It's about more than medals for Athlone Masters athlete

by David Flynn

Michael Macken, a highly successful Ironman competitor and triathlete, has had an athletic career going back over 40 years.

Now in his seventh decade, the Athlone runner is still fighting road races with grit and determination and is continuously winning medals, including coming first in three competitions at the 2025 World Police and Fire Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, in early July.

The Carrickobrien native has many athletic achievements behind him, but admits that with this year’s success, he's found a new level of enjoyment when taking part in the international police games.

Michael, who is a retired Garda Sergeant, mingled and competed with his former peers from the world of law and order in Alabama, and enjoyed watching the other races, and revelling in the successes of those around him.

He was accompanied by his life partner, Olivia McCartin, who is also a triathlete and Ironman competitor.

"I had three days off between competitions and Olivia and I decided to support the other events. I had a few friends involved in swimming, and others involved in track and field, and it was lovely to watch it all," he told the Westmeath Independent.

"One of the best night's craic I had was watching Dodgeball, which was funny but seriously competitive. I went to a soccer match in a beautiful stadium in Birmingham and enjoyed the 4th of July celebrations there. Every day was filled with something."

On his competition days, Michael emulated his success from the last Police and Fire Games which took place in Winnipeg, Canada in 2023, where he also won first place in triathlon in his over-60s category. This year, now two years older (62), he again won the same competition (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run), coming in at a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 4 seconds.

He also came in first place in the cross country (individual) men's (Over 60s) race of 5,000 metres, in a time of 22 minutes, 57 seconds.

And Michael came 1st in the over-60 age group in street cycling, (24 km individual time trial) in a time of 37 minutes, 54 seconds, while also finishing third open-water men’s swim (3.2 km) (over-60s) in a time of 1 hour, 56 seconds!

"The Birmingham cross country was a like a trail run, running through woods, and it was challenging. I was very surprised to see such greenery and we were surrounded by huge pine trees,” said Michael, who raced in temperatures pushing 40 degrees Celsius with extreme humidity.

As per usual with Michael, while preparing for the World Police and Fire Games he also, in parallel, prepares for an Ironman challenge, which happens a couple of months earlier.

"That's the way the timing goes because the Police Games are held every two years," said Michael, who's been doing the Ironman challenge in Lanzarote every May for five years.

"This year though from March, I had to be primarily focused on the Birmingham games. The Ironman was something I was doing along the way, on May 17, and there was no pressure except to finish it."

This year, Michael and Olivia achieved their great goal, and no mean feat, of each completing a five-year run of Ironman (swim 3.8 km, bike 180 km, run 42.2 km) challenges in Lanzarote, and received a special award for their achievement.

"Our focus was to just get the hours in to train early this year, which is tough in Ireland with dark mornings, but you do it and know you have to do it. It's just like any other challenge in life," said Michael.

"Obviously we knew what we were getting into and put the work in hoping for the best, not to get sick or injured or crash on the bike. You look after yourself as best you can, and that should be a big focus as you get older."

Michael's lifestyle has always involved athletics but he has a more holistic view on it now.

"When I was in my 30s, there weren’t many guys in their 50s competing in races, because some of us were told to give up running or you'll kill yourself, but now it's known that you don't stop running when you get old, you get old when you stop running," said Michael.

"Muscles when activated improve and it’s the moving that creates the stimulant for growth. The body is designed to move."

Michael, who is father of two sons, Michael Jnr and Thomas, and one of seven siblings of parents, Michael Sr and Patti Macken, Carrickobrien, retired over 10 years ago from An Garda Siochana following a 35-year career. In the meantime, he went back to college to study Sports Science at TUS.

As the years have gone on, Michael hasn't lost his competitive edge, but hasn't just strived for medals either. He takes time before and after races to get to know the other competitors.

"There has been something different about my time in Birmingham. I saw the real connection between people and competitors in the races there and it was all positive," he said. "There was a huge level of support among everybody, and we all wanted to see each other do well. That's something that might be missing in modern society and I wish we could see more of it."

Michael has been coaching athletes for several years, and last year he started a unique new programme, 'Couch to 3k', with the Athlone Athletics Club at the TUS running track.

"I said I’d give it a shot, and saw that they were a nice bunch of people, from teenagers to middle-aged, who hadn’t been involved in racing before," he said. "They are a group that stuck with it, and they have transformed their own lives with it. I'm there to support them in their journey, but they are the ones making the commitment to turn up two nights a week, sunshine, rain, hail or snow."

Michael plans to continue his daily (or even twice daily) training of running, biking or swimming and taking part in races, whether they be 10ks, triathlons or Ironman. His next main goal is to aim for the 2027 World Police and Fire Games in Perth, Australia.

"I'm retired from the Gardai a long time now and it's lovely to meet the people who work at what I used to do, including the fire service people... It will be more challenging (in 2027) because I’ll be older again, but I’ll working towards it," said Michael.

"While I continue to race, my mission is to enjoy a healthy lifestyle with the experiences that physical activity brings. I would really encourage everybody to get involved and get moving because of what it can do for them physically and mentally."