It’s an absolute pleasure to welcome Alan Corcoran to Linda’s Book Bag today to tell me about an amazing sounding book.

Staying in with Alan Corcoran

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Alan. Thanks so much for staying in with me. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought my debut book – Marathon Man: My Life, My Father’s Stroke and Running 35 Marathons in 35 Days. I chose to bring along Marathon Man because the critics (Kirkus, Reedsy, LoveReading and IndieReader) enjoyed my Irish yarn, and I hope your readers might like to give it a read too.

That’s an incredible title Alan. What can we expect from an evening in with Marathon Man: My Life, My Father’s Stroke and Running 35 Marathons in 35 Days?

Marathon Man is my memoir centred around family and sports. The story covers my formative years in Ireland, beginning in a traditional memoir format. As it’s my life story, there are some unpleasant topics – painful teenage acne, premature deaths and my dad’s stroke. Don’t let those severe subjects put you off. I’ve balanced the heavy with the light, sprinkling regular doses of humour. Laughter is necessary if you want to run long distances. Kirkus Reviews says, “Corcoran treads lightly, keeping his sense of humour throughout.” Canadian Running Magazine has said my story is “hilarious and painful, and the accounts of each daily marathon are written in a charming Irish vernacular, increasingly joyful as the project nears completion.”

It sounds as if the book has arisen out of some tricky times for you but that you’ve got the light and shade in the book just right.

It’s those challenging life moments that shaped my character and ultimately led me to dream of running a 1,500-kilometre lap of Ireland for charity.

Sorry! Did you say 1,500 kilometres? I need to pick up my jaw from the ground. Tell me more.

Many thought it impossible to run 35 consecutive marathons since I’d never run a marathon or even a half-marathon. I was out to test common sense thinking. I gave myself just eight months to execute the dream, the fear of a repeat stroke making the seconds tick as loud as a grandfather clock.

Wow!

I take the reader on my crash course – a rollercoaster of endurance running, health, adventure and charity fundraising.

I implode during my trial by fire, trying my first 42.2-kilometre marathon at the start of the process, without training. The Dublin City Marathon was a welcomed kick up the arse to show me what can happen if you don’t respect the challenging distance. With the blaze ignited, I was off to learn the trade, building from a fifty-kilometre training week to attempting five straight 300-kilometre weeks around Ireland’s coast.

I am in awe of you Alan. I used to find it hard driving that far in a week for work, never mind running 300 kilometres.

I was apprehensive about sharing my work at first, but I think it’s important. I’ve been encouraged to pursue my passions through reading books and watching documentaries. I wanted to be part of that. Thankfully, Reedsy rewarded my efforts with five stars. Kirkus Reviews featured Marathon Man in their January 2022 issue. Both LoveReading and IndieReader bestowed my book with their logos kept for their favourite books.

Now, I just need to get ‘Marathon Man’ to readers.

That’s just brilliant. Congratulations on the success you’ve had so far. I hope more readers find Marathon Man following our chat.

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought a photo of comedian Eddie Izzard. Eddie ran 43 marathons in 51 days, raising £250,000 for Sports Relief. This accomplishment was brought to my attention by a TV documentary series – ‘’Eddie Iz Running’. The achievement left me flabbergasted, and the story entertained and inspired me. It’s a pivotal part of my story. By publishing my tale, I hope to replicate Eddie, passing on the baton of inspiration and creating a few smiles along the way.

Isn’t Eddie an inspiration? I loved that documentary. I chose Eddie as one of my fantasy guests for a dinner party so perhaps next time all three of us can chat about Marathon Man. Thank you so much for staying in with me to tell me all about it. I think Marathon Man sounds a brilliant read. 

Marathon Man: My Life, My Father’s Stroke and Running 35 Marathons in 35 Days

Marathon Man is an uplifting story of an extraordinary achievement – all the more inspiring given that the author was an inexperienced long-distance runner and only 20 when embarking on his mission to run 35 marathons in 35 consecutive days. Alan Corcoran’s response to the shock of his dad’s stroke, was to get active, create positive from negative and raise money for charity.

Alan faced many obstacles along the road – beyond the sheer physical endurance challenge of running 1,500 kilometres around Ireland’s coast. He candidly submerges the reader into his world with an endearingly light touch, showing how through sheer perseverance, you can achieve your objectives. Alan’s Irish humour, positivity and pure determination shine through this new sports memoir.

Whatever your challenge, this motivational book will show you that you can succeed.

Marathon Man is available for purchase here.

About Alan Corcoran

Alan Corcoran is an Irish endurance adventure athlete. Competing as an Irish international track and field athlete as a juvenile, he switched to ultra-endurance at twenty, when his dad suffered a stroke. Alan has since fundraised €45,000 for stroke and cancer charities through his resilience challenges. Alan became the first person to run a lap of Ireland – 35 marathons in 35 consecutive days. On his second attempt, he became the first person to swim the length of Ireland – a 500-kilometre sea swim.

For more information about Alan, visit his website or follow him on Twitter @35MarathonMan, Facebook and Instagram.