DAVID MCGLYNN SAYS he is prepared to sacrifice the defence of his Irish marathon title if it means representing Ireland at this summer’s European Championships.

The Waterford athlete is in contention for selection on Ireland’s marathon team for Birmingham in August, with the final squad due to be confirmed on 27 July.

A place on the team would almost certainly rule the 26-year-old out of October’s Irish Life Dublin Marathon as he prioritises recovery following the championships.

“The marathon is a beast,” McGlynn said.

“If I’m selected for Europeans, I’ll give the body the proper time to recover. If I’m not selected, then I’d be delighted to be back on the start line in Dublin.”

McGlynn emerged as one of Ireland’s leading marathon runners last October when he finished fifth overall and first Irish athlete home in the Dublin Marathon, clocking a personal best of 2:10.59 in just his second attempt over the distance.

His breakthrough performance has put him firmly in the frame for European selection, and he believes Ireland can be competitive in Birmingham.

“Irish marathon running is booming at the moment,” he said. “If we send a full team of six, we’d be very strong. There’s no reason why we couldn’t have medal aspirations.”

While his performance in Dublin brought him national recognition, McGlynn says the foundations had been laid months earlier after running 62 minutes for the half-marathon in Barcelona.

“I always felt I was a good athlete,” he said. “The Barcelona race was probably my breakthrough performance but, because it happened abroad, it didn’t really get much attention.

“Dublin was different. It was on home soil, people were watching and it definitely built my profile.”

Growing up in Waterford, he played hurling with De La Salle and soccer with Villa FC before eventually committing fully to athletics.

He first took up running by following his older sister, Emer, to Waterford AC, where his father, Malachy, was also involved after running several marathons himself.

“I was really just copying my sister when I started,” McGlynn said. “I wasn’t especially good when I was younger. It wasn’t until I was 15 or 16 that things started to click.”

A scholarship to Providence College in Rhode Island helped develop his career before he returned to Ireland and settled in Dublin.

McGlynn after winning last year. Sam Barnes / SPORTSFILE Sam Barnes / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE

After an injury-disrupted start to the year, McGlynn says he is back training at full intensity ahead of what he hopes will be his first senior championship marathon.

Should he miss out on selection, a return to the Dublin Marathon remains a hugely attractive option. “It definitely holds a special place in my heart,” he said. “It was where I ran my first marathon and then obviously what happened last year.

“The atmosphere is incredible. You hear people shouting your name all the way around the course and it really gives you a lift. It gives you a real sense of home. Everything about the weekend feels comfortable.”

Among his favourite memories was seeing his parents, Bernie and Malachy, near the finish as he closed in on the Irish title.

“When I was hitting the front of the Irish race, I was thinking about making them proud. They’ve given me so much over the years to allow me to get to this point,” he said.

And his performance also continues to resonate back home in Waterford. “I was home recently and someone shouted congratulations to me from a car on the ring road,” McGlynn smiled. “They obviously hadn’t seen me since the marathon!

“Seven or eight months later people are still mentioning it. Waterford people really get behind their own and that’s been lovely.”

Reigning national marathon champion, David McGlynn was speaking as part of the launch of the 2026 Irish Life Dublin Marathon, which takes place on Sunday, 25 October 2026, and marks the 45th running of one of Europe’s largest city marathons, attracting 22,500 participants. The launch also marks the beginning of the race’s “Road to 50″ journey towards its 50th anniversary.