Dave Dunne - Club Champion 2006

1. What running shoes do you train in?

Asics Kayano

2. How many miles did you run last week?

None - rest is a very important part of my training programme...

3. What’s your favourite racing distance?

One mile

4. Where’s you favourite place to train?

Has to be Daingean with the option of the track or through the pitches

5. What’s your favourite race or event each year?

It would have to be Ballycotton 10 as I know the Cheltenham festival will follow soon after and the

Connemara half marathon is also on the horizon

6. What annoys you most at races?

The sight of a confident looking James Lundon

7. What race, that you haven’t yet run, would you most like to take part in?

The London marathon and I would also like to run the New York equivalent

8. What was your best-ever running performance?

I ran a 4 mins 50 secs for a 1,500 metres when I was in school. Recently I ran 5:15 for the mile. The goal

is to break the 5 minure barrier for the mile - I would want to dispense with these rest weeks .

The 2006 Athenry 5k club championship is up there also. The club has come a long way in a few years on the

back of the hard work of a few dedicated members and this has benefited all involved.

9. What was your worst-ever running performance?

The Dublin marathon - my one and only marathon. It took me just outside 4 hours to complete . My brother's

advice was to treat the marathon as two races, one to 20 miles and one of just over 6 miles. I began

having hallucinations at 18 miles...

10. What’s the strangest thing that you’ve ever seen on a training run?

There was a strange incident in the Ballycotton 10 three years ago and it does not reflect well on me. I

was running well and for the last 3-4 miles I was tracking our esteemed club member John O'Connor. I

planned to continue to track him until the finish was in sight and attempt to overtake him before he could

get a chance to come back at me. However with a mile to go a wheel chair runner fell out of the wheelchair

and John of course was one of a few to help him. My intentions were different and I saw it as an early

opportunity to get ahead of him. Yes I am ashamed but the gods made sure the matter was rectified and John

got back up to pass me before the line.

11. Favourite piece of running gear?

My Athenry AC singlet of course

12. Who would you most enjoy beating in a sprint for the line?

Too easy - See 6. above

13. What was the best bit of training advice you were ever given?

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

14. In ten years time will you still be running?

Some people might say I haven't started running yet

15. If for some reason you were told you could never run again, how do you think you’d react?

I do not want to think about it

16. Have you ever been bitten by a dog while running?

No, I was nicked by a swan on a run in Bushy Park in Dublin a few years ago

17. Have you ever had to stop for an emergency ‘Paula’ during a race?

I wish I could put down my Dublin marathon time down to a series of 'Paula's along the way but

unfortunately that is not the case

18. Favourite post-race food?

None really

19. Most embarrassing ever running-related moment?

It would probably come back to 'swangate' mentioned in 16. above. We were doing laps of the lake and after

my nick on lap 1 I refused a second lap. My running partner got a good laugh and he went for another lap.

The swan launched at him and we decided there would not be a third lap.

20. The greatest Irish Athlete of all time is/was?

It would have to be Sonia O'Sullivan