Wednesday, Wexford to Gorey,

Thursday, Gorey to Rathdrum via Arklow

Friday, Rathdrum to Bray

Saturday, Bray to Fitzwilliam Place = DCM start line.

Sunday  is a rest day.

Monday Dublin City marathon from 1 Fitzwilliam Place to Merrion Square North.

Tuesday ….. ZZZZZZ   Sleep

Four road days to Dublin  I plan Saturday, the final road day of the world run to be a sort of a ceremonial run, a la Tour de France towards the capital! the fun will begin when we meet in the car park of the Wilton Hotel in Bray, Co. Wicklow, meet at 10am
About 18km to the start line of the Dublin marathon in Fitzwilliam Place
everyone is welcome. A very easy relaxed run and please expect lots of stops for tea, photos and fun  Everyone invited. If you are not a runner or even an injured runner or running the marathon please feel free to cycle with us

Route Press  HERE
Sunday will be a rest day. Monday the marathon and Tuesday I start my attempt on Rip Van Winkles record!!

Thanks to the Whitford House Hotel for a night of luxury in their executive suite. Two times round the world runner Jesper Olsen from Denmark has joined me and Michael in my suite. Shane Whitty the hotel’s General Manager has also very kindly provided Siobhan with a complimentary room so as she doesn’t get overloaded on our worldly tales! Thank you also Shane for a delicious steak dinner!

Just after Jesper arrived today he pointed out that today was the first time two around the world runners have actually met  He ran the last 5 kilometres with me.

Tonight Siobhan, Michael and this tired world runner are enjoying some serious luxury in the Brandon House Hotel in New Ross.

So far I have run almost 49,788.8 km in 1,149 road days in 4 years in 41 countries. Almost 1,200 marathons. I will finish my world run on Monday! Ah Yes finish on Monday, sounds so good

Today from Kilkenny to New Ross 40km

Tuesday 21st from Brandon House Hotel gates in New Ross, start 9am  to Wexford Town. Please come and run or if you are injured cycle with me

I had a nice stay in Kilkenny taking in a rest day with me and Michael staying in my cousin Eoin’s house. Also enjoyed meeting cousin Collette her husband John and aunt Mary. Also mam, sister Ann, John and Betty. Next city on the run will be Dublin On the run I will have visited all 8 Irish cities north and south. Belfast, Derry, Galway, Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Kilkenny and Dublin. County Kilkenny was county number 17 out of the 32 counties in Ireland.

Thanks also to Brandon House Hotel’s General manager Bettie-Marie Burger-Smit for making this kind offer of the complimentary stay to us

Next morning at breakfast she mentioned that for a charity event she walked from Belfast to Dublin. Bettie-Marie  suggested I should walk next year. Sorry I don’t have a bikini!

Please visit the hotel website HERE

Fittingly New Ross is steeped  in history from  president JFK’s family connections here. Well New Ross’s premier hotel though fit for a president is very much affordable for anyone wanting to take a short break.

Please check out these amazing deals

With Brandon House Hotel's General manager Bettie-Marie Burger-Smit

SPECIAL OFFER – 3BB & 2 Evening Meals Midweek

Friday 17th   37km Dungarvin to Waterford

Saturday 18th   50km  Waterford to Kilkenny.

Total 49,748.8km   for 1,148  road days.

Kilkenny to Dublin Marathon start line in Fitzwilliam Place =  209km as per my route.

Dublin Marathon = 42,2km  Total on marathon finish line = 50,000km

Press  HERE  for my route.

People may be wondering why Kilkenny is on my Irish route as it is inland. Reason being I got relatives here and promised before the run even began that I would run in and out of the city! So to keep family peace I had to keep that promise

Michael Gillan my support driver for the Australian leg has joined my support crew!

Michael has perfected  world famous recovery technique for athletes. His methods helped me cross Australia in a record time. His first assessment is that my leg and muscle condition is more or less exactly the same as it was almost a year and a half ago.

Welcome and thank you so much Michael Gillan to Ireland

6 Road days to the marathon finish!

19/10/2014  Sunday,  Rest Day in Kilkenny

20/10/2014  Kilkenny to Wexford

21/10/2014  Wexford to New Ross

22/10/2014 New Ross to Gorey.

23/10/2014  Gorey to Rathdrum via Arklow

24/10/2014  Rathdrum to Bray.

25/2014   Bray to Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin,(Dublin City Marathon start line)

26/10/2014  Rest day in Dublin

27/10/2014  Dublin City Marathon Start Fitzwilliam Place to Merrion Square North = Finish and 50,000 km  :)

Please press Here for route map for the remainder of my Ireland route. Please note my route is subject to change.

