Name: Fionnuala McCormack
Club: Kilcoole AC
Event: Marathon
Personal Best: 2:23.46
Tokyo Schedule: Sat 14 September morning (0:00am)
Background
Fionnuala McCormack defies all concepts and myths about age and sport. At 41 she is the oldest member on the Irish team and the most prolific major championship competitor. McCormack has competed in an astonishing number of European Cross-Country Championships – 18 in total, making her debut in 2001. Her golden moments came in 2011 and 2012 when she took gold. She has finished 4th on five occasions. Coached by her husband Alan McCormack, she schedules training around her family - she is the mother to three children. McCormack is quoted as saying she runs to be competitive not just for the sake of running.
The five-time Olympian has won a number of medals at majors during her 25 year international career: individual gold at the 2011 and 2012 European Cross Country Championships, and a team gold in 2012; a steeplechase silver at the 2006 European Cup; an under-23s silver medal at the 2006 European Cross Country Championships; bronze at the European Indoor 3000m in 2013. She has competed at Steeplechase, 10,000m, 5000m, Cross-Country and Marathon in global majors. Tokyo will be her third World Championships appearance.
International Majors
2001: European Cross Country u20 Belgium 74th
2001: World Cross Country u20 Switzerland 98th
2002: European Cross Country u20 Croatia 49th
2002: World Cross Country u20 Dublin 72th
2003: European Cross Country u20 England 21st
2003: World Cross Country u20 Switzerland 33rd
2004: World Cross Country Belgium 75th
2005: European Cross Country Denmark 39th
2005: European Championships u23 Germany 3000m SC 9th Final
2005: World Cross Country France 75th
2006: European Cross Country u23 Italy 2nd
2006: European Championships Sweden 3000m SC 11th H2
2007: European Cross Country, Spain 7th
2007: World Championships Osaka 3000m SC 12th Final
2007: World Cross Country, Mombasa 14th
2008: Olympic Games Bejing 3000m SC H1 11th
2011: World Cross Country, Edinburgh 36th
2009: European Cross Country, Dublin 11th
2010: European Cross Country, Portugal 4th
2010: European Championships Barcelona 3000m SC 9th Final
2011: European Cross Country, Spain 1st
2011: World Championships Degu 3000m SC H1 4th
2011: World Cross Country, Spain 16th
2012: European Cross Country, Hungary 1st
2012: Olympic Games London 10,000m 15th Final (5000m H1 10th)
2012: European Championships Helsinki, 10,000m 8th Final
2013: European Cross Country, Serbia 4th
2013: World Cross Country Poland 14th
2013: European Indoors Sweden 3000m 3rd
2014: European Cross Country, Bulgaria 6th
2014: European Championships Zurich Marathon 10th
2014: European Championships Zurich, 10,000m 8th
2015: European Cross Country, France 4th
2016: European Championships Amsterdam, 10,000m 4th
2016: Olympic Games Rio, Marathon 20th
2016: European Cross Country, Italy 5th
2017: European Cross Country, Slovakia 12th
2019: World Cross Country Denmark 18th
2019: European 10,000m Cup London 5th
2019: European Cross Country, Lisbon 4th
2021: Olympic Games Japan, Marathon 25th
2021: European Cross Country Dublin 9th
2022: European Championships Munich, Marathon 7th
2023: European Cross Country, Portugal 4th
2024: Olympic Games Paris Marathon 27th
2025: World Championships 1500m, Tokyo
Personal Bests
Marathon: 2:23.46 01/12/2024
Half: 1:09.32 06/10/2024
S/C 9:37.60 11/06/2011
10000m: 31:29.22 29/04/2012
5000m: 15:12.97 01/12/2024