Peter Lynch (runner)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 November 1997 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Long distance running |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | Marathon 2:06:08 (London, 2026) NR |
Peter Lynch (born 26 November 1997) is an Irish long-distance runner. He represented Ireland at the 2025 World Championships in the marathon. That year, he also held the Irish national record at the distance for the first time, and regained it in 2026 with 2:06:08 at the London Marathon.[1]
Biography
[edit]Lynch is from Kilkenny and is a member of Kilkenny City Harriers. He was educated at the University of Tulsa in the United States.[2] He later became part of the Puma Elite Running Team in North Carolina under head coach Alistair Cragg.[3]
Lynch placed third at the Irish Cross Country Championships in Donegal in November 2022.[4] He then ran for Ireland at the 2022 European Cross Country Championships in Turin, Italy, where he was the first Irish finisher in fifteenth place.[5]
Lynch represented Ireland over 10,000 metres at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy in June 2024. After which, he moved to North Carolina in the United States to train with Alistair Cragg’s Puma Elite training group. He subsequently set a new Irish record over 10 miles, whilst competing in Washington.[6]
In April 2025, Lynch set a new Irish national record for the marathon of 2:09:36 in placing third at the Düsseldorf Marathon in Germany, finishing one place ahead of compatriot Fearghal Curtin.[7][8] Curtin would go on to set a new Irish record six months later.[9]
Lynch placed twenty-fourth overall at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan in the men's marathon.[10]
Lynch ran 59:52 to place fifth on the point-to-point course at the New York City Half Marathon in March 2026, the first Irishman to break the hour mark for the distance.[11][12] The following month, Lynch had a top-ten finish at the 2026 London Marathon, running a new Irish record of 2:06:08 behind Sabastian Sawe as he ran a world record 1:59:30.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ "Peter Lynch". World Athletics. Retrieved 11 Dec 2025.
- ^ "Record-breaker Peter Lynch happy to lead 'new wave' of Irish marathon runners". 28 Apr 2025.
- ^ Dennehy, Cathal (25 April 2026). "London next up for marathon man Peter Lynch as he aims to reclaim Irish record". Independent.ie. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
- ^ "Irish Cross Country Championships: Mageean second in Donegal as Griggs wins". BBC Sport. 20 November 2022.
- ^ "28th SPAR European Cross Country Championships". World Athletics. 11 Dec 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
- ^ Spillane, Trevor (20 Sep 2025). "Kilkenny's Peter Lynch among the best in the world after cracking run in Tokyo". Kilkenny People.
- ^ O'Riordan, Ian (27 April 2025). "Peter Lynch breaks Irish marathon record to finish third in Düsseldorf". Irish Times.
- ^ Dennehy, Cathal (27 April 2025). "Peter Lynch sets Irish marathon record with podium finish". Independent.ie.
- ^ "Fearghal Curtin breaks Irish marathon record". the42.ie. 18 October 2025.
- ^ "PETER LYNCH POWERS TO 24TH IN MARATHON AT WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS". Athleticsireland.ie. 15 September 2025.
- ^ Mills, Steven (26 Apr 2026). "Irish record! Peter Lynch clocks 2:06:08 in the London Marathon". European Athletics. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
- ^ Jampol, Noah (15 March 2026). "Grant Fisher struggles in half marathon debut, fades to 14th at 2026 NYC Half". Lets Run. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ "SUB-TWO-HOUR MARATHON IN LONDON FOR HISTORY-MAKER SABASTIAN SAWE". Athletics Weekly. 26 April 2026. Retrieved 26 April 2026.