Caption: Padraig Clark, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kelly. 

By DARAGH SMALL

 

They are an elite group, just half a dozen remain and between them they have amassed over 11,000km but Martin Kelly is the youngest still running the Dublin Marathon, 45 years later.

Back in 1980 his late mother, Nora, signed a form that gave him permission to run in the first instalment alongside around 2,500 others.

He clocked his personal best as an 18-year-old the following year, the time of 2.47 still stands as he steps out on Leeson Street this Sunday, looking to get around and continue a fine tradition.

Kelly’s Dublin PB has him among the top 1% of marathon runners worldwide, while his four hole-in-ones on the golf course paint the picture of someone who has lived a life less ordinary.

Rory McIlroy, who completed his Career Grand Slam in Augusta this year, has only made three hole-in-ones in his professional career, and Kelly was chauffeuring the aforementioned Masters champion around The K Club last month.

“I retired from Aviva a couple of years ago, I always liked driving and worked at The Open for the last 15 years, I drive one of the courtesy cars,” said Kelly.

“I’m not the type that when you say you’re retired, you sit at home with the slippers on. I just enjoy driving and you meet all sorts of different people.

“It gets you out and about and no two days are the same, you call it yourself if you’re busy. I work for two or three companies, and they ring you and say how are you fixed next Monday or Tuesday? If I’m available, grand, we’ll send you on the job and come up and collect the car. It’s turning a hobby into a bit of a business.

“This year I got a lovely opportunity at The K Club. Rory McIlroy was fully-kitted with his green jacket, he was going over to a function on the Thursday and myself and one of the other lads were tasked with bringing him.

“He’s top class. Technically you’re not supposed to ask for photographs and autographs but getting out of the car he said: ‘lads would you like a photograph?’

“You’re never going to turn down an opportunity like that. They’re the sort of things, as a golfer, you really appreciate.”

 

 

Kelly also volunteers with Golf Ireland while he is Captain at Forrest Little in North County Dublin, where he has been a member for almost 50 years.

He grew up in Cedarwood, near Glasnevin Avenue, just around the corner from Bono. The U2 lead singer also has a link to Forrest Little, his father Bob was a member of the golf club.

Kelly’s interests always lay more in the outdoors, and although he attended a rugby-playing school he preferred golf and athletics.

“I left school in 1980, and around that time, you rarely travelled away to run foreign marathons, unless you had a chance of winning it,” said Kelly.

“2FM had just launched then and they were promoting it on a Monday evening. Noel Carroll was a very famous Irish 800 meters runner and involved in Dublin City Council.

“Chris Brasher and himself travelled to one or two foreign marathons and they both said: ‘wouldn’t it be great if we could run a marathon in Dublin and London?”

 

 

The first Dublin Marathon took place in October 1980 followed by the first London Marathon in April 1981.

The initial Dublin route went through Phoenix Park, Cabra, Finglas, Glasnevin, Santry, and Raheny, with Raheny’s Dick Hooper victorious.

Kelly would go on to join Raheny Shamrocks and will proudly represent them again this weekend.

“I ran the first 20 years on my own,” said Kelly.

“I used to run from home when time permitted, I didn’t really have any great training programmes, it was purely recreational.

“Being in October, the Dublin Marathon gave you an opportunity to do a good bit from May, June on so you were going out, could do the early morning or late evening runs. It just came at a nice time of the year in terms of training, so I did the second one.

“It was never my intention to set any consistency records, it was only after about the tenth one that the organisers began to let us know, at that stage there was probably about 100 of us who had done the first the first ten.”

 

 

That number whittled down over the years while Kelly was persistent and returned time and again, even as the Dublin Marathon went virtual for two years during Covid-19. He has also run almost 20 international marathons.

Different challenges arise from year to year, just getting to the start line is its own accomplishment, and this year his captaincy in Forrest Little meant it was even more difficult to find the time to clock up the kilometres.

“I’m sort of part of the furniture, it’s very enjoyable,” said Kelly.

“Like every golf club, you give a bit and get something back, and I’ve been privileged to have been a Captain for 2025. The support that we've received, the captaincy is something special, I really enjoyed it.

“But the long runs have been very sporadic. I’ve run a couple of 16, 17, 18 miles and you’re saying to yourself, if I can run 18 miles, we worry about the rest on the day.”

Kelly has been busy behind the wheel too and having had everyone from Tiger Woods to Bryson DeChambeau in his car, he was ferrying around some more blockbuster names at Royal Portrush this year.

“I would have driven Scottie Scheffler a few times, Matt Fitzpatrick as well,” said Kelly.

“You pick your moments but when they hear the Irish accent and our respect and love of the game it comes through.

“A lot of them come over here and play tournaments pre-The Open anyway, particularly when it’s in Portrush, so they all have quite a good knowledge of the magnificent golf courses around the country.

“But also, our love of sport and, the respect that we give all the players, it’s been very enjoyable and when you’re a golfer, it’s just nice to be involved inside the ropes, in a manner of speaking.”

But this weekend, Kelly will have one focus and that will be returning to the streets of Dublin and taking another step towards a fantastic 50.

 

 

“It’s probably a little bit of pressure every year, but as long as you can put one foot in front of the other and enjoy it,” said Kelly.

“It was a good event in the early years but it’s become one of the best organised marathons and particularly since they’ve moved it to the Sunday.

“It sells out, which it didn’t in the early years. You could literally enter it on the day before and get your number but those days are long gone. It’s a wonderful event and nice to be part of it every year.

“I’ve done nothing different any year, apart from the fact that I’m a year older every time and the nearest I’ve got since (his personal best) has been a 3.08 and 3.10.

“But for the last 10, 12 years, I’ve been down around 3.35, 3.40, that sort of number.”