eight position in 2:35:46 in the last of that series which concluded in 1986.

His slowest time in Dublin was back in 2013 when he had to walk some of the way because of a tear in his knee, but he still finished in four hours and 22 minutes.

Last year, he recorded a commendable chip time of 3:37:06 – over 11 minutes faster than the year before - and although troubled by injury in recent months the 60-year-old Cawley, who runs for West Limerick AC, will be happy to get around again for a remarkable 40th time.

SEAMUS CAWLEY : DUBLIN MARATHONS 1980-2018

(Times from recent years are gun times)

1980: 2:59:34
1981: 2:42:43
1982: 2:55:33
1983: 2:37:04
1984: 2:35:56
1985: 2:35:24
1986: 2:41:41
1987: 2:40:19
1988: 2:40:43
1989: 2:48:32
1990: 2:49:18
1991: 2:39:57
1992: 2:39:45
1993: 2:42:47
1994: 2:50:00
1995: 2:52:43
1996: 2:56:10
1997: 3:33:04
1998: 2:58:32
1999: 2:53:41
2000: 2:56:40
2001: 2:53:54
2002: 2:58:32
2003: 3:02:17
2004: 3:06:22
2005: 3:02:49
2006: 3:05:47
2007: 3:05:00
2008: 3:10:58
2009: 3:19:09
2010: 3:19:51
2011: 3:26:34
2012: 3:28:49
2013: 4:22:01
2014: 3:40:21
2015: 3:31:04
2016: 3:35:19
2017: 3:49:25
2018: 3:37:56