Mark Kenneally appointed Performance Endurance Lead

Athletics Ireland has appointed Mark Kenneally as it’s Performance Endurance Lead.  This is a key role within the High Performance team and Mark will have overall responsibility in driving the further development of the middle- and long-distance event groups in Ireland at the Performance level.

Mark was a highly successful distance runner and represented Ireland in the Marathon at the 2012 London Olympic Games.  He has lifetime bests of 13:36 for 5000m, 28:33 for 10,000m, and 2:13:55 for the Marathon.  Mark competed at seven European Cross Country Championships and four World Cross Country Championships, with a top finish of 8th in the Senior Men’s race at the 2009 Euro Cross in Dublin, Ireland’s highest ever placing in the senior men’s race.

Mark holds a PhD in Physical Activity and Sport from the University of The Basque Country where he investigated training intensity distribution and periodisation in elite endurance runners.  He also holds a Masters in Sports and Exercise Medicine from UCC and a graduate diploma in Exercise Physiology from Trinity College Dublin and is a Level 3 Endurance Coach.

Mark is a qualified physiotherapist and has held roles with Scarlets Rugby Club and, more recently, with Leinster Rugby. Mark also served as Head of Performance with League of Ireland side St. Patricks Athletics FC.  He currently owns The Performance Clinic in Celbridge providing physiotherapy and performance services.

Performance Director Paul McNamara states “I am delighted to welcome Mark intro this role which is critical to the on-going success of our sport on the international stage. Mark had an outstanding career as an athlete and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience along with a strong work ethic and a track record of professional success into this role.”

Mark Kenneally states “I am excited about taking on this new challenge and I’m keen to add value to what our coaches and athletes have been achieving in recent times.  Irish results at Euro Cross, U20's and U23's, and at European and World Champs have been on the rise, and I think there are a lot of athletes with potential to progress further again. I intend to, and look forward to, playing a role in this upward trajectory”.

Mark will commence in this role on September 25th.