A former West Ham, Shelbourne, St Patrick’s Athletic, and Bohemians defender is taking part in this weekend’s Dublin Marathon - but admits there is one big stumbling block to his chances of completing the gruelling 42km race.
Lorcan Fitzgerald hasn’t exactly followed the blueprint when it comes to training for such a challenge. And even if he did put in the hours pounding the pavement in the months leading up to this weekend’s run, he reckons his old teammates would be shocked to hear that he is taking part.
“I wouldn’t really class myself as a good runner and I’m sure a lot of lads within the league would back me up on that if they ever saw me in pre-season,” he said. Despite his lack of training, or running pedigree, Fitzgerald, who is running the course with his close friend and former Bohemians teammate Derek Pender, has a very strong motivation to complete the distance.
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He is raising money for a charity that is very close to his heart, Muscular Dystrophy Ireland, with the memory of his partner’s late cousin Josh Dillon very much in his mind. Dillon was capped for Ireland in power soccer before his untimely passing, just two weeks shy of his 18th birthday.
“Josh was a warrior. He showed more strength than a lot of people I know,” said Fitzgerald (35). “He always had a smile on his face. He obviously knew the condition he had and the implications and life expectancy. So to live the life he did, he was a stronger character than a lot of people.
“One thing that really stood out for me after he passed was how Muscular Dystrophy Ireland helped the family. They were great for counselling, all the stuff you don’t see. I always said if I ever did a marathon, I’d try to raise money for them.
“At that stage, I didn’t really have a plan to do a marathon. But when the opportunity came up not so long ago, I wasn’t too sure if I would go through with it.
“But I said to myself two weeks ago that if I put the Gofundme page up, it would mean I’d have to do it, it would put more pressure on me to get over the line.” Don’t worry; Fitzgerald has been training for longer than two weeks!
“I know friends who have done marathons,” he said. “A friend did the Chicago Marathon recently and he trained for a ridiculous number of hours a week.
“After the career I had, with the aches and bumps I got, I don’t think my body would be able to sustain that level of training. That, and family and work commitments. I just couldn’t give it that time.
“So what I’ve done is once a week I’ve done a long run, usually on a Sunday, and then if I could get out again for 5-10k a week, I’d do that. But more or less it’s been one run a week.
“The longest run I’ve done is 30k. I tried to do it about six weeks ago and my body broke down around halfway through. I started out too fast.
“Thank God I did that, because two weeks ago I went at a steadier pace and I got through it.” You won’t find too many marathon trainers who would advocate for Fitzgerald’s training programme - but few will be as motivated as the former footballer to complete the course.
“One of the big things is I want to prove to myself that mentally I am strong enough to get through it,” he said. “I’ve spent most of my life playing a team sport, where someone else can help you out if you get tired. Throughout my career there are a lot of players that I could thank for doing a hell of a lot of running for me.
“This is a different challenge, a different type of fitness. But the mentality aspect is going to be the hardest part. I found a keyring in my car the other day. It was a picture of Josh. I put it in my car after he passed away. I’m going to carry it with me on Sunday, stick it in my sock or something, just as extra motivation.
“So maybe when I’m out there, going through the pain, it will be a reminder that whatever I’m going through it’s nothing in comparison to Josh and so many people around the world. I’m in such a privileged position to be able to do this, to try to complete a marathon. It’s an honour, really, to be able to do that in Josh’s memory.”
You can find Lorcan Fitzgerald’s fundraising page by clicking here.
What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)?One in 5,000 new-borns around the world is affected by DMD every year. DMD is a genetic disorder characterised by the progressive loss of muscle. It also results in the deterioration of the skeletal, heart and lung muscles. With this disease, people will have a life expectancy into their 20s.
What does Muscular Dystrophy Ireland do?MDI's Youth Service Programme aims to support, encourage and enable young members to grow, develop and achieve their full potential through building confidence, self-esteem, resilience and empowerment. Its counselling and bereavement services are also key to sufferers and their families, and provides specialised emotional support. MDI offers short- and medium-term counselling free of charge.
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