The first year I did the Donadea 50k, I was a nervous wreck before it. I HAD to get in under the 5 hours, and there were genuine doubts throughout that I would. The finish that year would match any race I have done as I got in with 12 mins to spare (watch HERE).

I surprised myself last year, just as nervous, as I got a 6 minute PB and got in under 4 hours and 43 minutes.

This year, I wasn’t nervous at all.

I was chatting away to so many people I knew over the previous few years or who I knew through the Any Given Runday podcast. It was a great event even before it had officially started.

That wasn’t why I wasn’t nervous

I wasn’t nervous because I knew what was to come. Under 5 hours was unlikely.

And I was more than ok with that.

But I wasn’t going to go out without at least trying!

I Knew What Was Coming

It wasn’t for a lack of confidence

The volume in the legs was simply not there. wasn’t there. The niggles were there. I’d done a 30K two weeks out and then very little after that.

You can’t out motivate under preparation.

You can’t just will yourself to get the result if you haven’t put in the work. I had put in the work in the previous years, so when I started to suffer, I knew that I could push through it. This year, I knew I couldn’t, and the suffering started early in the race

There’s a reason progressive overload exists. Using the 10% mileage rule so you do it without getting injured. And getting injured was the last thing I wanted to come out of the race with

So when the pace started drifting beyond 6:00/km around 30–35K, I knew. No drama. No panic. Just acceptance.

And once that pressure was gone?

I enjoyed it… ok, I didn’t accept it straight away

Great support this year for the race! Be sure to listen to episode 317 of the podcast for Eric’s view on the race

The Humbling Middle Laps

The Donadea 50k consists of 10 x 5k loops around the forest. All the running crews are gathered along a few hundred metres at the start of each lap, creating a great atmosphere.

And it is buzzing from the very start! Despite everyone knowing what’s ahead of them, everyone is in great form. The chats are flowing throughout the first few loops. Even when you are getting passed by the leaders midway through lap 2, you just have to appreciate how easy they make it look!

At 90 minutes, just starting loop 4 of the race, I remember thinking how quickly the time had flown by. I’d swear I was only running 45 minutes at that point.

The loops aren’t tedious. Done right, they are an advantage. Knowing when to fuel. Taking off layers after a cold start to the race. There’s a lot to keep your mind occupied throughout each loop. Even a place to change runners… although starting the race with the same trail runners I did Art with was probably a mistake. I felt like I wasn’t fit enough to test the carbons.

Just stay under the 6-minute pace, and there’s a chance, I thought.

But I was feeling the lack of training early enough.

By 25km, I had only built a 3-minute cushion, and that cushion was the same as on the previous lap. I was slowing down.

There’s something around lap 6-7 where the mood starts to change a little.

The elites are starting to wrap up the race. You know you’ve got another few hours as you really start to enter the hurt locker.

While I had kept quiet and thought I had accepted not getting the race finished before the 5 hour cut off, it was starting to sting a little as I realised that I wasn’t going to finish in time today.

There was no way my next 20km would be at a faster pace than my previous 30km. Even when I really struggled in my first year, I had built a bigger cushion than 3 minutes.

And as more people arrived at my table, I was short with them coming in for fuel before heading back out again.

Then I caught myself.

“You’ve no business attempting this but you’re still getting a 50K training day in one of the best races of the year. Don’t do anything silly to get injured and enjoy the race and everything that follows.”

And that’s what I did.

The 5-Hour Cut-Off

I had started loop 9 at 4 hours and 3 minutes. The mood had picked up as a lot of people on the loops were into their last lap. Technically, I still had a chance, but I knew I hadn’t got my fastest 10k of the day in me at that point. So I did what I could and started loop 10 with 24 minutes left on the clock.

On a normal day, a 24-minute 5 K is very achievable. Not after the previous 45km.

I was far enough into the loop not to hear all the cheers for the last few people to get over the line under the 5 hours mark, including the last one across to receive their bowling trophy.

Or even the first one after the 5 hours, to get their dry robe of shame, which I would hear about after the event.

At this stage, I was walking/jogging. Pretty sore but happy that I was about to tick off another 50k.

My ego told me not to attempt it. The nerves of the previous few years dreaded this moment… crossing the line with Beck’s Loser or Dry Your Eyes playing out.

As I approached the final stretch to the finish line… I had walked the previous 100m to make sure I could shuffle through this part… I could hear a few “here he comes now”…

The video will explain the finish better than I could - Watch HERE

Still happy out despite missing the 5 hour cut off

And it was actually grand! It sounds so cruel, but it’s all in good taste!

I was surprised that I still got a medal tbh. But my legs had done 50k. And even though it wasn’t as fast as previous years, I had still done 50k.

And like Mark, the MC said as I crossed the finish line, you could hear all about it on the Any Given Runday podcast.

Trying to do a little bit of everything has caught up to me. Hyrox in December, Art O’Neill in January, into the 50k and Barcelona Marathon next month, I feel like I need to pull back and build up properly, but that’s a blog for another day.

Donadea 50k is still a race I could not recommend enough to anyone who has approached the marathon distance.

“Don’t get a picture with that loser!” - MC Mark

The winter training is not fun. Especially in Ireland, where it always seems to be miserable, cold and wet conditions to get the run in.

But it’s a fantastic payoff.

And while I wasn’t quick enough over the weekend, I was quick enough to get an early bird ticket for 2027!

Donadea 50k Round 3 - 2026 review

Sean Coffey