WATCH John Kinsella shares how the Regeneron Great Limerick Run “totally changed” his life

John Kinsella shares how the Regeneron Great Limerick Run “totally changed” his life. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Southill native, John Kinsella, shares the inspiring story of how the Regeneron Great Limerick Run helped change his life

Limerick runner, John Kinsella, set out on a new running journey in 2015 when he took part in the Regeneron Great Limerick Run, kicking off his path with the simple goal of losing weight.

Speaking at the launch of the Regeneron Great Limerick Run, taking place on Sunday, May 3, over the May bank holiday weekend, John shared his inspiring story with I Love Limerick. Born and raised in Southill, John entered the 205 Great Limerick Run with two goals in mind: To lose weight, and to reach the finish line.

 ”I stood on the start line at the Greatly Mac run back in 2015, I wasn’t expecting anything,” John told I Love Limerick, adding, “I just wanted to finish it. And I ended up running a fast time, and people said, ‘Whoa, that’s an amazing time, if you keep running and training, you could probably qualify for Boston.'”

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John accomplished both goals, losing four stone before the race – going on to lose six stone in total, almost 32 kilograms – and finishing the run with an impressive time, which motivated him to take his newfound love for running to a new level.

“So I went on this mission to try run and qualify for Boston. I did, and I ended up representing my country as an international mountain runner. The race has totally changed my life!” John said.

Encouraging others to take their first steps, John said, “ The power running has on people, it’s a great tool for giving people a bit of belief in themselves. And if you think about the Boston Marathon, I grew up hearing stories of Boston, and I never thought it was going to happen for me, and then I found running, and it let me believe in myself again. So I want other people to feel that and believe in themselves. And all you need to do is put one foot in front of the other.” 

He also coaches teenage athlete Eva Crean who has taken the running world by storm in Ireland and has recently been announced as the Limerick St Patrick’s Day Parade grand marshal. John said, “ First of all, we have to thank you because it was your interview after the Great Limerick Run. I had seen this little girl and she said, ‘I did two marathons’, and I was like, ‘No, you can’t do that as a coach’.

“So I reached out to Eva after that, I said, ‘I seen you on TikTok, but it’s not a good idea’. We met for coffee a couple of days later and the rest is history.”

Since then, she has set six national records across the 10k, half-marathon and marathon. Just 19, she has already won the Great Limerick Run and continues to bring medals home to the city.

John has aimed to spread his love for running in the local community with the Back2Boston project, a community-driven initiative aimed at guiding runners from disadvantaged areas to show how the activity can change lives, with the overall aim of competing in the prestigious Boston Marathon.

Led by John Kinsella of Southill — the only man over 40 to have completed all six World Marathon Majors in under 2 hours and 30 minutes — the Back2Boston project brings together participants from Southill, Weston, Moyross and beyond.

The Regeneron Great Limerick Run 2026 was officially launched at the Limerick Strand Hotel, with this year’s event once again expected to attract record-breaking participation over the May Bank Holiday Weekend, with registration now open online.

Following last year’s phenomenal success, which saw over 18,000 participants take part across the weekend, organisers are preparing for another milestone year as the event continues to grow in scale, popularity, and impact.

The Regeneron Great Limerick Run is widely regarded as the largest mass participation sporting event outside of Dublin and is an event in the Limerick Calendar, generating significant social, cultural, and economic benefits for the city and region.