What a man! Longford’s inspirational Liam Fenelon has completed 357 marathons and raised over €500,000 for charity

Liam Fenelon, who has completed 357 marathons and raised over half a million euro various charities, was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Longford Leader Sports Awards 2025, in association with Longford Sports Partnership last Friday night in the Longford Arms Hotel.

The Longford Marathon has a deserved reputation for being the friendliest marathon in the country and the name of Hall of Fame inductee, Longford’s ‘Marathon Man’, the irrepressible and inspirational Liam Fenelon will always be synonymous with the inauguration of the fantastic event in 2002, marking his own 100th marathon.

Liam was born and raised in Esker, Ballinalee and he attended Ennybegs national school. He was a young man in a hurry and he joined the workforce early and worked at anything and everything, including Bord na Móna and, being an independent spirit, started his own business in the early 70s, ending up with television sales and service outlets in Longford, Mullingar and Carrick-on-Shannon.

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He started his running career in 1983, competing in his first marathon in 1984 in Galway as a 42-year-old. He has now run the gruelling marathon distance an incredible 357 times in cities all over the world!

Known far and wide for his athleticism and competitive spirit, Liam was central to the first Longford marathon starting in 2002. He ran his 200th marathon in Longford in 2009 and his 300th there in 2016.

In 2021, the father of three, then aged 79, completed the gruelling and aptly named Comrades Marathon, a 90km or 56 mile slog in 15 hours and eight minutes as part of a concerted effort to raise much needed monies for St Christopher's Services.

Liam, whose running and charity has seen him visit South Africa on twelve occasions,  was a pivotal figure in the re-forming of Longford Athletics Club and he has ran in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Norway, Paris, Rome, London, San Diego, Niagara Falls, Washington, Atlanta, Tokyo and Nashville, raising over €500,000 for numerous good causes in the process - a jaw dropping figure.

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He also has the distinction of being the first in Longford to complete what are regarded as the 'Six Marathon Majors' - three in America Boston, Chicago and New York, along with Tokyo, London and Berlin. 

Liam, aged 53, achieved his best time while running the Dublin Marathon  - 3 hours 8 mins - and the last marathon he ran was in Longford this year and hopes for many more to come.

A former Chairperson of Stonepark Tops of the Town group, when he’s not out training, Liam enjoys traditional music, golf and vintage vehicles and he was presented with a Special Recognition Award by the Longford Association in Dublin in 2018.

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Liam’s wife Mary and daughters Fiona, Sharon and Michelle, are also among the driving forces behind the Longford Marathon, a superb event which is worth approximately €200,000 to the local economy every year and the event is a huge legacy to our inspirational Hall of Fame inductee Liam who isn’t showing any sign of giving up running any time soon!

Caption: Longford Leader Managing Editor Alan Walsh, Longford Sports Partnership Programme Manager Donal Mulligan, Gillian Wallace (sponsor North Midlands Credit Union), Hall of Fame award winner Liam Fenelon (Longford Marathon), Longford County Council Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Niall Gannon and Longford Sports Partnership Chairperson Tony Headon Picture: Shelley Corcoran