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Limerick’s Ava Crean becomes youngest ever Irish National Marathon Champion in Dublin
Limerick runner Ava Crean pictured approaching the finish line at the Dublin Marathon
Limerick runner Ava Crean Wins National Title at Dublin Marathon months after her running debut
Nineteen-year-old Limerick runner Ava Crean made history at the Dublin Marathon by becoming the youngest ever winner of the women’s national title, finishing as the first Irish woman across the line in a personal best of 2:34:11.
Ava was one of 22,500 entrants who took part in the 44th Dublin Marathon and the sports and exercise science student from Mungret, Co. Limerick, currently studying at University Academy 92 in Manchester, finished sixth overall.
Her time marked a remarkable nine-minute improvement on her previous best of 2:43:26, set this past May at the Regeneron Great Limerick Run.
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Ava’s victory came as a major surprise, as she defeated defending champion Ann-Marie McGlynn, who finished eighth overall in 2:36:24, despite battling back from a recent hamstring injury. Nichola Sheridan of Meath took the bronze in 2:39:56, also a personal best.
Ava and McGlynn — separated by 26 years in age — ran side by side until the halfway mark in what became one of the day’s most compelling duels. McGlynn, aiming for a third consecutive national title, praised her young rival after the race.
For Ava, the win capped a meteoric rise in Irish distance running. Having only taken up running during the Covid-19 pandemic, she initially trained on a treadmill because she was “too embarrassed to run outside,” often stopping every 500 metres.
After running her first marathon in Manchester in April (2:49:00), she entered and came first for ladies in the Regeneron Great Limerick Run just a week later, before beginning structured training under Limerick coach John Kinsella from Back 2 Boston in preparation for Dublin.
Ava carried on her incredible form from her victory at the 2025 Regeneron Great Limerick, adding another title to her amazing performance earlier in the year. Ava set the milestone of becoming Back 2 Boston’s first female winner as she finished with the incredible time of 1:15:22 at the prestigious 2025 Charleville Half Marathon.
“I honestly can’t believe this,” Ava said after the race. “When I started running, I never dreamed I could do something like this. Looking back, I couldn’t have done it without my coach. All the hard work paid off.”
Despite her rapid rise, Ava remains grounded. With the Boston Marathon already on her race calendar, Ireland’s newest star looks set to continue her extraordinary journey from treadmill runner to national champion.
Congratulations Ava! Limerick is rooting for you!
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