Running for The Joy

Mounty prisoners 'on the run' isn't a phrase that alarms Eddie Mullins on Saturday mornings, with the governor of the Dublin prison an advocate for the athletic endeavours of inmates within the confines of the facility.

Mullins regards the five-kilometre race as unique in terms of parkruns.

To begin the morning, the prison officers now bawling "on your marks, get set, go" – a jingle jangle of runners setting off around the old grounds, providing a welcome break from the mundane reality of their incarceration.

"We are very proud of the parkrun," said Mullins, speaking on this week's RTÉ Running Podcast. "We introduced it just back before Covid.

"It’s a boring enough route as it’s seven and a half laps, but it’s quite unique as you are running alongside the wall, there is a high wall on your left-hand side as you run all around the prison."

Such is the popularity of the weekend race, Mullins used it as an opportunity to add a sense of normality to the Mountjoy parkrun by bringing people in from the community to run alongside the inmates, something that he believes has helped the prisoners and the perception of those who visit.

"Initially it started off just for prisoners every Saturday morning at 9.30am and then we saw an opportunity to start bringing people in from the community," said Mullins.

"We have about 20-25 people come in to run with the prisoners every Saturday morning.

"It’s a competitive run. Some of our prisoners, who are seasoned parkrunners, always want to win and if we have people in from the community, they want to beat them, so that creates a buzz and an energy."

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