Marathon Mark all set to take on the Olympics

There will be big Clare interest in the marathon event in the upcoming London Olympics as Ireland’s marathon competitor, Mark Kenneally has strong Banner County connections.

Mark’s mother is the former Mary O’Connell from Shessive, Cranny, and his father is Ger Kenneally from Newmarket-on-Fergus. Mary and Ger moved to Celbridge, Kildare in 1981 and still live there as do all of their three children, Mark, Gerard and Angela. All of them are regular visitors to Clare and are keen followers of Clare GAA’s fortunes. They have many relatives still living in Clare as Mary’s brothers live in Cranny and surrounding areas and Ger’s mother, brother and sisters live in Newmarket-on-Fergus and Ennis.

A national champion at schools, colleges, junior and senior level, Mark was eighth in the 2009 European Cross-Country Championships. In 2011, he decided to make the move up to the marathon from 5,000m and 10,000m on the track. He had been running these distances, as well as cross-country, with a great degree of success for eight or nine years.

“Longer distances, were always something of a strong point for him so making the step up wasn’t that hard a decision,” his other Mary told The Clare Champion this week.

“He ran his first marathon in Vienna in April 2011 in 2.17:22 which was just over two minutes outside the A standard for the Olympics. He organised his training again over the summer months and on October 16, 2011 in Amsterdam he ran 2.13:55, just over a minute inside the magic time of 2.15:00,” Mary added.

At the end of May 2012 he qualified for the European Championships in 10,000m and will represent Ireland in the final in Helsinki on June 30. He is the reigning national senior 10,000m champion and was awarded the Athletics Ireland cross-country athlete of the year award in 2010.

He started his athletic career with Celbridge AC at 14 and moved to Raheny Shamrocks when he was 17 as Celbridge did not have a senior club. He later moved to Clonliffe Harriers as his then coach was there and he is still at Clonliffe Harriers. He is currently being coached by former international Mark Carroll who is based in Alabama, USA.

Mark is 31 and has been a competitive athlete since he was 14. Until he finished secondary school he was involved in other sports and played underage soccer with St. Patrick’s Athletic, Celbridge Town and Salesian College while he played Gaelic football with Celbridge.

Mark grew up in Celbridge where he still lives. Now married to Edel, he is a physiotherapist and is currently studying for a post doctorate in exercise physiology from Trinity College Dublin. He opened the Celbridge Sports and Physiotherapy Clinic in 2010 and runs the practice full time.

“Qualifying for the Olympics is the achievement of a lifelong ambition and Mark’s sole focus is to do the very best he can in representing his community and his country,” mother Mary explained.

Mark remains realistic about his chances at the London Olympics- acknowledging that the African, and, in particular, Kenyan athletes, are on a different level to everyone else. Mark is aiming to improve on his qualifying time.

He was selected by Trinity College Dublin to carry the Olympic Torch in Dublin last week. He was selected for this honour because he has represented the college with great distinction over the years.

“Mark has worked tremendously hard for the best part of 16 years to make his dream become a reality. He is a part time athlete who runs his own physiotherapy business full time”. Mary told The Clare Champion.

Mark is combining his work with a training schedule that comprises up to 140 miles a week plus gym sessions and rehab work and his studies. Clare sports followers will be hoping that his hard work will see him figure prominently in the Olympic marathon.