'Running 21km without stopping was the confidence I needed to run a marathon'

Jillian Bolger started running in 2018 and plans to run in the Dublin Marathon this year.

A bad week at work in 2018 saw me clicking on a serendipitous ad for the Dublin Marathon. I’d just lost a lucrative work gig and figured ‘a project’ would cheer me up and make a welcome distraction. 

It took two months before I told anyone, even my husband, and another few months before I began training in earnest.

Having run the odd 10k for charity over the years I wasn’t exactly a runner, but I’d always enjoyed doing infrequent 5ks for exercise.

That May I downloaded a 20-week beginner’s marathon programme and followed it religiously, building up my kilometers each week. 

I still remember the fear I had going out to do my first 13km run. It seemed like such a distance to me back then.

I was nervous about failure, so didn’t tell many people about my endeavours until I had my first half marathon under my belt. Running 21km without stopping was the confidence I needed to spur me on. 

Crossing the Dublin finishing line in October 2019 was a highlight of my life. 

I trained on my own, ran it on my own, and despite a badly sprained ankle two weeks out, and malfunctioning audio and pacing app on the day, things went almost to plan.

Having sworn that I’d never run another marathon in my life, I signed straight back up for the next year. The euphoria and sense of achievement felt like nothing else I’d ever experienced. The pandemic meant the next Dublin marathon wouldn’t be until 2022; I didn’t train properly and finished slower than my first attempt.

I gave 2023 a miss but Aisling Gannon, my running buddy, has inspired me to get back out there again. Running with her and extended friends has seen me sign back up for the 2024 race. 

I’m going to run it solo though. I’ve got unfinished business with that clock, and can’t wait to earn that high all over again.