Brigid Dennehy might have simply shattered the long-standing Auckland Marathon report, however her coronary heart, till not too long ago, belonged to Gaelic soccer.
A neighborhood physio by day, Dennehy was decided to rewrite the data books after she fell simply two seconds wanting the Auckland Marathon report within the 2024 race.
This time, she completely smashed Alexandra Williams’ 2012 mark of 2h 41m 29s, to cease the clock at 2h 38m 10s in her “house marathon” to say back-to-back titles – and win by greater than 10 minutes from 2023 champion, Alice Mason.
“To do all that coaching and know you’re able to the time – however then to really do it – nicely, it’s wonderful,” says Dennehy.
She overcame a couple of velocity bumps alongside the best way. Within the remaining week her pacer, Tokyo Olympian Malcolm Hicks, tore his calf, leaving Dennehy scrambling. She shortly discovered skilled runner Jono Jackson to step in, and he teamed up with Luke Cotter to information her via the 42km.
Final month’s race – with over 17,000 folks throughout all distances – was solely Dennehy’s third marathon, after what she calls a “catastrophe” debut on the Gold Coast in 2024.
“It wasn’t a great expertise for my first try,” she says, after getting sick late within the build-up. “I didn’t wish to depart it too lengthy and get scarred by it, so I believed, let’s do Auckland and possibly get on the rostrum.”
The lure of lengthy distance had at all times appealed, however her coach Paul Hamblyn wished her to construct extra velocity first.
When Dennehy moved to New Zealand from Eire in August 2019, it was purported to be an opportunity to see the world. As a substitute, she discovered house.
“When Covid got here, I’d have misplaced my visa if I’d left. However I stayed and searching again, I used to be so fortunate,” she says.
Rising up in County Kerry within the west of Eire, Dennehy dabbled in operating however Gaelic soccer was her old flame. Arriving in Auckland understanding nobody, she discovered neighborhood via sport – first via the native Gaelic soccer neighborhood, then via the North Harbour Bays operating membership.
It didn’t take lengthy earlier than she was operating most evenings and discovering a tight-knit crew.
“I simply beloved the crew – the Bays Babes – and everyone seems to be keen about operating, so it makes it actually satisfying,” Dennehy says.
Simply six months earlier than shifting to New Zealand, she had solely simply damaged 20 minutes for 5km. Her objective with Hamblyn was to crack 18 minutes. In 2024, she ran 16m 10s to win the New Zealand 5000m nationwide title. “That’s the ability of teammates and having fun with what you do.”
Extra “pinch-me moments” adopted, together with a sponsorship with adidas.
“I really feel so fortunate to have their help. The shoe expertise, particularly the carbons, helps a lot in coaching and on race day,” Dennehy says.
Over the ultimate two months earlier than the Auckland Marathon, Dennehy beloved seeing crowds of runners coaching alongside the waterfront.
“The one draw back was the a whole bunch of gel packets littered! I don’t get it as a result of they carried the gel of their pocket to begin with, so why not simply put it again in after?” she says.
Jackson grabbed every of her 10 drink bottles from the help stations so she may maintain her rhythm and nail her diet. After a couple of sips, she’d hand them again via the small pack operating along with her.
“At 25km I may really feel it in my legs, however by 30km I used to be assured I used to be in a snug place.”
Through the race, Dennehy and her pacers settled right into a 3m 45s per km rhythm, deliberately maintaining the primary half conservative. They hit midway in 1h 21m earlier than unleashing a 1h 17m damaging break up.
“I really didn’t ask how we have been monitoring till the final kilometre. I simply mentioned, ‘Are we protected?’ Previous 35km in a marathon it’s laborious to do the maths!” she laughs.
Dennehy works as a neighborhood physiotherapist Monday to Thursday, with the odd shift at a personal hospital on weekends. After her marathon win, a few of her sufferers noticed her on the information.
“They requested why I didn’t inform them I used to be a runner,” she smiles, with typical Dennehy humility.
She’s now easing again into coaching with a plan to race a world marathon subsequent April to convey her time down even additional. Her long-term objective: to make a world crew for her beloved Eire despite the fact that New Zealand has her coronary heart.
“I name New Zealand house, however I’ll at all times be Irish.”
