There were many former top Irish cyclists in the Dublin Marathon yesterday, and some of them ran excellent times. But quickest of them all was former Gorey Three Day winner Ken Norgrove. The 49-year-old is see leading a group yesterday that included Lizzie Lee who was 3rd in the women's race and took the national title as first Irish woman.
Irish cyclists, and their times, in Dublin Marathon
The Dublin Marathon saw many well known names from Irish cycling take to the start line for the gruelling event.
Indeed, some of those former racing cyclists who took part were among the best bike riders in the country in their day.
But of the bike riders we are aware of who ran the race, it was the eldest of the group – Ken Norgrove – who was best.
Norgrove, formerly of Dublin Wheelers, was a very handy rider in his day. He claimed the Gorey Three Day overall and was later a winner in the old Cycling Ireland ‘Classic League’.
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While the now 49-year-old raced for many years, he came to cycling after an initial career in triathlon.
So it’s perhaps no surprise that he has continued to run now that his cycling days are over; and to run at a high level.
Just how high that level is, though, is really quite impressive. Ken Norgrove ran yesterday’s race in an eye-watering time of 2 hours 38 minutes and 17 seconds.
That saw him breach the top 100 on the day; an incredible result considering the domestic and international running talent in the event.
Norgrove was 89th across the line and placed 5th in the Masters 45 category; a pretty incredible run.
Tim Barry battling the gradient in the 2012 Rás.
Ken Norgrove has in the past clocked a personal best for the event faster than his time yesterday, having previously run a 2:33 in London.
And considering his preparation had not been ideal, his performance this time around was really impressive.
“I had built up to the Berlin marathon last month and was going there planning to have a go at breaking 2:30,” he said.
“I had the perfect build up but the form just wasn’t there on the day in Berlin. And so I pulled out at 10 miles.
“I decided to go to Nice and do some cycling the following week; a relaxed trip and a few beers thrown in.
“Then I went on holidays for a week and I just decided to do Dublin yesterday to quash the demons of Berlin. So I was happy with how I did considering that preparation.”
While Dubliner Norgrove was the fastest of the former cyclists, others put in some great performances.
Kerryman and former professional rider Paul Griffin is as competitive as they come and has an engine to match.
And while he’s been running good times at various events for many years, he achieved a new personal best in the marathon this weekend.
Like Norgrove’s time, Griffin’s was one to make you wince; completing the course in a fantastic 2:46:23.
Griffin is a five-time Irish national hill-climb champion, two-time Lacey Cup winner, multiple Rás Mumhan stage winner, Tour of Ulster stage winner and Des Hanlon Memorial winner.
He rode as a pro for the Giant team in Asia and competed for Ireland all over the world.
Griffin won the climbers’ classifications in the Tour de Hokkaido, along with 2nd overall, and the Tour of Hellas in Greece and claimed a Rás stage win.
Former pro rider Paul Griffin in Rás Mumhan yellow in 2007. Colm Cassidy, the former top TT rider, in action in Dublin yesterday.
Paul Griffin was also 2nd overall in the Tour of East Java and Tour of Indonesia and won climbers jersey in both in 2005.
As well as winning stages in Hokkaido, Java, Indonesia and Tour of Azerbaijan he also won stages and the climbers’ classification in the Surrey Five-Day as well as the race overall.
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Derry McVeigh is now working in the showbiz world as an agent to sports stars and other public figures.
He was a great rider in his day, making his international debut in the 1998 Tour of the Peaks in Britain.
And though he’s 45-years-old now, McVeigh keeps himself very fit pounding the roads running.
He did a 2:53:58 on Monday; a personal best and the second time he has done sub three hours in his 40s.
Asked how his body was holding up he said: “I feel great and I’ll be out on the bike for 1½ hours to clear the legs out tomorrow.”
Eddie O’Donoghue is another international rider who ran the marathon at the weekend and he completed the course in a very good time; 3:19:50.
He spent most of his career in the colours of Carrick Wheelers and won the Des Hanlon Memorial back to back; in 2000 and 2001.
Also in action was the very experienced former international rider and manager Tim Barry.
It’s no exaggeration to say it would be easier to list the races Barry didn’t win that the ones he did when he was cycling.
But his best results in the latter years of his career included the Visit Nenagh Classic, Rás Mumhan overall, two Tour of Ulster overall wins and victory in the Shay Elliott classic.
Now aged 44 years, Tim Barry was previously in charge of the domestic Aqua Blue team and then moved on to be one of the managers with the Aqua Blue Sport ProContinental team.
He decided to opt out after the first year and has clearly been keeping himself in good shape of late.
Barry did the marathon on Sunday in a time of 3:19:36 and said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
“It was a great day out; massive crowds all the way round. It was a bit like a classic in cycling terms, which made the miles pass easier until the last few. They hurt a tad.
“The end of a marathon is not like a bike race; it's not a crescendo of effort but more a slow misery of total body pain from ankle to ear. But it was well worth it.”
Paddy Clarke winning in Co Clare in 2015. Derry McVeigh with former race walking world champion, Rob Heffernan, one of the athletes he represents. Both Clarke and McVeigh ran the Dublin City Marathon.
Another man who was no stranger to international racing in the green of Ireland in his racing days is Aidan Duff.
His highlight riding on the pro scene was a stage victory in the Herald Sun Tour in Australia back in 2000.
In recent years Duff, now 42, has started his own bike company, producing hi-spec bikes under his Fifty One brand.
But he’s also keeping the body ticking over with running and cycling. And he completed the marathon in 3:34:11.
Mayo man Paddy Clarke spent several years racing in Belgium and has taken many victories on the domestic scene.
He went very close to winning Rás Mumhan in 2014 when he lost yellow on the final stage.
Clarke’s preparation for this marathon was hit in recent months with a hamstring injury. However, he decided to stick to the task and press ahead with his plan to run the race.
And while he was somewhat off what he is capable of, he still clocked 3:50. We’ll have a dispatch from him a little later.
Among the last, but not least; powerhouse cyclists Brian Ahern and Colm Cassidy also took their big engines into the battle of the Dublin Marathon.
Ahern, of Orwell Wheelers, won the Junior Tour of Ireland as a teenager. And more recently he showed his class with the county rider award in the Rás on stage 7 in 2012. He ran Dublin Marathon in 3:34:30.
Colm Cassidy was one of the best TT riders in the country when riding in the colours of UCD-FitzCycles.
He finished on the podium in the elite TT in the National Road Championships twice. In 2013 he was 3rd behind Michael Hutchinson and David McCann.
And the following year he took silver, behind Hutchinson, with former world track champion Martyn Irvine in 3rd. On that occasion, Cassidy lost the title by just four seconds.
He was running his first marathon in Dublin on Sunday and completed the course in an excellent time of 2:50:12.
Cassidy said of his debut run: "A marathon is very similar to a good TT; if you can see Jesus by the end of it you've done it right."
Will Byrne, a prolific winner on the home scene, with Murphy Surveys Kilcullen in his later years, and an international rider was also in marathon action this weekend.
The veteran is no stranger to the distance and called on all his experience to run a 2:53.
If you know of any other former Irish cyclists – male or female - who ran the race, please let us know and we’ll include them.
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