Paul Pollock (born 25 June 1986) is an Irish Marathon runner from Holywood, Northern Ireland. He competed at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, finishing the marathon in 32nd position, in a time of 2.16.24.[1][2] He was the first Irishman home, followed by his teammates Kevin Seaward and Mick Clohisey. His time was the third-fastest by an Irish runner at an Olympic game. He also competed in the men's marathon at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.[3]
 Pollock, Berlin Marathon 2015 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 25, 1986 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m) |
| Weight | 9 st 6 lb (132 lb 60 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Ireland |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Marathon |
He first competed in a major championship in 2004 when representing Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, Australia. He finished 4th in the 1500 m. By 2017, he had 15 Irish caps, as well as having represented Northern Ireland on numerous occasions. He has competed on the world stage at each of the major global championships – Commonwealth Games, World Championships, European Championships, and Olympic Games.
In 2018, Pollock qualified to run in the Commonwealth Games marathon, but was forced to withdraw due to injury during training in Australia.[4]
Following his participation in the 2013 World Athletics Championships, he continues to write a monthly blog detailing his races and training. Having originally been a member of Abbey AC (Newtonabbey, Northern Ireland), he now represents both Annadale Striders (Belfast) and Kent AC (England).[5] He continues to train, coach, and compete, alongside working part-time as an Emergency Medicine doctor.
Championships Record
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Commonwealth Youth Games | Bendigo, Australia | 4th | 1500m | |
| 2005 | European XC Championships | Tilburg, Holland | 46th | XC (Junior) | |
| 2008 | European XC Championships | Brussels, Belgium | 57th | XC (U23) | |
| 2011 | European XC Championships | Velenje, Slovenia | 25th | XC | |
| 2012 | World Half Marathon | Kavarna, Bulgaria | 34th | Half marathon | |
| 2013 | World Outdoor Championships | Moscow, Russia | 21st | Marathon | |
| European XC Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 26th | XC | ||
| 2014 | European Outdoor Championships | Zurich, Switzerland | DNS | Marathon | |
| World Half Marathon | Copenhagen, Denmark | 30th | Half marathon | ||
| Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, Scotland | 16th | 10000m | ||
| European XC Championships | Samokov, Bulgaria | 23rd | XC | ||
| 2015 | European Indoor Championships | Prague, Czech Republic | Heats | 3000m | |
| European XC Championships | Hyeres, France | 45th | XC | ||
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio, Brazil | 32nd | Marathon | |
| European Outdoor Championships | Amsterdam, Holland | 17th | Half marathon | ||
| World Half Marathon | Cardiff, Wales | 14th | Half Marathon | ||
| European XC Championships | Chia, Sardinia | 36th | XC | ||
| 2017 | World Half Marathon | Gifu, Japan | 42nd | Half marathon | |
| World Marathon | Beppu-Ōita, Japan | 18th | Marathon | ||
| 2018 | World Half Marathon | Barcelona, Spain | 28th | Half marathon | |
| IAAF World Half Marathon Championships | Valencia, Spain | 77th | Half marathon | ||
| Commonwealth Games | Gold Coast, Australia | DNS | Marathon |
References
edit- ^ "IAAF: Paul POLLOCK Profile". iaaf.org.
- ^ "Belfast doctor Paul Pollock taking time out from medicine to run marathons at the Rio Olympics". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "Men's Marathon Results" (PDF). Tokyo 2020. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games: Paul Pollock ruled out of Gold Coast marathon". BBC Sport. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ McCausland, Malcolm (2 January 2018). "Annadale athlete Paul Pollock finishes 2017 on a high". The Irish News. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
External links
edit- Paul Pollock's Marathon blog
- Paul Pollock at World Athletics
- Paul Pollock at Olympedia (archive)
- Paul Pollock at Olympics.com
- Paul Pollock at the Olympic Federation of Ireland
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