Cillian Fleming enjoyed another great year of ultra-marathon running at home and abroad

Ultra Marathon runner Cillian Fleming has had another very successful year on the roads and fields of Ireland and abroad.

This year saw him picked to represent Ireland at the World Mountain and Trial Trial Championships in Canfranc, Spain, and also secure a sponsorship deal with Kailas Fuga, who are an apparel and equipment company based in China.

This is an amazing feat by Fleming who has only been in the sport for over three years.

However, as an amateur he keeps on pushing himself and this year he has regularly beating professional runners from all over the world. 

This shows the great determination and dedication shown by Cillian to get to the top of this very difficult sport in such a short period of time.

He is also a very likeable and funny character, because when I speak to him after one of his training runs, he always says with a cheeky laugh, I just finished a small run of only 30km.

“The racing year started for me this season by volunteering at IMRA Corrin Hill in Fermoy where my wife Jenny took part and finished third,” Cillian said.

“IMRA (Irish mountain running association) are the governing body of the sport of Mountain Running in Ireland. 

"They put on races for people of all levels in a variety of different race lengths from 5km up to 600+km!

"They provide many of their races at a price that would cost less than a pint of Guinness and have a community that is like no other, full of encouragement and craic. 

"This is a volunteer driven organisation and without the volunteers, the races could not take place. 

"I’d encourage anyone who is even slightly curious about mountain running to get involved whether it be by running or helping out by volunteering.

“The focus of my year was trying to qualify to represent Ireland in the World Mountain and Trail running championships in Canfranc in Spain and that trial race took place last May in the Mourne Mountains where the top three finishers were selected for the Ultra team. 

"I raced multiple times earlier in the year, but a lot of these were just part of my training for this trial race. 

"I came second in the Ballyhoura Winter Moonlight 29k in January, won the IMRA Sli Chorcai 23k & 900M Elevation in February, won the Sheeps Head Ultra 65k & 3000M Elevation in April, and in the Granite Peak trial race I had a good day and finished in third place, closely behind professional trail runners Ricki Wynne (Hoka) and Paddy O’Leary (The North face).

“A few days after the race I received my selection letter for the Irish squad heading to the World Championships which was a very proud moment for me personally. 

"I represented the team at the last World Championships in 2023 in what was then my third ultra race. 

"This time when I head back it will be my 18th Ultra distance race, so I am going back with a lot more experience, fitness and confidence.

“A few weeks after the Granite Peaks trail race and after a small down period, I got the itch to enter the Wicklow Way race held by IMRA which is a 130k race starting in Clonegal, Carlow and finishing in Dublin City after crossing the Dublin Mountains. 

"The Wickow Way is the first national way marked trail in Ireland and one of the most iconic ultra races in the country and I was fortunate enough to win the race which was a great confidence boost to start the training block for the World Championships.

“Following the successes at the Granite peaks trial race and the Wicklow way, I was fortunate to be picked up and sponsored by Team Kailas Fuga. "It feels great to be backed by such a big team and I am excited to represent the team going forward.

“Kailas Fuga is a climbing apparel and equipment company founded in China in 2003, widely recognized as the most innovative and technical outdoor company in China, committed to providing outdoor enthusiasts with all the gear they need. 

"Kailas Fuga is the trail running branch of the company which started in 2016. The company are making waves in Europe in the trail running community with their new Ex pro and Ex 330 Mountain running shoes.

“My full focus is now on the World Championships which take place in Canfranc in the Pyrenees Mountains on the 27th of September where the best ultra runners in the world will be competing.

“Again, I want to thank my father Paul, who is my wingman in all of my races, my mother Catherine, and my wife Jenny for all of their support, as without them I couldn’t have achieved anything in this sport,” Fleming added.