Kilmainhamwood’s Owens All-Ireland Parkrun bragging rights

When an emotional Tommy Owens crossed the finish line at Killarney House Parkrun on 19th July this year he joined a small but mighty group of “Trippers” who have completed all 157 parkrun courses in Ireland, writes Cormac Dowling.

It was a remarkable feat for the Kilmainhamwood father of three, who had no running experience when he nervously pitched up at the inaugural Deerpark parkrun in Carlanstown in December 2018.

Back then, his only goal was “to keep a bit of weight off” as he moved through his early forties. Parkruns which are weekly, timed 5k events where people can walk, jog, run or volunteer, seemed like the perfect first step.

,“At my first parkrun I felt like a bit of a fraud because I wasn’t really a runner," Owens recalls. But it was love at first stride.

“I got hooked straight away thanks to the encouragement from Course Director Tony Walsh and rest of the gang in Carlanstown.”

Walsh offered simple but powerful advice that helped Owens pace himself properly and feel more confident in his running.

“When I started, I’d head out for 5 or 6k, stop three or four times, and nearly get sick. I was going out like a lunatic. Tony’s tips helped me actually finish the distances without stopping.”

“Madness and stubbornness” were some of the qualities Owens says it took to complete his novel running (and driving) challenge. A challenge which saw him go through two cars and two vans as he navigated every highway and byway North and South, but he insists his all-Ireland pursuit always felt like a labour of love.

“I said I would keep doing them for as long as I enjoy it. I still enjoyed it up until the last one in Killarney. I put a bit of pressure on myself because I wanted to finish with a sub-20-minute effort. Lucky enough Killarney is fairly flat, and I got the sub-20 in the end”.

Owens never contemplated quitting even when it seemed the Gods might be against him.

“For our anniversary, my wife Aisling and myself stayed in Kinsale, planning to tick off my last Cork parkrun in Clonakilty the next morning. All was going well until we drove through Ballinspittle. Out of nowhere Aisling said, ‘Remember all the craic about the moving statues here?’ I don’t know if she cursed it or not but within 100 yards the car started overheating and I ended up missing the parkrun that day!”

However, testament to Owens' determination, and rapid progression as a runner, he rectified it a few weeks later. He took off from his home at 430 am for Clonakilty and didn’t just complete the missing Cork parkrun but was first home!

Owens knew exactly where he wanted his parkrun odyssey to end - Killarney, a place full of childhood holiday memories. But crossing that final finish line at Killarney House, six and a half years after that first parkrun, The Kilmainhamwood man's primary emotion was not one of euphoria or even relief as you might expect.

“How I felt when I finished was sadness. My father (Tommy) passed away in February, he was a truck driver who drove all around the country during his career," recalled Owens.

"I used to love going over on a Friday evening and he would always ask where are you for tomorrow? I’d tell him, and he’d say you are completely mad, but he’d give me directions and then I’d be home the Saturday and we’d talk about how it went and how I got there.

"The reason I picked Killarney to finish on was when we were kids we would go there on holidays every summer, but then Daddy got pneumonia and passed away sort of unexpectedly back in February.

"He was a brilliant man. It was tough and is still tough going back to Killarney – I saw his face everywhere, memories of what we did as kids came back to me.”

Although it was a source of initial sadness Owens is at pains to point out it is parkrun that has helped him and many others through tough times. The encouragement and kindness he encountered on the parkrun circuit is something he cherishes.

“The best thing about parkrun is I had them sort of thoughts (about his father’s passing) in my head and as I crossed the finish line I was talking to the run director and this random fella came up to me and goes ‘have you done every parkrun in Ireland?’ And he said that is coolest thing I’ve ever heard, do you mind if I get a picture taken with you?’ So, he wasn’t long taking me out of my thinking.

"That is the wonderful thing about parkrun – you have random people just changing your train of thought and spreading positivity.

“No matter where you go and do a parkrun you hear nothing but encouragement. It’s nothing but ‘well done’ at every corner. I could not rate parkrun highly enough.”

So what’s next for Owens? Pipe and Slippers perhaps? No chance!

He has set his sights firmly on the ultimate test when he toes the line in his Moynalty AC singlet for the Dublin marathon in October.

“Aisling says I have an addictive personality. She says now that you are going to do your first marathon you will want to go on and do all the major marathons around the world before you finish.” And with Owens' recent track record you’d be a fool to back against him!

If Tommy’s story has inspired you why not go along to run, walk or volunteer at your local Meath Parkrun in Navan, Trim, Carlanstown, Oldbridge and Laytown beach.

See Parkrun.ie for more information.