Gavin Hayes

We stay with our Masters Members on this one and introduce a member who only joined about 2 years ago and has really benefitted from his decision  to join up, have a read and get to know Gavin Hayes...

Name : Gavin Hayes

Age : 43

Work/School/College : Coca-Cola/Wexford CBS/Carlow IT( it was short lived)

How long have you been a member of Menapians AC : 2 years I think

Interests & achievements outside athletics : walking,reading, music & TV , socialising. As for achievements I suppose having my family and being in a relationship with for over 20 years without getting married could be considered a good achievement 🤭.

Events you have competed at : most of the 5/10k 10 mile and half marathons in Wexford.

Favourite event : Menapians 5k obviously. 😉. Enniscorthy 10k. Always seem to run well in that for some reason.

Least favourite event : I ran the rock in Aughrim Wicklow twice and it was pure torture. Then there’s the oylegate half marathon. The two 10 k loops just seem to mentally drain me. It’s the only half marathon I couldn’t break 1h 45.

Biggest athletics achievement : haven’t achieved it yet maybe soon. Maybe getting back to running well again after ACL surgery in 2018 might be considered an achievement. Lesson for the over 40s. Stay away from indoor soccer.

Other athletics achievements :

Do you hold any records : Not really. Personal records I suppose would be sub 43 for a 10k race think it was Enniscorthy. I’ve yet to go under 20 minutes for a 5k race. Always do it training on a track or around a pitch but never on the road. I may find a flat 5k race somewhere!

Favourite moment of your athletic career : Going under 1h 40 in the Wexford half marathon.

Favourite track you have competed on : N/A

Least favourite track : N/A

Who has been your inspiration both in athletics & outside athletics : loved watching Michael Johnson & and Sonia O' Sullivan racing when I was younger. Although watching athletics probably didn’t inspire me to take up running. I just found running a good way to expel excess energy especially nervous energy.

More locally, growing up in Bride Street in the 1980s I always aspired to be as fast as our own Dermot Foley( Menapians legend)& Niall Reck ( web design tycoon and former member of the elite running team “the bride street gang”, current member of the not so elite “3 amigos” running team). Because of their whippet like speed I was always close to being caught when we were chased from orchards and places we shouldn’t have been. All innocent I swear!! 

Outside of athletics : I suppose my father’s achievements as a Boxing Coach inspires me. More today than when I was younger. I probably had the skills to be successful but just hadn’t got the nerve for it. Although he was disappointed he never tried to force me to continue or go back to it. I’ve tried to encourage not force my lads to pursue at least one sport or activity and to stick with it so when they get older they can look back on it with pride and have no regrets. Also because of the obvious health and fitness benefits.

Favourite food/drink : Italian/ Red wine/ soft drink Coca-cola (please enjoy sensibly).

Post training snack : coffee and a danish.

Some unusual facts about yourself : My partner and kids say I have unusual twitches especially when I get excited about something. I don’t notice it. Guess I have to get rid of more nervous energy by running more often!!

Also I didn’t find out until I needed my birth certificate for something could’ve been my passport that my parents actually christened me James Hayes. So you can call me Gavin or James in future. I don’t mind.