Middle of the Pack Podcast

Episode 55 features Charlie "Chaz" Lillis discussing his switch from GAA to running after knee surgery, his rapid progress from 5K to marathon, and his goals for the Dublin Marathon. He also talks about the Malin-to-Mizen fundraising walk for CUH for family friend "Tubbs", training and fueling strategies, shoe choices, and sharing the journey on social media. A real inspiring guy with a passion for sport, health & fitness and h...

Episode 54 of the Middle of the Pack podcast features Maeve O’Hagan describing how she started running during COVID, joined a club, and progressed from parkruns to completing multiple marathons including Cork, Belfast and Edinburgh.

Maeve shares training and fueling tips (including gels, hydration and pacing), the mental-health benefits of running, and how club support and community helped her improve and enjoy racing. Stay t...

Episode 53 features 23-year-old Paddy McClintock, who ran the length of Ireland over 14 days to raise funds and awareness for his charity Check In On A Mate. He shares his journey from rugby and Ironmans to planning and completing Project Ireland, the logistical challenges, injuries, and the mindset behind ultra-endurance efforts.

Paddy explains how the charity grew from run clubs and school talks into a program teaching mental hea...

Episode 52 is a 13-week, no-nonsense guide for middle of the pack runners preparing for the Dublin Marathon. It covers setting A/B/C goals, building a realistic weekly plan around four key sessions, long-run strategies, strength work, recovery, nutrition, and race-day mindset.

The episode focuses on consistency over perfection, practical tips for balancing training with life, and encouragement to trust the process—plus an inv...

Episode 51 captures a day at the London Diamond League where Josh Kerr’s Project 222 mile world record stole the show. The host and members of Eagle AC share voice notes and reactions, reliving the electric atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium.

The episode also celebrates standout performances from Irish athletes like Mark English and Sarah Healy, and highlights the camaraderie of clubmates traveling together to witness elite at...

In episode 50 the host chats with Niamh Walsh about her running journey—from starting in Australia to earning a big half-marathon PB in Cork. They discuss training structure, switching to a coach, injury prevention, strength work, race fueling (Altar Nutrition speed dust and gels), and shoe choices.

Niamh also talks about the social benefits of club running, balancing life and training, and shares her Instagram handle (niamhs...

Episode 49 of the Middle of the Pack podcast — a mailbag special answering listener questions about why the show exists, marathon training tips (with a focus on gut and nutrition), race-day mistakes, and favorite gear.

Padraig shares practical advice on fuelling long runs, evening-race strategies, the challenges of producing a weekly podcast, and encouragement for runners of all levels to keep showing up.

EMAIL MOTPIRE@GMAIL....

In episode 48 of The Middle of the Pack, Karen Twomey talks running shorts, pacing the Cork City Marathon 10K, and her personal race superstitions. She shares favorite shorts (Lululemon Wonder Trains, Nike Swift), advice on sizing to avoid ride-up, storage options like pockets and belts, and quick fixes for chafing and phone carry.

This episode mixes practical gear tips with Karen’s pacing highlights and personal stories, giv...

Episode 46 of The Middle of the Pack features Mary Sweeney reflecting on a lifetime of running — from childhood sprints to dozens of marathons, parkrun camaraderie, and running through illness and loss. Mary shares personal stories about training, fueling, shoes, and the deep sense of community that keeps her coming back to the road.

This short, honest chat highlights running as both sport and therapy, celebrating resilience,...

Episode 45 of the Middle of the Pack podcast features Laura Garrigan sharing her running journey — from starting at parkrun in 2023 to completing 10Ks, a sub-4hr Dublin Marathon, the Trasna relay and a 24-hour fundraiser where she runs 5K every hour for the Samaritans.

Laura discusses training, fueling, shoe rotation and community support, and listeners can follow her progress and donate via her Instagram @laws_fitness.

Email...

Episode 42 features Sean Lucey, Eagle AC's men's captain, who explains why consistent mileage and easy runs matter more than flashy track sessions. He talks through his injury recovery, marathon and half‑marathon breakthroughs, fueling and shoe choices, and how patience and strength work rebuilt his performance.

Sean also shares practical club advice for newcomers — the value of asking questions, making friends, and trusting ...

Episode 41 follows Linda McKeown’s running journey from her first parkrun to completing the Cork half marathon, guided by her coach Kieran. We discuss training structure, mileage, fueling strategies, race-day pacing, and the importance of community support.

The episode also highlights the IGBF charity fun runs in Dublin (June 6) and Cork/Mallow (June 20), with details on goody bags, medals, and two free entries for each race,...

Episode 40 features Victor Danylyuk sharing his journey from swimming to running and his build-up to the Cork City Marathon. He discusses training changes, working with a coach, and how running improved his fitness after sports-induced asthma.

The episode’s key lesson: don’t change fuel on race day. Victor explains his gel experiment (High5 vs SIS), the importance of testing fueling in training, and how to manage heavy ...

Episode 39 of The Middle of the Pack podcast is a London Marathon special featuring the historic sub‑2‑hour finish, The sub 2 hour landmark performances, and Irish standout Peter Lynch’s national record. We also hear an update from Laura 'Muddy Soles' on running in wellies, the FTD brothers’ fundraising mission, and spend most of the episode with Gerry Lynch from Cork discussing his race prep, experience, and fundraisin...

Episode 38 features Owen Wright sharing his running journey—from early runs and joining Watergrass Hill to stepping back into training after family life.

He discusses coaching, a hamstring setback and physio, marathon fueling and shoe choices, and his plans for the Cork Marathon.

Owen and his wife Fay are fundraising for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, explaining why the charity matters and how listeners can support them.

...

Episode 37 features Dennis Cronin describing how joining Watergrasshill AC after a Couch-to-5K changed his life. He talks about the social side of running, the supportive running community, and how group runs improved his mental health and friendships.

Dennis shares training habits, race experiences including his Malaga marathon, lessons learned about fueling, and why he loves distances like the 10K. The episode celebrates everyday...