17/10/2014 Fri Dungarvan To Waterford

18/10/2014 Sat Waterford To Kilkenny

19/10/2014 Sun Rest Day in Kilkenny

20/10/2014 Kilkenny to Wexford

21/10/2014 Wexford to New Ross

22/10/2014 New Ross to Gorey.

23/10/2014  Gorey to Rathdrum via Arklow

24/10/2014  Rathdrum to Bray.

25/2014   Bray to Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin,(Dublin City Marathon start line)

26/10/2014  Rest day in Dublin

27/10/2014  Dublin City Marathon Start Fitzwilliam Place to Merrion Square North = Finish and 50,000 km  :)

My route to the Dublin Marathon start line is 338 kilometres and the DCM is 42.2 kilometres. Grand total when my foot hits the DCM finish line on Oct 27th will be exactly 50,000km and not a metre more. As someone said anymore would be showing off 

Tonight I am the guest of Jim Leahy father of Vicky and a friend of Rose who we stayed with in Carrickdale, Co. Louth. I very much enjoyed the chat, the jacussi  and delicious food and company. Thanks Jim

Before leaving Cork I paid a visit to a great friend John Buckley who not only has been a great supporter of my competitive career when he sponsored me several pairs of shoes and again here on this run.

John has also been a great help to athletics in the Cork area not to mention in Ireland. A man who has certainly made a payback to the sport he loved and had so much success. John made his mark as a cross country runner winning many titles including All Ireland Cross country champion, inter counties championships in 1968 and 1972. He also ran for Ireland in the World cross Country Championships in Cambridge, England in 1972.

So we had lunch and chatted for a couple of hours talking about the run, my future which is a prolific question these days! Athletics, will we see first the sub two hour marathon in our time, John’s running career. A lovely man, I could have chatted to him all day!

When I did run out Cork City this morning John escorted me on his bicycle. It was a dirty rainy day as we say in Ireland with poor visibility so I was delighted by John’s help which made the morning more bearable.

A knee injury put paid to his running career which also saw him post a 2,26 marathon without taking it seriously!

However the heavy rain soon cleared, the sun came out and many local runners took time off work to run with me in the afternoon as far as my finish in Castlemythr.

Thanks everyone but I cant be responsible for work production levels in the eastern Cork area!

Wednesday 15 October Cork to Castlemartyr 31.8km

Total Kilometres run: 49,619.8 for 1,145 road days

My route to the Dublin Marathon start line is 338 kilometres and the DCM is 42.2 kilometres. Grand total when my foot hits the DCM finish line on Oct 27th will be exactly 50,000km and not a metre more

16/10/2014 Thu CastleMyrtr to Dungarvan

17/10/2014 Fri Dungarvan To Waterford

18/10/2014 Sat Waterford To Kilkenny

19/10/2014 Sun Rest Day in Kilkenny

Thanks to the Gresham Metropole Hotel in Cork and manager Christine White for sponsoring tonights stay in Ireland’d second city,

Please visit their website on: HERE to book a wonderful stay in luxury.

Also thanks to Denis who ran with me today for arranging this and sponsoring my dinner tonight! Denis made a phone call to the hotel when he heard that my mam was in Cork by coincidence on a four day mini break with her senior citizens club and that they were staying in the Gresham Metropole! So tonight mam and me are in the same hotel and Siobhan is gone home for a couple of nights as Tuesday is a rest day for me.

Dinner with Mam in Cork

The day kicked off with a visit to my b&b, the Macliam Lodge in Clonakilty  from the mayor of Clonakilty.

Many local runners and friends came into the breakfast room for a chat much to the amusement of four English tourists who had a tough job trying to figure out what was happening at the next table!

Before I ran out of town with Denis, Meadbh and a couple of other runners I had to stop for coffee upon request at a cafe to sample my favorite morning tipple.

A visit to a butcher followed by an audience with the towns traffic warden, a Dub. Not really sure how he ended up in Clonakilty! Then another photo shoot at Martin Kelleher’s office. And then more photos outside Meadbh’s studio, Meadbh as mentioned inflicted that wonderful massage on me last night! She also described what ‘ Manipulative Therapy ‘ is to this poor idiot.

Meadbh's Manipulative Therapy or is she trying to strangle me!

