Wexford secondary school teacher Ger Forde has spoken about the mental side of running the Dublin marathon, particularly the long stretches where a competitor can feel completely alone. In his view, there are sections of the course through Phoenix Park where the crowds thin out and runners are left on their own with their thoughts. Those quiet kilometres demand as much from the head as from the legs, and Forde describes the experience as a genuine battle. His comments come after a strong showing abroad. At the 2026 Chicago Marathon he finished 52nd, a respectable placing in one of the biggest big-city races in the world. Juggling full-time teaching with elite training means his weeks are tightly packed. Between the classroom and the road there is little spare time left. His experience suggests that running 26.2 miles well is as much about managing loneliness as about managing pace.