MEET OUR ATHLETES
The man who lives in Swifts parish church is good with the pen (published a number of books aka Mr Irishology) and swift on the run.......Ronan Moore

 

 

1. When did you start running?

On some rural trails up by Usuman Dam central Nigeria where I spent a couple of years. An American friend I worked with suggested I join them for an early Sunday morning run. I thought they were mad. It was a slow burner and it was only when I came home to Ireland in '06 that myself and another friend decided we'd run a marathon. I think there were only 3 or 4 marathons in the country at the time so we went to Berlin instead.

2. How did you end up joining the club?

I used to play some ball with Trim Celtic but as the years went by the injuries mounted. Somehow I came under the orbit of the running club and 10.00 o'clock runs in the Porchies. Probably around 2007.

3. Favourite race (Excluding the Trim 10 Miler and Braveheart 5k)

Any of the annual races that finish in Collinstown, Co. Westmeath. It's the home country for my mother and I usually have some local support helping the burn up the long hill to the finish.

4. What do you crave after a run?

Depends on what is in the fridge.

5. Pre-race meal

Same breakfast I have ever day, porridge.

6. Miles or KM?

KM

7. Any race superstition?

No.

8. Track, road or XC?

As much as I love a good 5k road race, it has to be XC. The wetter, the windier, the muddier, the hillier, the better.

9. Why do you run?

Nothing quite like a run or a race to set you up for the day and make you feel good.

10. Best running memory?

Dublin Marathon 2016 I think. After a near decade of trying I finally broke the 3 hr mark. I came down the Templeogue Rd into Terenure recognising my surroundings, something I had never noticed before because I never had got to that stage in Dublin without already beginning to unravel. This time I was feeling really strong. I remember thinking today is the day I am going to hunt this sub-3 down. I think I actually said it, which kind of freaked out a nearby runner! I ended up joining up with a runner from Midleton who had the same idea and we drove each other on. I won't ever forget the elation over the last few hundred metres seeing the clock tick 2.58. Eight marathons, and I finally had it! Elation.

11. What do you miss most from a running perspective during lockdown?

I'm 3 km from town so running in the Porchies for one. Then there is the Sunday morning runs with friends and the beginning of the 5k race season.

12. Most memorable race that you didn't compete in?

Achill Half-Marathon cheering on my wife as myself and two little ones tracked her across the course.

13. Who is your running hero?

I remember cheering on Sonia in '93 in Stuttgart but it would have to be my cousin Mary Cain for coming out and taking a stand against Nike.

14. Split shorts or tight shorts?

I've got two pairs of Trim GAA shorts that must be 20 years old and are still good for it. Quality lasts I guess!

15. What do you listen to during a run (music/podcast)?

Never listened to music while running though a sing might be on repeat in my head. Either chatting with friends or lost in my thoughts.