Alan Corcoran is an Irish endurance adventure athlete by night and career town planning professional by day. Following his Dad’s stroke, Alan decided to turn a negative situation into something positive, running thirty-five marathons in 35 consecutive days for charity. In his book, Marathon Man, Alan brings the reader into the world of endurance running, demonstrating that through perseverance, you can achieve your goals (no matter how ambitious) We caught up with Alan to learn more…
- You were a runner in your youth, and then you came back to a different type of running later in life. Can you tell us a bit about your running story?
One year in primary school, I didn’t medal in the sports day 100-metres, so I joined the local athletics clubs and started sprinting. I had a decent stretch with around thirty Irish championship medals and some internationals too. I was unsuccessful in making the transition to senior level, though, and quit the sport in university. My dad suffered a stroke a few months later, and I took steps towards my 1,000-mile charity lap of Ireland dream. 35 marathons in 35 consecutive days with eight months to prepare.
- You went on to run an incredible 35 marathons in 35 days for charity. How did the idea of the challenge evolve?
Marathon running was introduced to me through the BBC’s coverage of the London Marathon each year. I vowed to attempt one after my sprinting days. Then, I saw Eddie Izzard’s 43 marathons in 51 days on TV for Sports Relief and Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope across Canada on YouTube. I thought, why run around a city when you could run around a country?
- You’ve written a book, Marathon Man, about completing that challenge. How did you find the experience of writing the book?
It was a fulfilling process getting my story on paper. There were so many memories of leading up to the lap of Irealnd run and throughout. I relived them all from the confines of Covid lockdown. The highs and lows still felt as real as ever. It was an enjoyable escape feeling all those emotions again, this time from the comfort of an armchair.
- What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
I hope readers enjoy a few hours of entertainment and are left feeling inspired and uplifted. That was the premise of writing my story. I wouldn’t have dreamt of, least of all attempted, the run if it weren’t for Eddie and Terry’s stories. If my book could spur someone else on with their goals or even give them a laugh, that would be a success. Thankfully, readers and professional book critics have enjoyed ‘Marathon Man’ so far.
- What is your proudest or happiest moment as a runner?
Great question, a hard one with so many moments to pick from. A 4 x 400-metre relay race for the Irish Team when I was around sixteen stands out. I ran around a 50-second split. I found an extra gear with 150 metres to go and never felt stronger. Our team ran out of their socks that day.
- What do you think about Trees not Tees and what we’re doing?
It’s a fantastic initiative. If you’re doing one or two races, a t-shirt is a great souvenir, but if you’re a serial racer, the t-shirts are likely gathering dust at the bottom of a drawer. Providing participants with the option to plant a tree instead of getting a t-shirt is laudable.
- Have you taken any steps towards making your own running more sustainable?
I’m not a big consumer in general. I’m still mainly training in gear I got ten or fifteen years ago. I try to buy quality and stich it if necessary. I think the critical question to ask is, ‘do I need this product?’
- What changes would you like to see the running events industry making towards sustainability?
The thousands of plastic bottles seem ludicrous in this day and age. That, and compulsory event t-shirts emblazoned with the event year, aging it quicker than undated clothing and reducing the chances of it being handed down for reuse. Thankfully, we seem to be moving away from the single use mindset.
- Where is your favourite place to run and why?
I’ve run most of my miles on the trails in Phoenix Park, Dublin, so I have a soft spot for there. It’s a priceless haven for a capital city centre to have.
- Do you have any further challenges planned?
With my ‘Marathon Man’ run book out there, I’m coming to the end of another marathon of sorts, making the documentary film about my 2019 length of Ireland sea swim. My challenge for 2022/2023, is to tour my ‘Unsinkable’ swim movie to as many film festivals as possible, get it on TV and publish my second book about that swim challenge.
As far as physical challenges go, I’m building my mileage to have some options for the summer. This year, I’m living in the Rocky Mountains, so there is no shortage of peaks to tag or trails to enjoy.
