Edenderry resident Brian Ankers, a long distance running machine.

Edenderrys brian achieves another marathon milestone

 

Edenderry resident Brian Ankers has carved out a notable reputation for himself in running circles over recent years. And he recently achieved a new landmark when he won the Connemara 100 Mile race.

This is a non-stop endurance event with a mandatory support vehicle in tow with a 30-hour cut-off. Brian only needed about half this time as he finished first in 15:48:10, overcoming some of Europe’s elite runners in the process.

The Connemara 100 Mile race was run over a measured and certified course in the west of Ireland on August 9. The scenic but punishing course took participants from Clifden through Letterfrack, the Inagh Valley, one loop of the Connemarathon Ultra, towards Roundstone, Ballyconeely and back to Clifden.

Starting in Clifden early in the morning, runners have to pound their way through the hills and valleys of Connemara over this gruelling distance. The rugged and breathtaking scenery provides some distraction during the longest single road race in the country.

“Running 100 miles was on my bucket list. I just wanted to complete it but, with a great support crew helping me, it went really well and, to my surprise, I ended up winning it,” Brian told the Offaly Independent.

“I ran 56 miles in South Africa (the renowned 90K Comrades Marathon) in 2012, that was the furthest I had run previously. I wanted to do the Connemara 100 in less than 20 hours. I’d have been disappointed if I didn’t go inside that target, but I managed to do it in 15.48.

“I felt comfortable throughout and I actually got faster as I went along, and I ran the last marathon portion of the race in 3.45,” he said.

Brian completed a national record of 84 marathons in a 12-month period starting from January 2013. This astonishing feat began with the Portumna marathon in January 2013 (time of 3:34.00) and ended with a 3:52.00 effort in Leixlip last January. In achieving this milestone - averaging a marathon about every four days for the entire year - Brian beat a record which had been held by hugely respected Kildare native Dave Brady.

A native of Kilnamanagh, close to Walkinstown in Dublin, Brian moved to Edenderry in 2005. When he finished playing football for Edenderry Town FC, he discovered he had a talent for running.

Brian (34) is married to Jennifer, and the couple have four children, Aaron, Lucy, Sophie and Saoirse. He is quick to pay tribute to Jennifer and his family for the support they give him in his running exploits.

A member of the Air Corps in Baldonnel, Brian completed his first marathon in Dublin in 2009 without doing any systematic training.

“I always considered myself fit and I jumped in at the deep end,” said Brian.
“In my first marathon, I got through 17 miles on pure thickness alone, or mental toughness and then I blew up,” he continued with a laugh.

“I finished it in a time of 4 hours 24 minutes but I didn’t enjoy it. When you do a marathon, people ask you what was your time and I didn’t feel comfortable telling people my time. I decided to try to run a marathon in a faster time and I just caught the bug for running.”

“I was looking for a new challenge and I found I had a talent for it. I wanted to go as close as a possible to doing 100 marathons. I came into running as a bit of a chancer, but I developed a knack for it,” he added.

In an article in 'Irish Runner’ magazine, Brian highlighted meeting what he called “gas characters” as one of the benefits of long distance running.

“That is why I recommend not wearing any headphones during a big event. Go talk to someone; you never know what amazing story they have to tell,” he told the magazine.

Brian’s incredible performance in Connemara has led to some talk of possibly representing his country at the 24-hour championship in Turin 2015. You wouldn’t put anything past this remarkable Dubliner, now an adopted Edenderry man.

*Brian has written a very entertaining and detailed blog on his Connemara 100 Mile adventure - check out the following link - http://ankers99.blogspot.ie/2014/08/connemara-100-2014-run-experience.html