By Daniel Keegan
The half marathon. 21 kilometers of grit, determination, and sheer endurance. Many people compete in Ireland’s several half marathons each year, but even for the fittest individuals, the thought of running such a distance is daunting.
For type 1 diabetic, Aisling Ní Aogáin, she not only has to worry about running, but she also must worry about regulating and managing her chronic illness.
She describes how she began running not long after her diabetes diagnosis, which came at age 11.
“My parents used to take me to my local parkrun on Saturday mornings when I was about 12 and I really enjoyed them,” Ní Aogáin said.
“As I got older, I started running more. I progressed by doing 10k’s and then during the 2021 lockdown me and my sister trained and ran our own half marathon and then in 2023 I completed the Clontarf half marathon which I really loved and enjoyed,” she added.
On November 30, she will take part in her 2nd Clontarf half marathon. For her it’s much more than just the distance – it’s a statement showcasing that she can do incredible things regardless of her health misfortunes.
However, this isn’t her first phenomenal feat as a diabetic endurance runner. Her most remarkable race came in October 2024 when she completed the Dublin City Marathon in aid of Diabetes Ireland.
“In 2024 I decided I wanted to do a marathon. So, I applied for a charity spot and raised €1,500 for Diabetes Ireland and the whole experience of running the marathon was amazing,” Ní Aogáin said.
Although she thoroughly enjoyed the experience, she explains the struggles that came with managing her illness with the stress of training and running her first marathon.
“It was very difficult alongside diabetes trying to manage blood sugar and making sure I was well enough to run. If I had very high blood sugar levels, I would feel lethargic, ill and lack energy. If I had low blood sugar levels, I would feel very weak and faint and it would be dangerous for me to run,” Ní Aogáin said.
“For most of the run [marathon] I had high blood sugars because I was fearful I would have to stop and treat a low blood sugar, and I really didn’t want to interrupt the good momentum I had,”, she added.
She describes how having diabetes can make her feel lonely at times, but she is continually reminded that she is not alone in her quest to manage her condition while accomplishing other goals and accomplishments in her life.
“When I’m finding it difficult balancing life, running and diabetes it’s nice to remind myself that I’m not alone even though it can feel very lonely,” Ní Aogáin said.
“I follow a lot of people on social media with type 1 diabetes who run, so it’s a nice reminder that even with all the odds stacked against me to keep going,” she added.
The Clontarf half marathon is held twice annually in November and July. However, this year’s November race did not go according to plan. Aisling and fellow participants are left to wait an additional two weeks to complete the race as severe weather conditions from the arrival of storm Claudia resulted in the race being postponed.
The original race was due to take place on November 15.
Aisling didn’t let the poor weather dampen her spirits and is still eager to break her own personal records in the upcoming race.
“I chose to do the Clontarf half this year again because I know the route and the last time I did it, I didn’t really train for a time. So, this time I wanted to do a sub-2-hour half marathon,” Ní Aogáin said.
“Even though the race got postponed, I’m still really looking forward to trying and pushing my limits this time.”