Our next guest on the Any Given Runday podcast is international ultra runner and running coach, John O'Regan (@johnoregan777 on Instagram). John has represented Ireland on the European and world stage, including in the Anglo Celtic plate, 100km Championships and World Trail Championships. He's a multiple time Irish 24 hour running champion and has also run a marathon on seven continents running in every type of climate and terrain imaginable. He is on the advisory panel with  Athletics Ireland for ultrarunning, and is the host of the No Finish Line Podcast. 

In this episode, John shares his insights on ultra running, recounts his experiences in extreme marathons, and offers valuable tips for improving endurance and performance. Learn about his journey, from running 24-hour championships to tackling seven marathons on seven continents, and discover how he uses his experiences to inspire and coach others. We also do a deep dive into the Anglo Celtic Plate coming up this weekend, names to look out for, history of the event, tactics and more

08:36 John's Ultra Running Goals
12:06 Training and Preparation for Ultra Marathons
14:14 Challenges and Experiences in Extreme Marathons
35:14 Altitude Training and Preparation
39:54 Choosing the Right Race and Crew
41:37 Journey into Coaching
51:50 The Evolution of Ultra Running in Ireland
55:52 Challenges and Strategies in Ultra Running
58:14 Team Dynamics and Preparation for the Anglo Celtic Plate

Be sure to check in on the Irish Team to see how they are getting on this weekend by following @ultrarunningireland on Instagram

In the intro to this week's podcast episode, we also talked about Ger Copeland's documentary, which you can watch in full by clicking the link below:

https://youtu.be/5MIvsK2FbBc?si=UOLEpYPmju9yFynO

You can follow us on Instagram:
@anygivenrundaypodcast

Join us for our annual marathon trip abroad as we head back to Barcelona for 2026! Places are limited and you can find out more details by going to our website:
https://www.anygivenrunday.com/marathon-trips

You can now get 20% off all Perform Nutrition products, including their new Carb Gels, using the code 'AGR' at checkout

PerformNutrition.com

This episode is sponsored by ULTRAPURE Laboratories. Ask for the ULTRAPURE Laboratories Muscle Recovery range in your local Pharmacy or Health Store. Their ULTRAPURE Ice Cold Menthol Gel is  instant fast acting and cooling savior.

You can also check out their muscle recovery range through their website:

Ultrapurelabs.ie