BLACKROCK HAVE WON more Cork senior hurling championship titles than any other club but another, more unique, record was added to their roll of honour yesterday.
Damien Coleman, a member and former player with the club — which is based on the southside of the city — completed the Cork City Marathon in a time of four hours and 28 minutes.
It was the 33-year-old’s eighth full marathon, but on this occasion he did so while soloing with a hurley and sliotar for the duration of the 26.2 mile course.
Advertisement
In humid conditions on Leeside, Coleman achieved a world record, beating the previous record time of six hours for running a marathon while balancing a ball on a hurley, as per the Guinness Book of Records.
Coleman was allowed to drop the sliotar along the way — which occurred more often as fatigue set in — on the condition that he resumed running from the point where the ball hit the ground.
“I only dropped it twice in the first half when I was taking on gels but that went up to about 20 or 25 times in the second half when the wrist was getting tired and I started to lose a bit of flexibility,” Coleman told The42.
“It was actually easier than I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a lot of cramping in the arm but the only trouble I had really was from my from upper back. But overall it was handier than I thought it would be,” added Coleman, whose personal best for a marathon is two hours and 59 minutes, which he achieved in both Dublin and Tralee.
“The support I got was incredible, from club members and people all over Cork, as well as the Mater Private, who all helped to raise funds for a good cause. I’m delighted with how it went and very grateful to everyone who got behind it.”
Coleman is now considering a new challenge for next year’s Cork City Marathon — soloing a football: “I was thinking this morning I might give it a lash; four steps before a solo and four steps before a hop. Or I might try the Ulster rules and throw in eight or nine steps instead.”
Corkman combines hurling with marathon running to break world record
BLACKROCK HAVE WON more Cork senior hurling championship titles than any other club but another, more unique, record was added to their roll of honour yesterday.
Damien Coleman, a member and former player with the club — which is based on the southside of the city — completed the Cork City Marathon in a time of four hours and 28 minutes.
It was the 33-year-old’s eighth full marathon, but on this occasion he did so while soloing with a hurley and sliotar for the duration of the 26.2 mile course.
In humid conditions on Leeside, Coleman achieved a world record, beating the previous record time of six hours for running a marathon while balancing a ball on a hurley, as per the Guinness Book of Records.
In the process, he has already raised over €1,000 for his club and the Cork Simon Community. Coleman set an initial fundraising target of €1,250 and donations can still be made online by clicking here.
Coleman was allowed to drop the sliotar along the way — which occurred more often as fatigue set in — on the condition that he resumed running from the point where the ball hit the ground.
“I only dropped it twice in the first half when I was taking on gels but that went up to about 20 or 25 times in the second half when the wrist was getting tired and I started to lose a bit of flexibility,” Coleman told The42.
“It was actually easier than I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a lot of cramping in the arm but the only trouble I had really was from my from upper back. But overall it was handier than I thought it would be,” added Coleman, whose personal best for a marathon is two hours and 59 minutes, which he achieved in both Dublin and Tralee.
“The support I got was incredible, from club members and people all over Cork, as well as the Mater Private, who all helped to raise funds for a good cause. I’m delighted with how it went and very grateful to everyone who got behind it.”
Coleman is now considering a new challenge for next year’s Cork City Marathon — soloing a football: “I was thinking this morning I might give it a lash; four steps before a solo and four steps before a hop. Or I might try the Ulster rules and throw in eight or nine steps instead.”
Laois Armagh the standout tie after All-Ireland SFC round 1 qualifier draw is made
‘My mother got a letter in the post one day and she actually started crying’
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Blackrock Damien Coleman GAA Hurling Solo run