Funny how men have a different understanding to this form of therapy as  practiced on them by the female gender. Or is it just me?  :)

So having run the ceremonial run out of town these runners went home and back to work except Denis. We commuted  to yesterdays  finish location, 12 kilometres down highway 71 towards Cork. Shortly afterwards. Then in Bandon ultra popular wheel chair athlete Jerry Forde hooked up with us.

I understand Jerry would only race last years Clonakilty marathon under the condition that two bikini clad women greet him on the start line. So Bob the marathons  popular race director managed to persuade Meadbh and another victim that freezing cold December morning last year to fulfill Jerry’s wish

We had a great chat as I ran and Jerry pushed his state of the art racing chair. He had raced the Charville marathon only the day before so I appreciated his huge effort coming out to accompany me to Cork city.

Another runner called Olivia though injured came out and cycled having taken a half day off work as did John. Thanks to all for such a memorable day. Siobhan drove the support car behind us on the narrow parts of the road sometimes with long tailbacks till we could let them pass.  I am delighted to say not one impatient or rude  honk.

Rolling down the highway.....Let it roll Jerry!

Jerry asked me many questions about the run, so lets just skip India! His eyes lit up when I suggested he should try wheel chairing it across Australia!

” Is it wheel chair friendly? ” he asked.

” Yes! I am sure it is as the road trains are less problematic on the Melbourne to Darwin route I took”

The weather has been fantastic so far. Just three half day of rain. About five or six days with about a shower lasting an hour. The temperatures are amazingly mild, the days sunny for this time of year. Could we possibly have Christmas dinner on the beach this year in Ireland. Global warming I guess is not all bad! Speaking of green issues. Today I heard what is perhaps the most bizarre comment on the whole run. Over breakfast someone mentioned they knew a woman who would not shower outside her own house as she only showers in her own home and only showers in filtered water!!! I wondered if this is lunacy but somebody suggested an allergy.

Regular readers to the blog know I have had the most incredible luck on the run and more than my fair share of breaks in the weather, long may it last

Having a great time here in Clonakilty where I got a great reception. Thanking everyone for all their help especially the proprietors of the Macliam Lodge John and Maeve O’Grady for this, I am having a nice relaxing evening. Also to the local Marathon Club for massive help. Also to Martin Kelleher for sponsoring dinner in a local hotel. And to Meadbh O’ Leary a local physical therapist for a much needed rub down. Meadbh did a good job on this old creaking carcass. She tells me there are at least 500km left in me before my legs fall off. She would not accept payment except a bowl of soup and a pot of tea when I invited her out to dinner on Martin’s voucher, Ah yes cheap skate Mangan

I will run 500! Thanks Meadbh.

So its two weeks to Dublin and I need to ease down for the marathon on the 27th!

Think I am over trained!  My easing down will consist of approx 400 road kilometres and three rest days en route

Living on a prayer

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My concrete legs seem to have lightened enormously since I made the great psychological turning at Mizen Head when I made a right turn for DUBLIN!!!!

It is as if I  had a leg shaving and someone with a kango knocked lumps off my two concrete leg  blocks.  Yes I can even run a bit faster these last few days

Today I finished 12 kilometres beyond Clonakilty on the road to Cork. I will arrive in the rebel county’s capital, Ireland’s second city  tomorrow and take a rest day on Tuesday.

Before leaving Clonakilty in the morning I will be greeted  by the local mayor, media and area runners. In the afternoon I will run with Jerry Forde an athlete I have heard so much about as he closes in on his 300th marathon! I look forward to this so much Jerry

Thanks so much to James Tobin who ran with me for four days and to Siobhan for commuting him and other runners back and forth. And for finding a pizza joint near Mizen Head!

Siobhan delivers the pizza near Mizen Head

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I see my Spot tracker did not update for long periods and as regular readers know Spot the so called world leader in tracking does not work after 50 clicks!! Imagine that. I suspect Spot have edited my Wikipedia page to say I am being tracked by their ‘ state of the art ‘  device. They make it sound like I am endorsing it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did not set this Wikipedia page up and do not have a wiki account. If anyone does have an account  and would like to do me a favour please edit this to ” Tony Mangan is tracked by a very unreliable and frustrating device which he promises he will throw into the river Liffey when he finishes his world run He says it reminds him of a Neil Young song…. ” Piece of Crap! ”

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Changing of the guards

11/10/2014 Sat Mizen Head to Ballydehob

12/10/2014 Sun Ballydehob to Clonakilty

13/10/2014 Mon Clonakility to Cork

14/10/2014 Tue Rest Day in Cork

15/10/2014 Wed Cork to Castlemaytr

16/10/2014 Thu CastleMyrtr to Dungarvan

17/10/2014 Fri Dungarvan To Waterford

18/10/2014 Sat Waterford To KilKenny

19/10/2014 Sun Rest Day in Kilkenny

Hi Everyone. In Kenmare and staying in the lovely backpackers called Failte Hostel where Maureen the very helpful owner kindly donated my 18 euro bed charge to my charity Aware.

