This weekend's Documentary on Newstalk tells the story of 83 year-old Limerick man John Collins, who has become known as The Marathon Man, through his participation in many National and International marathons over his life. It's a personal story of a charismatic and determined man, and paints a compelling portrait of the discipline and tenacity of the marathon runner's life...
In ‘The Marathon Man’, Producer Ciarán Ryan tells the story of the extraordinary achievement of a seemingly ‘ordinary’ man. John Collins, from Limerick city, who set off on the 27th of October 2014 to complete his 30th consecutive Dublin City Marathon. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that John is now 83 years old, having only taken up running in his fifties.
In this documentary, John reminisces about his three decades of marathons, as he ponders whether this will be his last time to complete the gruelling 26.2 mile distance. Hear stories from New York, Boston, and Ballycotton of John’s adventures at various running events, and meet his club mates that meet weekly at the Country Club on the Old Cratloe Road outside Limerick city, where John is a very popular member and friend.
In the lead up to the 2014 Dublin City Marathon, John became a viral sensation as an online video which featured his story amassed over 200,000 hits, and was shared by local and national media. Find out how John dealt with the attention, and why he turned down appearing on one of Ireland’s biggest television shows in ‘The Marathon Man’!
While the documentary examines John’s past marathon exploits, the focus is very much on his preparation for the 2014 Marathon, and it follows him over the weekend in Dublin to various locations around the city. Discover what happens the day and night before a marathon, and why John Collins started at the front of almost 15,000 marathon runners only in ‘The Marathon Man’, this weekend on Newstalk 106-108fm.
‘The Marathon Man’ will be broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm this weekend, Saturday 18th April at 7am, and repeated at 10am on Sunday 19th April.
BROADCAST DETAILS:
‘The Marathon Man’ is part of the Spring Season of Documentary on Newstalk.
‘The Marathon Man’ can also be listened to online at: www.newstalk.com
Podcast available at: www.newstalk.com/documentaryonnewstalk after the broadcast.
