Athlone’s Dario over halfway through year-long running challenge

An Athlone resident has reached day 280 of an ambitious 365-day running challenge, determined to prove that consistency and mental strength can overcome even the toughest obstacles.

Croatian man Dario Basar began the challenge with a simple goal, to run every day for a full year without making excuses.

“The goal itself is to be disciplined and consistent throughout the full year,” Dario said. “To not miss a single day, and to build a strong mindset that doesn’t understand the word excuse anymore.”

There is no set mileage requirement for the challenge. Instead, Dario has used the year to improve his performances over distances he regularly races, while also proving to himself that running every day does not necessarily mean sacrificing progress.

That belief has been backed up by a series of personal bests. Dario has recorded new PBs at all three of his target distances, 5km in 18:45, 10 miles in 1:06:45 and 21km in 1:32:20.

His races have included two 5km events in Roscommon, two 10-mile races at Clonown and Roscommon, and 21km races in Berlin and Copenhagen.

The challenge has not been without its difficulties. Dario described June and July as particularly challenging after he injured his quad during a track session with Athlone Athletics Club in early June.

Despite the injury, he continued with the challenge while allowing himself time to recover.

“The most challenging was definitely June and July when I hurt my quad,” he said.

“But I was able to push through the pain and keep running, and recover in the end without stopping my challenge.”

For Dario, however, the challenge is about much more than times and race results. It is about developing the mental toughness to keep going when motivation disappears.

“There were days I wanted to stop, and there were many days like that,” he said.

“Especially when I was injured, but the ‘mind over body’ mentality is what kept me going.”

Dario’s relationship with running began in 2024, when he joined Athlone AC. It was his first year of running, and he quickly built up to an average of between 60 and 70 kilometres per week. The following year, however, he stepped away from running as life became more difficult.

The decision to undertake the 365-day challenge was partly inspired by that experience and a desire to become mentally stronger.

“Running is one of the hardest things a person can choose to do. You can’t fake it,” Dario said.

“It’s even harder when you work full-time with busy schedules. A year is a long, long time to not slip even once.”

He also credits running with helping him through one of the most difficult periods of his life. After moving to Ireland in 2016, Dario did not take part in sport until 2024, when he began running following a separation and divorce.

He says running helped him rediscover himself and provided an important outlet during a particularly difficult period.

“Running saved me mentally, and helped me to get through one of the most depressed parts of my life,” he said.

As things stand, Dario has 85 days remaining and his focus is now simply on completing what he started, one day and one run at a time.

“If I can do it, anyone can do it,” he said. “I’m not special. I’m not a runner with years of experience or even a sportsperson,” he added.