✨Paul O’Donnell will fly the flag for DSD and Ireland in the European Champs on Sunday 💙🤍❤️

Best wishes to DSDAC Paul O'Donnell who lines out in the marathon at the European Track Field Championships in Birmingham on Sunday August 16 - the final day of the championships.

Paul qualified for Birmingham when he ran  a superb personal best 2 hours 9 mins 19 secs for 18th place at the Seville Marathon last February. That time, in only his third marathon, not only knocked almost a minute off O’Donnell’s previous best, but elevated him to second on the all-time Irish list behind Fearghal Curtin who ran 2:07.45 last October in South Korea. He was later demoted to third place following Peter Lynch’s s magnificent time of 2:06.08  in the London Marathon last April. Only seven Irish men have broken 2 hours 10 minutes for the marathon. 

Not bad for a lad from Rathfarnham who started running while at school at De La Salle Churchtown, where he was also playing football. A teacher Paddy Mc Gabhann persuaded him to take running more seriously and he began training twice a  week and running in a few schools races. From 2013, Paul was a Marlay Parkrun ‘regular’ occasionally coming home first. In 2019, he would run a best of 15:15  for the course. 

By that time Paul had joined DSD having signed up in 2015 and his first ever race with the club  was the Dublin U18 Championships in the Phoenix Park. His coach was Donal Hennigan - and Donal remains his coach to this day. 

While at college in UCD, where he served as both  treasurer and men’s captain of UCD AC, O’Donnell competed in a number of events among them in the steeplechase. He graduated from UCD  with a degree in commerce in 2020. In December 2021, he ran at the European Cross-Country Championships and in 2022, he was part of the Irish team at the European 10,000m championships in Pacé, France. 

He moved to the USA in August 2022 studying for master’s in finance at Syracuse University. He competed on the college circuit and  completed his degree in May 2024. He would spend three years in the USA.

In March 2025, Paul made a low-key marathon debut at the McKirdy Micro-The Road to Tokyo race in Congers, New York State when he finished fourth in 2:10.17.A t the time, It as the fifth fastest time by an Irishman at the time. 

Seven month later,  O’Donnell was third Irishman in the 2025 Dublin Marathon, when despite the shifty winds he clocked a time of 2:12.17. Four months later, came his superb run in Seville.

Good luck on Sunday Paul!

Lindie Naughton

Donal Hennigan : “As a junior athlete Paul showed early promise over the longer 5/10 km distances so it is not surprising that he has come to excel at the marathon.

As a  junior Paul was spotted by the late Jerry Kiernan while working out at the Irishtown track. Jerry asked me who Paul was. I explained he was a junior who was showing good promise. ‘ He is extremely efficient and smooth - he will make a great marathoner one day!’ remarked Jerry.”

Paul O’Donnell Personal bests: 

Marathon 2:09.19, 15 February 2026, Seville, Spain

Half marathon; 64:46, 3 April 2022, Berlin, Germany

5 Miles road: 23:49, 26 January 2020, Raheny, Dublin

10,000m: 28:39. 11, 19 April 2024, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. 43rd in Irish rankings

3000m (indoors): 7:59.71, Boston, USA; 89th on Irish rankings.

3000m steeplechase 8:58, 17 , 14 August 2022

5000m: 13:43.09 (indoors), 10 February 2024, Boston Massachusetts; 71st on Irish rankings

Mile: 4:08.63 (indoors), 27 January 2023 Boston, USA

1500m: 3:54.22, 15 August 2021, Tullamore