When I went digging for heartwarming, jaw-dropping tales from the 2023 Dublin Marathon, I wasn’t expecting this. A simple Facebook comment cracked open a time capsule — and what lay inside was a golden slice of Irish running history.
“First time since 1983 – 40 years ago. A very different marathon now,” wrote a man named Michael under a post in the Dublin Marathon Runners group.
I had to know more. What followed was a story full of grit, nostalgia, and blistered feet.
💬 No Gels. No GPS. Just Guts.
Back in 1983, the Dublin Marathon wasn’t the slick, tech-fuelled juggernaut it is today. It was raw. It was real. And according to Michael, it was brutal.
“There were no gels,” he said, “just a bit of carbo-loading, some water on the course, and whatever hope you could carry in your head.”
Elite runners may have had a few extras, but the average Joe? They were running on sheer willpower… and budget shoes.
Yes, Michael ran his first marathon in runners from Dunnes Stores. “Cheap,” he admits, “and not great. But even the branded stuff back then was nowhere near today’s gear.” No carbon plates. No superfoam. Just rubber and determination.
🗺️ A Route Through Time
Today’s route snakes through the heart of the capital. But in 1983? “It was mostly northside,” Michael recalls. “We went from Phoenix Park to Finglas, Santry, Coolock, Raheny, then down the Clontarf seafront into Amiens Street.”
The crowds were smaller, but mighty. “There was still atmosphere,” he said, especially in Finglas, Raheny, and near the finish line. And while social media didn’t exist to cheer you on, there was a growing community spirit and a post-1980s running boom that had people lining up in droves for 10ks (no 5ks back then!).
👟 A Pair of Friends. A Pack of Miles.
So why did he do it? “My flatmate wanted to train for it,” Michael said. “He wasn’t much of a runner, so we started training together. Our longest run was only 9 or 10 miles. About 35 miles a week, max.”
Still, Michael powered through to finish in 3 hours 17 minutes, a time many runners would envy even today.
“Honestly, I felt every step in those Dunnes runners,” he laughed.
🎯 Then and Now: Full Circle in 2023
Michael never expected to run another marathon. He returned to the track and focused on his specialist events, the 800m and 1500m. But 40 years later, he laced up again for Dublin 2023, and this time? Well, that story’s coming in Part 2 of our ‘Why Do You Run?’ series and trust me, it’s worth the wait.
Michael’s running journey is a reminder of how much has changed and how much hasn’t. The roads may be smoother, the tech smarter, and the gels more plentiful, but the heart of the marathon? That’s timeless.
📬 Got a story from the Dublin Marathon? Share it with us! Email oonagh@runrepublic.com