Getting on well in Ireland. Everything just a bit too civilized! Same all across Europe! So many new readers to the blog and I cant even report a car honk at me!!

Time to look back into the archives for the new and old readers to the blog, a trip down memory lane, A run through Myanmar or Burma as we call it.

A country closed to the west but I managed to run across under police escort for 900km. Some amazing tales, people and photos. Please click on the link below and read separate blog reports from the bottom up.

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Press  HERE

If you want more or have a lot of time please read this link below before the one above. But whatever you do dont miss the one above

Press  HERE

08/10/2014 Wed Killarney to Kenmare
09/10/2014 Thu Kenmare to Bantry
10/10/2014 Fri Bantry to Mizen Head
11/10/2014 Sat Mizen Head to Ballydehob
12/10/2014 Sun Ballydehob to Clonakilty

For further information on the run, contact Blue Bubble Marketing.

siobhanclifford42@gmail.com
or
087-2931029

I just had a wonderful two days running in Kerry, the Kingdom as the All Ireland champions county remind me from time to time. Ah yes the friendly rivalry between Dublin and the rest of the country continues as one man says
” Tony the only Dub to do anything decent this year!!!! ”

Well folks I got my own back for that night I gave a motivation talk in the IT campus in Tralee. Also another friend Karen Weeks a researcher from a different department on the campus brought some of her students in and filmed the entire talk
It was organised by another Dubliner Marcus Howlett who has been living in Tralee  for many years now.
As we ran from Castleisland to Tralee, Marcus told me how he set up the ” Born to Run Marathon Club ” a couple of years ago. He was amazed there was no running club here. Once he held a race and presented the finishers with souvenir tee-shirts in the Dublin colours  :)
So it was with great pleasure I did a motivation talk in Kerry which was organised by another Dub who founded their running club!

The talk lasted about 90 minutes and seemed to go down well! Irish readers are well aware Dublin has 31 opponents from the 32 countries on this island.
That night Marcus put Siobhan and me up for the night in his apartment. Thanks Marcus!

So off I ran out of Tralee with Fozzy Forristal, no not an Italian, a Kerryman and Fergus another local runner. These lads had taken time off work as did Marcus yesterday.
I ran with two Irish adventure runners in Colombia in 2012, Paul Mahon and his girlfriend Hilary had been backpacking around South America and tracked me down after someone emailed them I was in the area. I was delighted when the joined me for two days but after they left it was a long year before the next runner joined me in New Zealand. So after that lonely running year I am always delighted to welcome runners on the road
Unfortunately Fergus had to leave early for a dental appointment but Fozzy stayed for the entire 34km day.

My total now is 49,335 kilometres  in 1,138 road days, still over a marathon average.
Austrian runner Thomas Bubendorfer who lives locally and has been following the blog from the start four years ago. Thomas  also took the day off work to come out and run 25km all the way to Kilarney
He is a tough trail runner who recently switched to 24 hours  and after winning the Belfast 24 hour race with almost 140 miles he has been selected to run for Austria.

He has proved he has the patience and persistence for the longer event when describing how he wooed his now Dublin wife Niamh whom he met in Austria while she lived there for a year studying German.
After returning to Ireland heart broken Thomas sent her snail mail letters every single day for two years till she relented. He assured me he never ran out of things to write about, at least a page a day! I told him he should have played hard to get and missed a couple of days! He said Niamh answered a few and she still has them in the attic!

They lived a long time in London before  Thomas found an IT job in Kerry. Four children later the rest is history as they say!

Thomas is a respected runner and a great source of ultra running advice and nutrition. Please google his name to come up with his blog titled ‘ Diary of a rubbish marathon runner ‘ Obviously tongue in cheek.
Though Thomas says his cousin who shares the same name is a world famous mountaineer and is often asked about his rubbish marathon career!

Tonight we are guests of Thomas, Niamh and family, thanking everyone.

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For more detail of my Ireland lap and photos please see Facebook pages for Tony Mangan and Siobhan Clifford

Not sure why my Spot tracking device is not tracking me. I have emaild Spot and await a reply.

Monday having lunch in Castleisland, Co Kerry. Finish in Tralee today

Hoping this will be resolved soon.