Ep 46 Barry McEvoy: from lost junior talent to Irish international, plus Lap of the Gap
· Trail Running Ireland Podcast
Barry McEvoy was a promising junior who drifted away from running as a teenager. He came back at 30, and two years later he won the trial race to run for Ireland at the European Championships in La Palma. Barry tells his story, from obsessive race recces to training without a coach. First, René Borg introduces the Lap of the Gap marathon in Wicklow and explains why not every race needs to be a PB.
Eoin congratulates Sarah McCormack on winning the women's race at the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and rounds up the Irish trials for the European Championships and a multi-day trail running festival in Kerry.
René explains where the Lap of the Gap route came from: Arthur Lydiard's hilly Waiatarua long run, and the cyclists' name for the loop. The diamond-shaped course climbs from Laragh up the Military Road to the Sally Gap at 526 m, passes Lough Tay ("the Guinness lake") and Glenmacnass waterfall, and finishes with a short, cruel hill. There's a King and Queen of the Mountain prize for the first runner to the Sally Gap. He explains how steady road climbing builds strength and controlled pacing, why scenic races don't need PB pressure, and how the race, inspired by the Snowdonia Marathon, gives back to Glendalough AC.