Eoin (right) and Tommy Hughes show off their medal collection.
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In October 2019 Eoin Hughes crossed the finish line of the Frankfurt Marathon, and in the process set a Guinness World Record.
His 2 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds was speedy, and out of reach for most of us mortals – though not quite the fastest run the world’s ever seen. So, what made the Northern Irishman’s run so special?
It was the fact that Hughes had taken the final strides of the 26.2 mile race only minutes after his Dad, Tommy, who was at the finish line to greet his son.
Completing the marathon in a Guinness World Record-setting combined time of 4 hours 59 minutes and 22 seconds, they are now the fastest father-son duo in history – though it will take a further six months for the bid to become official.
As the County Derry pair gear up to try and better their own world record at the London Marathon in October, City News sat down with the younger Hughes to hear what he’s learned along the way.
Eoin Hughes steps into the record books at the 2019 Frankfurt Marathon
Eoin, 37, came to the running game late, starting at the age of 31 despite his dad, Tommy, being an Olympic marathoner – representing Ireland at the 1992 games in Barcelona.
It was only in 2016 that he really got into his running when he entered a “wee small local 10k” in his hometown of Maghera in Northern Ireland, and was surprised by his performance.
“I did okay in this race, and at the time I smoked as well and I was like okay.
“I think I came third in that local race, and for somebody that didn’t run, it was pretty good.”
This got Hughes thinking about what he might be able to achieve, and he asked himself “could I get better the next day?”.
After that performance Hughes quit smoking – the very next day. He went to work without his cigarettes and hasn’t looked back.
He learned that asking just one simple question, ‘could I?’, may have a profound effect on the course of his life.
An early thirst for a Guinness World Record?
Eoin says the Guinness book of world records was an annual Christmas gift in the family home, and it was “always something I’ve looked at”, which makes his record-setting marathon such a rewarding achievement.
“To be able to attempt one and to be able to get the actual certificate which is in the living room now is amazing.”
It seems it’s the childhood memories being realised as an adult that make this special. But it’s also sharing the record with the person who introduced him to that book.
Eoin (left) and Tommy Hughes at the finish line of the Frankfurt marathon. They completed the event in a combined time of 4:59:22.
“If you could choose anybody you want to achieve these sort of things with, it would obviously be family. ”
“For my dad to be there waiting for me at the end as he beat me that day. And you know it was, it was amazing and to have just a big hug afterwards was brilliant ”
“If I have a goal to aim for, I can stay motivated, if I don’t it’s harder.”
Since that record-setting day in Autumn 2019 the pandemic has largely put the opportunity to run competitively on hold, but Eoin and Tommy are hoping to race again at London in October as events return.
Eoin says that training through the lockdowns wasn’t easy.
“It was very, very hard to keep motivated because you were training for nothing and you had nothing to show for it. ”
But he indicates that from this experience he’s learned some valuable lessons.
“If I have a goal to aim for, I can stay motivated, if I don’t it’s harder.
“We are coming to London again next this year to do the marathon, so that’s I think 15 weeks away now so that gives me a good training block now just to the motivation, will just come back straight away now that have a big gold aim for.”
Mindset?
As a final lesson from his running career, Eoin reflects on the process of trial and error on his journey to success, and that he tries to embrace this.
“They say the whole way down this pyramid is all your low bits, so there’s a lot of low bits to get to that high bit, and I always like that picture.”
Short HeadlineBreaking a World record with your Dad?!
StandfirstThe Northern Irish marathoner shares a Guinness World Record with his Dad, and he tells City News what he’s learned along the way.
In October 2019 Eoin Hughes crossed the finish line of the Frankfurt Marathon, and in the process set a Guinness World Record.
His 2 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds was speedy, and out of reach for most of us mortals – though not quite the fastest run the world’s ever seen. So, what made the Northern Irishman’s run so special?
It was the fact that Hughes had taken the final strides of the 26.2 mile race only minutes after his Dad, Tommy, who was at the finish line to greet his son.
Completing the marathon in a Guinness World Record-setting combined time of 4 hours 59 minutes and 22 seconds, they are now the fastest father-son duo in history – though it will take a further six months for the bid to become official.
As the County Derry pair gear up to try and better their own world record at the London Marathon in October, City News sat down with the younger Hughes to hear what he’s learned along the way.
Eoin Hughes steps into the record books at the 2019 Frankfurt Marathon
Eoin, 37, came to the running game late, starting at the age of 31 despite his dad, Tommy, being an Olympic marathoner – representing Ireland at the 1992 games in Barcelona.
It was only in 2016 that he really got into his running when he entered a “wee small local 10k” in his hometown of Maghera in Northern Ireland, and was surprised by his performance.
“I did okay in this race, and at the time I smoked as well and I was like okay.
“I think I came third in that local race, and for somebody that didn’t run, it was pretty good.”
This got Hughes thinking about what he might be able to achieve, and he asked himself “could I get better the next day?”.
After that performance Hughes quit smoking – the very next day. He went to work without his cigarettes and hasn’t looked back.
He learned that asking just one simple question, ‘could I?’, may have a profound effect on the course of his life.
An early thirst for a Guinness World Record?
Eoin says the Guinness book of world records was an annual Christmas gift in the family home, and it was “always something I’ve looked at”, which makes his record-setting marathon such a rewarding achievement.
“To be able to attempt one and to be able to get the actual certificate which is in the living room now is amazing.”
It seems it’s the childhood memories being realised as an adult that make this special. But it’s also sharing the record with the person who introduced him to that book.
Eoin (left) and Tommy Hughes at the finish line of the Frankfurt marathon. They completed the event in a combined time of 4:59:22.
“If you could choose anybody you want to achieve these sort of things with, it would obviously be family. ”
“For my dad to be there waiting for me at the end as he beat me that day. And you know it was, it was amazing and to have just a big hug afterwards was brilliant ”
“If I have a goal to aim for, I can stay motivated, if I don’t it’s harder.”
Since that record-setting day in Autumn 2019 the pandemic has largely put the opportunity to run competitively on hold, but Eoin and Tommy are hoping to race again at London in October as events return.
Eoin says that training through the lockdowns wasn’t easy.
“It was very, very hard to keep motivated because you were training for nothing and you had nothing to show for it. ”
But he indicates that from this experience he’s learned some valuable lessons.
“If I have a goal to aim for, I can stay motivated, if I don’t it’s harder.
“We are coming to London again next this year to do the marathon, so that’s I think 15 weeks away now so that gives me a good training block now just to the motivation, will just come back straight away now that have a big gold aim for.”
Mindset?
As a final lesson from his running career, Eoin reflects on the process of trial and error on his journey to success, and that he tries to embrace this.
“They say the whole way down this pyramid is all your low bits, so there’s a lot of low bits to get to that high bit, and I always like that picture.”
