For many people, the thought of signing up for a race, joining a running club, or even heading out for their first jog can feel intimidating.
But Cork runners Damian Kenneally and Andy Goulding want people to know one thing: you do not need to be an athlete to start running.
The pair, who have completed 24 marathons between them and built a loyal following through The Runner’s Diary podcast, have recently launched DnA Run Coaching, a new venture aimed at helping runners of all abilities achieve their goals.
And while both men have achieved impressive results on the roads, neither started out as elite runners.
Andy began running ten years ago during a difficult period in his life.
“I started running to help me deal with struggles I was having at the time,” he said. “I immediately fell in love with the sport, the races, the training and, more importantly, the people I met along the way.”
For Damian, his running journey started 14 years ago after stepping away from GAA.
“To be honest, my fitness was at rock bottom after packing up GAA,” he explained. “Like Andy, I fell in love with the sport and everything that comes with it.”
Today, Damian works in the running industry through his role at The Edge Sports, where he has spent the past eight years speaking to like-minded people every day.
The pair first met during a 25km race in Cork in 2022.
“We worked well together throughout the race and started training together afterwards,” they said. “The friendship grew from there.”
That friendship would eventually lead to countless training runs, The Runner’s Diary podcast and now a coaching business.
Between them, they have completed 24 marathons. Damian’s standout performance came at the Cork City Marathon in 2023, where he ran an impressive 2:38 and claimed first place in the M35 category.
There was, however, a familiar face not far behind him, with Andy finishing second in the same category, something the pair still joke about today.
For Andy, one of his proudest achievements came in Kinvara, where he successfully defended his marathon title and broke the course record with a superb time of 2:34.
Despite the impressive race results, both men insist that running has given them far more than medals and personal bests.
“The friendships we’ve made through running have been the highlight,” they said. “We’ve met some amazing people who will be friends for life.”
Their love for the sport is also evident through The Runner’s Diary podcast, which they host alongside Brian Ahern. What began as a simple way of sharing race results with fellow club runners has grown into one of Ireland’s best-known running podcasts.
The show has featured everyone from Olympians to everyday runners with powerful stories, and through those conversations the trio say one lesson consistently stands out.
“No matter who we speak to, we always get the same answer. Consistency is the only way you can improve your running. There is no magic pill. It comes down to hard work.”
That philosophy now sits at the heart of DnA Run Coaching.
The pair say they launched the coaching venture because they love running, enjoy helping others and wanted to provide runners with honest, practical guidance.
“There is so much false information out there these days on social media,” they said. “We want to help people achieve their goals whilst also enjoying the journey and, most importantly, staying healthy.”
What they believe sets DnA Run Coaching apart is the personal connection they want to build with every athlete.
“We are really going to concentrate on the one-to-one aspect of the coaching. We want our athletes to be able to contact us at any time. Giving someone a training plan is the easy part. We want more than that. We want to build a partnership with our athletes and work closely with them to ensure they get the most out of their training.”
As running continues to grow in popularity across Ireland, Damian and Andy have witnessed first-hand the increase in participation at races, parkruns and local running clubs.
They believe much of that growth can be traced back to the Covid pandemic, when many people turned to exercise as a way of getting outdoors and escaping the pressures of everyday life.
“People used running as an escape and an excuse to get out the door,” they said. “A lot of those people fell in love with the sport and continue to run today.”
For beginners, however, taking that first step can still feel daunting.
It is something both men understand, having once been beginners themselves.
Their advice to anyone considering a 5K, joining a running club or even dreaming about a marathon is simple.
“The running community is full of so many supportive people. Don’t ever be afraid or intimidated by a race. We all had to start somewhere.”
It is a message that perfectly sums up their own journeys.
One started running to help navigate personal struggles. The other began when his fitness was, in his own words, at rock bottom. Today, both are accomplished marathon runners helping others discover the benefits of the sport.
Looking ahead, they still have personal bests they would like to improve, but their focus is no longer solely on times and race results.
Their goal is to help as many people as possible achieve their own ambitions, whether that means completing a first parkrun, running a 5K, tackling a marathon or simply becoming healthier and happier through running.
Because as Damian Kenneally and Andy Goulding know better than most, every runner starts in exactly the same place.
With a single step.
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