A Mayo look at the rise of the run
Deirdre Barry
As somebody who grew up a substantial distance from the action on the football field, and was never first pick for any of the school sports teams, I was subconsciously succumbing to the idea that having any kind of an aptitude for activities of a sporty nature was simply not in my DNA, and that the possibility of even attempting anything of the sorts, would result in outright humiliation. However, as I began to watch strangers on the internet start from scratch, I was given a reason to try and re-write the narrative that I told myself, and in doing so, developed an outrageously liberating sense of delusion that perhaps I could join the 1% of the world’s population who can call themselves ‘marathoners'.
In September 2023, after months of misinformed training and an extortionate amount of Australian dollars handed over in an attempt to at least look the part, I completed my first marathon, in Sydney. On St. Patrick’s Day last year I ran my second, in Rome.
But this isn’t about me. Rather, it's about the masses of like-minded people who over the past number of years have dared to dream, whether it be embracing the ‘Couch to 5k’ phenomenon or going all-in on a half-marathon training plan.
UPWARD TREND
London Marathon received a staggering 1.1million entries for the 2026 marathon ballot. You have the same chances of getting accepted into Harvard as receiving a bib for the New York City Marathon, and in order to run the Boston Marathon, you must meet their stringent qualifying times.
Today, validation is more eagerly sought from Strava activities than Instagram posts. Not only that, but what with the enormous influx of social run clubs all over the country right now, it’s more likely that you’ll find your significant other at said club than on a dating app.
According to the international running site Run Repeat, statistics indicate that since the offset of the global pandemic in 2020, running has increased in popularity by 57%. With both the Cork City Marathon and the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon taking place on the June Bank Holiday Sunday, let’s look at our own pavement-pounding habits.
The year 2016 was the first that the Dublin City Marathon was a sell-out, with 21,000 applicants. By 2024, the number of hopefuls hoping to get a coveted bib almost doubled to 40,000. In terms of our running statistics from a wider lens, Ireland has the highest percentage of race participants in Europe at 0.5%.
From parkruns to ultra marathons, the oldest form of exercise has become one of the most on-trend hobbies of our time. But what was the catalyst? At what point did we call a halt to the era of weekend spent writhing in alcohol-induced pain? What was it that drove me to push aside the six-inch heels, making way for a pair of ASICS? When was the policy regarding the Sunday morning crawl to the deli swapped out for a pacey 5k to the sauna and ice-bath?
ACCESSIBLE SPORT
Aside from the cost incurred from the purchasing of high-quality running shoes and, of course, the inevitable physiotherapy bills, running can be a largely inexpensive sport.
Although the Irish climate doesn’t always allow for it, runs can be completed pretty much anywhere. It’s a sport that caters for all abilities and ages, what with some of the more well-known running influencers including none other than Irish Tik-Tok star Celina Stephenson, advocating for the slow runners. Age is, as they say, merely number, what with the oldest London Marathoner of all time being 93-year old Fauja Singh.
Running, as an individual sport, is one of the few sporting activities in life that should you quash the ego, allows you to remain in competition with you, and only you.
COVID CHRONICLES
Although the pandemic is an era which most of us wish to eradicate entirely from the neocortex, for many it was the beginning of their running journey.
One such story is that of British professional runner Anya Culling. The 26-year-old ran her first London Marathon in 2019 in a respectable time of 4:34:23.
After having trained during the Covid lockdown, as many of us did due to the restrictions placed on gyms, etc, Anya returned to the stage in 2022, running the same marathon in a mind-blowing time of 2:36:21.
What with the closure of gyms and imposed ceasing of team sports, the rise of all things run-related came about in quite unusual fashion for sure, but nevertheless, five years later, it would appear as though it is here to stay.
GLOBAL MINDSET
The competitions we once entered on Instagram were often for beauty giveaways, headphones, or a sun holiday. Today, we ‘like, comment and share’ for a chance to win a bib to one of the world majors.
I for one live for marathon week content – to see marathon flat-lays and the ‘what I eat in a day while carb-loading’ stories, etc.
There has been a major increase in fitness and exercise-related content available for consumption on the internet. Dare I say, the world of online influencers no longer belongs to the celebrity A-listers, but to the Tik-Tok kings and queens as they share their fitness journeys, and of course their Lululemon and Gymshark discount codes.
Nonetheless, watching strangers on the internet doing hard things can be very inspiring. In 2025, every other person is documenting their marathon training or vlogging their road to recovery from injury. I don’t know about you, but being a spectator of people choosing to grow and develop so monumentally from these experiences, has led me to pushing myself beyond the barriers of my comfort zone too.
PERSONAL CHALLENGE
From swimming certificates to music examinations and sports competitions to spelling tests, we spend the first quarter of our lives achieving at a highly accelerated rate.
As we journey into adulthood, there seems to be little opportunity for that same sense of personal development, other than in the workplace.
Setting goals can be scary, often because it can appear to come at the cost of our ego and pins us against colleagues regarding accomplishments in the professional sphere, or against our friends when it comes to personal milestones.
Running allows us to start small and, thankfully, the double-edged sword of social media has actually come good this time, holding a pretty spacious platform for the ‘slow-runners’ community.
When, as an adult, do we find ourselves in a position whereby we can win a medal? The box of rusting memorabilia under your bed meant very little when they came at pace. Entering races, (which can range in length from one mile to ultra marathons) gives us an opportunity to engage in a little bit of self-indulgence and post a sweaty-selfie holding on to our finisher's medal as though it were an Olympic gold. And do you know what? It feels good.
WELLBEING AND RUNNING
The term ‘runner's high’ has become part of the daily parlance of many advocates of the sport. The term describes an almost euphoric state following a period of intense exercise.
It’s believed that forms of movement such as running stimulate the release of molecules called endocannabinoids into our bloodstream, positively impacting the body’s homeostasis. Endocannabinoids play a role in pain management, mood regulation, improving learning and memory, as well as the quality of our sleep.
Ultimately, running for any length of time, regardless of your fitness, can prove taxing. It’s a test of physical ability, but probably moreso of mental endurance. When I began my running streak, I was given a piece of advice that I have recognised to be absolutely true: your mind gives up long before your body.
And so, it would appear that as we put ourselves through our paces (quite literally), we forge a sense of resilience and an unshakeable confidence that when things go awry in any aspect of our life, as they so very often do, that actually yes, we can do hard things.
With almost 300,000 Instagram followers, the iconic running and overall wellness influencer Savannah Sachdev sums up the impact that running has had on her wellbeing by means of a quote from the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “Never trust a thought that occurred to you indoors.”
When the world we live in is rife with unrest, societal disarray mounts and it becomes increasingly more difficult to reach that sweet spot of contentment, perhaps lacing up in an attempt to get out of our heads and into our bodies is one of the more constructive and productive crutches of our time.
*Deirdre Barry is a freelance writer from Ballina, Co. Mayo