Kilbeggan man's remarkable ultra marathon performance

A Kilbeggan endurance runner, just recovering from a second place finish in an 80km ultra marathon in Mayo, completed the Cork Marathon the following weekend.

Aidan Stone (22) completed the Wild Atlantic Ultra run in the scenic setting of Louisburgh, County Mayo, close to Croagh Patrick on May 25 with his brother Adam the pacer. Aidan returned the favour in Cork.

The impressive Mayo run saw Aidan secure second place in a gruelling event in which more than 40 people participated. The 80km run took competitors on an undulating course around Westport, finishing in Louisburgh.

He completed the run in seven hours, a remarkable performance when one considers the cut-off time for the event was 11 hours.

“I was happy with the performance. There was a lot of extra miles put in during the months leading up to the run but it was the longest distance I had undertaken. A couple of weeks before then I ran a 53km race and I did a few races like that just to get the pace right,” he said.

Aidan played Gaelic football for Kilbeggan Shamrocks only last year and was on the team who won the Westmeath junior title. He was keen to pursue a new challenge this year, however, and took time out from football to focus fully on running.

Having completed around half a dozen marathons in recent years, including the Dublin Marathon, the Seville Marathon and the Cork equivalent, Aidan was well placed to tackle the 80km ultra marathon event.

“I knew what was involved and the type of training that was required. I just had to tailor it to suit and make sure I had the endurance in my legs to get through the 50 miles,” he said.

“I was conscious I had to up the miles from the usual 26-mile marathon distance and getting the pace right was a challenge, so it was great to have Adam working with me in that regard,” he said.

The Mayo run has whetted his appetite and now Aidan is looking forward to a 200km ultra marathon in Kerry later in the year.

“I’ve committed to run the Kerry event and I’m also entered in a Hyrox event in November,” he said. That involves eight 1km runs combined with eight different exercises. He will target under three hours in the Dublin Marathon prior to the Hyrox event.

Aidan veered away from team sport for this year to concentrate on his running and is really enjoying the change. “It’s very different from being part of a team. There is a different kind of pressure now. I know it’s all on me, if I haven’t done the work or put in the training, I can’t lean on anyone else.

"The only one who can mess up is myself, so it’s very different in that sense. It’s a new challenge and I am really enjoying it.

“The ultra races bring a different element to running, as do the Hyrox events. I’m also looking at doing some races abroad just to see where that takes me. I’m enjoying a different kind of hobby this year,” he added.