Some life lessons from the streets of Dublin on Sunday – you are never too young, or too old.
At 19-years-old, Limerick’s Ava Crean smashed her personal best by over nine minutes to become the youngest ever winner of the women’s national title at the Irish Life Dublin Marathon.
The teenager, who ran her first marathon earlier this year, finished sixth overall and came home in 2:34.12 to beat three-in-row seeking Ann-Marie McGlynn (eighth overall, 2:36.24) to the national title.
Crean, whose previous best of 2:43.26 was set in Limerick in May, was so sceptical of her ability only a handful of years ago that she refused to run outside and instead pounded away on a treadmill. She is now a history-maker whose potential appears boundless.
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“I can’t believe it,” she smiled afterwards, with the wide-eyed air of somebody who left the house to pick up groceries and somehow found herself winning a national title at the Dublin Marathon.
But while this might have been Crean’s first time running Dublin, at 85 years young Kevin Stynes completed his 42nd consecutive event in the capital, coming home in 6:18.45.
The 22,500 entrants ran, walked, hobbled, laughed, cried and smiled their way through the 44th Dublin Marathon on what was a chilly, damp and at times blustery October day.
The men’s national title was won by David McGlynn, with the 26-year-old Waterford runner also collecting a maiden crown by delivering a disciplined performance to reel in the Irish pack in the second half of the race.
McGlynn came home in 2:11.01 – knocking over four minutes off his personal best. Irish runners claimed fifth (McGlynn), sixth (Ryan Creech, 2:11.42) and seventh (Paul O’Donnell, 2:12.11) overall.
The men’s race was won by America’s Daniel Mesfin in 2:08.51. Mesfin – who was born in Eritrea and lives in Flagstaff, Arizona – is the first American winner of the men’s category.
Ethiopia’s Manazot Siyum was second in 2:09.09 with Sweden’s Samuel Tsegaye third in 2:09.29.
Ethiopian athletes dominated the podium in the women’s race. Eebbissee Addunyaa (also just 19) came home first in 2:26.28, followed by Kena Girma in 2:26.32 and Atsede Baysa third in 2:27.12.
But the day belonged to Crean. It goes against all the coaching manuals – teenagers lighting up marathons. The discipline has long been the domain of more mature, road-tested athletes. But it has taken Crean only six months to leave those beliefs in shreds.
A talented underage basketball player, Crean took up running during Covid to keep fit but wasn’t immediately jogging around the roads of her native Mungret.
“When I first started on the treadmill I couldn’t even run 500 metres without stopping. I’d run 500 metres, then walk, run another 500 metres, then walk, just over and over again.
“I didn’t want people to see me stopping. I didn’t want to run outside because I was embarrassed.”
But it soon became clear she wasn’t half bad at this running lark. Studying sports and exercise science in Manchester University Academy 92 (cofounded by members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92), Crean took the plunge in April by running the Manchester Marathon.
Hoping just to complete the race, she stunned herself with a time of 2:49.26 to finish fastest in the 18-23 age group, men and women.
“I was shocked looking at my watch, I was like ‘that time has to be wrong’,” Crean recalls.
It wasn’t.
Buoyed by that effort, the following weekend she backed it up with a 2:43.26 in the Great Limerick Run. In marathon running circles, the newcomer was causing a stir. On Sunday, she announced herself on the national stage.
Crean had run her first two marathons with no proper coaching, but for Dublin John Kinsella had taken her under his stewardship.
“He was showing me all these stats that I didn’t have a clue about – heart rate zones and so on. I was like, ‘I heard of them but I don’t really know what they are.’”
For much of the race, she was lockstep with Ann-Marie McGlynn. At 45, McGlynn was hoping to win the national title for a third successive year, but when Crean made her move after the halfway mark it felt like a passing of the baton.
“I had a tough six weeks coming in,” said McGlynn. “I tore my hamstring six weeks ago, we lost Trevor’s granny on Friday, I wanted to bring it home for her but that’s the way it goes. My number was 111, it’s my angel number, it wasn’t for me to win today, it was for me to finish. That was tough out there.
“To be honest, if anybody knew the six weeks I had they all would have been coming at me today, but Ava went for it.
“She needs to be nurtured because she’s talented. There are some people (who) have it, and that girl has it.”
It was also a landmark day for David McGlynn’s career, with his victory placing him ninth in the all-time list of fastest Irish performances in the event. Having spent much of the race as the fourth fastest Irish runner, he held his pace superbly to pick off his rivals over the second half of the course.
“I’m over the moon to put a marathon on the board today that I’m really proud of,” he said.
“To be honest it wasn’t necessarily my plan to be that far back early on, but I just couldn’t go with how quick the boys were going.
“One thing I learned from Hamburg [in April], I was pushing too much then and I totally capitulated before 30km. I learned a lot from that and ran my own race today.”
Among those undertaking the race to raise money for charities was Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley and coach Glenn Cronin, as well as former Republic of Ireland international and Shelbourne manager Damien Duff.
“The support was incredible,” said Bradley before quickly hopping on a helicopter to the Brandywell where Rovers were facing Derry City.
By the time Bradley arrived in Derry, Crean was no doubt enjoying her historic victory.
“Pizza, doughnuts, chocolate,” Crean smiled when asked how she intended to celebrate the win.
A fitting end to a very special day at the outset of what could prove to be a very special marathon career.
2025 IRISH LIFE DUBLIN MARATHON RESULTS
Men’s race:
1: Daniel Mesfin (USA) 2:08.51
2: Manazot Siyum (Ethiopia) 2:09.09
3: Samuel Tsegaye (Sweden) 2:09.29
Men’s National Championship:
1: David McGlynn (Waterford AC) 2:11.01
2: Ryan Creech (Leevale AC) 2:11.42
3: Paul O’Donnell (Dundrum South Dublin AC) 2:12.11
Women’s race:
1: Eebbissee Addunyaa (Ethiopia) 2:26.28
2: Kena Girma (Ethiopia) 2:26.32
3: Atsede Baysa (Ethiopia) 2:27.12
Women’s National Championship:
1: Ava Crean (Back 2 Boston Running Club) 2:34.12
2: Ann-Marie McGlynn (Strabane AC) 2:36.24
3: Nichola Sheridan (Bohermeen AC) 2:39.56
