SAHARA MARATHON TRIUMPH FOR PADDY
ULTRA RUNNER FROM NEW ROSS COMPLETES WORLD’S TOUGHEST FOOT RACE
NEW ROSS man Paddy O’Leary has conquered the 251 km Marathon des Sables with only a few blisters as war wound reminders.
Paddy completed the seven marathons over seven days under the Saharan sun and arrived home last week to a heroe’s welcome.
Regarded as the world’s toughest foot race, Paddy took on the challenge to prove it to himself that he could conquer his ‘Everest’.
Joined by a group of around 20 Irish athletes, the determined 41-year-old arrived in Morocco and following a six hour bus journey spent a night in the desert while acclimatising to the heat, which climbed to 41 degrees on the longest day of the marathon, a 87km run.
Having put in countless hours of training around New Ross and Graiguenamanagh for over a year ahead of the Marathon des Sables, including hour long sessions in a sauna to acclimatise his body to heat, Paddy said he felt ready for the big event.
‘I would go out at 4 a.m. before my wife went to work and trained every day, including going on six hour runs with a backpack on weekends. Mentally I was ready. There was no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t come back without the medal.’
Having suffered from terrible back pain in his early 30s, Paddy ran the event for the Walk Once More charity.
Paddy said: ‘ I used to be crying trying to move. It went on for three or four years. I got a prolapsed disc from working at a fish factory and at Driver Harris. I was told to get an operation but I refused to and if it wasn’t for Siobhán Guiry in New Ross who treated my back and the team at Physio Matters I wouldn’t be doing this or anything today. I can walk and some people can’t walk due to back injuries, while others are paraplegics.’
In preparation for the marathon, Paddy completed a 120km 24 hour Equinox marathon in England in October,
The Tesco meat counter worker said the expanse of the Sahara Desert was ‘unreal’ to behold when he arrived earlier this month.
Wearing a 14.5 kilo backpack (three kilos heavier than what he expected to have to bear) – he set off on the first of seven marathons, completing the 31km run without difficulty. In his backpack was enough food for the week (water was provided every 10 km), some clothing, his tent and a teddy bear named Mr Abbott his son Oisin gave him for company.
‘I didn’t get much sleep as you’re basically lying on rocks and sand. I was running on the sand, up giant hills. Every day you were running on a little less energy than the day before.’
A sand storm decimated the camp on the second night. ‘It blew away tents and people lost their gear. It was an experience,’ Paddy, who is orginally from Ballyhale, said.
He said the 86km run was a gruelling test. ‘It was a long, hard mental effort. You had plenty of time to think.’
Attributing his ability to withstand the conditions to an innate stubborness, Paddy said he never doubted himself.
‘I saw people puking blood, getting medi-vacced off the course; all the layers of the skin on one chap’s toes came off and the bone was showing. Another man spent 35 hours on the course and finished it. He was in his 70s. It has changed me. I just think I can do a lot more.’
Paddy had a picture in his head throughout the race of the Marathon of its founder Patrick Bower putting the medal over his head and saying well done.
‘ That’s exactly what happened when I crossed the finishing line. I took it day by day so I wasn’t thinking of the race as a whole. It was a dream come true to finish. There was no way I wasn’t going to get there. I really had to dig deep. It was the greatest achievement of my life and it’s going to be hard to top.’
Paddy was thrilled to see that every Irish member of the group finished. ‘We ran it together. We are friends for life and plan to meet up every year.’
He wasn’t able to contact his family during the seven days, adding that he was thrilled to be able to tell his wife Serena, and sons Evan and Oisín of his success.
‘ They were delighted and Mr Abbott made it back too so the 3-year-old was happy.’
In the process Paddy managed to raise €6,000 leading to a major donation to for WalkForLife.
He said he can’t believe how well his body stood up to the rigours of the race.
‘I can’t stop eating since I got back. I lost some weight in the Sahara but I’m going to put to back on, I’m looking forward to a pint of Guinness now,’ Paddy said.
He thanked Massimo in the Penguin take away in New Ross for sponsoring him and everyone for their calls and messages of support over the past week.
‘Everyone has their Everest and hopefuly this will inspire others to conquer theirs,’ Paddy said.