Friday Jigsaw: Irish runners at the 2021 Spartathlon

Following on from Alex O'Shea's epic report on the 2021 Spartathlon 245km Ultra, it seemed appropriate to make a jigsaw for it!

The photo is of Irish runners Anthony Lee, Anne Jennings and Alex O'Shea who successfully completed this years event.

I've been a bit soft on you with some of the recent jigsaws so we'll make this one 304-pieces which is more of a challenge.

You can find the jigsaw HERE

Guest Post: Report on the 2021 Spartathlon ...by Alex O'Shea

Thanks to Alex O'Shea for this extensive review of the famous Spartathlon Ultra which is 245 kms in length. 

Spartathlon

From running my first marathon in full fire gear at the age of 40 in Cork to finishing Sparthatlon one of the world's most difficult races.

There's been some amazing adventures along the way. Fueled by the support of family friends and the running community near and far. Like anything in life there has been highs and lows and not every challenge has gone to plan.

Spartathlon 2021

28hours 40min 12sec Recording the second fastest Irish finish time ever.

Fellow Cork man Eoin Keith is the only Irish competitor to have ran it faster.

Cork runner Alex O'Shea is the first of the Irish home in the 250km Spartathlon Ultra

Well done to Cork runner Alex O'Shea who finished his very first Spartathlon 250km Ultra last weekend in a time of 28 hours and 40 minutes!

The race follows the route of the legendary Pheidippides who is said to have run from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of the victory of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC.

According to the event website..."The idea for its creation is belongs to John Foden, a British RAF Wing Commander. As a lover of Greece and student of ancient Greek history, Foden stopped his reading of Herodotus' narration regarding Pheidippides, puzzled and wondering if a modern man could cover the distance from Athens to Sparta, i.e. 250 kms, within 36 hours."

Out of the 167 finishers, these are the ones with an Irish interest....

26 O Shea Alex 126 Ireland 2021-09-25 11:40:53 28:40:12

27 Espina Rolando 98 Philippines 2021-09-25 11:42:23 28:41:41 (Living in Dublin)

28 Higgins Alastair 110 United Kingdom 2021-09-25 11:45:16 28:44:59 (Living in Dublin)

97 Jennings Anne 57 Ireland 2021-09-25 17:38:06 34:37:26

163 Lee Anthony 52 Ireland 2021-09-25 18:50:54 35:50:13

The winner of the 2021 Spartathlon was Fotis Zisimopoulos from Greece winning in a time of 21:57:36. This was the second fastest time by a Greek ultrarunner and the last Greek to win the event was way back in 1998.

Anne Jennings & Anthony Lee in the early stage of the event

Thanks to John O'Regan who provides the following info...

***

Cork-born John McCarthy was one of three Royal Air Force officers who successfully took part in a trial run in 1982 to see if it was possible to follow in Pheidippides’s steps. The first international Spartathlon was held the following year.

Spartathlon finishers from Ireland with the years completed: 12 Men & 4 Women

Eddie Gallen = Most finishes Men *4

Anne Jennings = Most finishes Women *2

Eoin Keith = Fastest (M) 26:37:50

Doina Nugent =Fastest (W) 30:58:22

Irish finishers of the Spartathlon Ultra