Kieran Towey

Kieran would appear to be game for anything. In 2008 he took himself off to Brazil, for an endurance, high altitude, charity fundraising bicycle challenge! He tells me he trained by completing circuits of the Phoenix Park. 

Kieran operates the successful Silver Granite Off Licence in Palmerstown.  It boasts one of Ireland's best run wine clubs. I don't think there's anyone in the trade who hasn't been asked to speak at the club at one time or another.

Before the race Kieran kept saying things like, "I don't know if I'm up to this lads", or " Do you think we'll make it?". At the same time he was smiling and I knew he just couldn't wait for the off. He's a keen sports fan and The Medoc was a challenge he just couldn't resist.

Is that an Arsenal bottle of wine?! Standards, Kieran. Standards!!

Kevin Ecock

I'm not a runner. I just fancy myself at everything! In my traiining pulled my neck out of whack and ripped a calf muscle. I was a wreck. That said I pulled my weekly training up to 20 road miles with 19 weeks to go. Two wrecked knees at 8 weeks to go and with four weeks left I was back on track again.  

I was chatting with Peter Boland at Cases Wine Warehouse in Galway recently. While he was telling me about his exploits at the New York City Marathon in 2008 he mentioned a 'marathon training' web site run by a chap called Hal Higdon. I ended up following his suggested Novice training schedule.

Bren Smith

Bren was our runner. We expected him to carry us over the finish line. He's young. He's fit and he actullay wanted to run this race long before we had even heard of it.

Bren works in his family wine business - Mackenway Distributors. I have known his Mum and Dad, Christine and Robert, for as long as I've been in the wine trade. That's a long 25 years. Over that time Mackenway has won and lost agencies; won and lost customers; won respect and kept friends in the trade. Their current wholesale list is impressive and well worth supporting.

We met with Bren at this years' Mackenway Portfolio Tasting. Somehow our conversation drifted around to The Medoc.  Getting boring eh?

It was great to have a real runner on board. We didn't hold him up because we weren't able to!