In this episode of the Any Given Runday podcast, we interview Pat Cassidy, co-author of 'The Story of the Donore Harriers', who shares his extensive experience in running and the evolution of the Donore Harriers club. The conversation covers Pat's personal journey into running, the transition of running clubs from elite to community-focused, the importance of facilities in athletics, the recent boom in marathon participation, and the significance of the handicap system in club races. Pat also discusses the future of the Donore Harriers and their launch night for the book on Thursday, December 4th 00:00 Pat Cassidy & Donore Harriers 06:32 Evolution of Running Clubs 12:21 Community Engagement in Athletics 16:33 The Importance of Facilities 19:32 The Boom in Running Participation 22:45 The Changing Landscape of Running Training 25:51 The Historical Roots of Athletics 29:16 The Handicap System in Racing 33:57 The Community Spirit in Athletics 38:51 The All-Ireland Senior Cross Country Championship 41:08 Future Aspirations for the Club Click the link below to learn more about the book: https://www.donoreharriers.com/our-book You can follow us on Instagram: @anygivenrundaypodcast
