42 not out - Dublin marathon queen Mary Nolan Hickey ready to go again

For Mary Nolan Hickey it's the change of seasons that is the stark reminder of what lies in store. With the last of the summer days slipping into the rearview mirror, the 71-year-old braces herself for her annual challenge on the October Bank Holiday weekend.

"When I see the leaves falling off the trees, it sends a shiver down my spine. Oh my God, it’s marathon time again," she tells RTÉ Sport.

The 71-year-old has laced up the runners for every single Irish Life Dublin marathon, one of just 40 women that took to the streets of the capital for the inaugural race in 1980.

The only female in a group of 11 that have competed all 42 marathons (2020 and 2021 were run as virtual races), the Wicklow woman is pragmatic over the future of the record.

"It’s not funny, but I say to people, we are not dropping out, we are dropping dead."

Last year was touch-and-go. Two bouts of Covid on top of an Achilles injury – she was receiving treatment right up to the day itself - hampered her preparation to the extent that she wasn't sure she’d make it to the finish on Merrion Street.

The plan was to run to Phoenix Park, and from around five or six miles, to fall into a walk/jog pattern.

On the day however, a combination of her own resolve and the support en route, saw her exceed her own expectations.

"I didn't walk until halfway…and I only walked for parts with an incline," she says.

The injuries have become more of a challenge to overcome, the days of slogging it out and racking up the miles part of the past. Training now is primarily to keep things ticking over.

There is a familiarity with the calendar. After the exploits in Dublin, all running is shelved until after Christmas, but once the New Year comes around, the first early tentative steps are