Rio Olympic qualifier Martin Fagan retires from running

So after much consideration it seems Martin Fagan has had enough of competitive running, retiring less than two months after becoming the first and so far only Irish men's qualifier for the 2016 Rio Olympic marathon.

The 31-year-old from Mullingar – who returned from a two-year doping ban early last year – has outlined a number of reasons behind his decision, including his own mental health.

He has stated on repeated occasions one of the reasons for him resorting to an illegal doping in the first place was because he was suffering from depression, and that he was simply “happier not running right now”.

In an interview with the Westmeath Independent, Fagan also admitted he was having a hard time combining his training with full-time work: he currently works at a caring home in north Dublin, and is keen to pursue further career development in that field.

“With work [as well] it just took away from the enjoyment,” he said. “Working 50 hours a week, it just wasn’t happening.

Hard to explain

“Obviously the support that should have been there, wasn’t and I understand why it wasn’t as it just wouldn’t have been fair. . .”

“I ran a race in the Pat Finnerty Road League [in May] and I just didn’t enjoy it. It’s hard to explain but I just lost the love for it. I woke up and didn’t want to run and I have been like that . . . for my own mental health I’m happy not running.”

Fagan ran his Rio Olympic qualifier at the Zurich Marathon in April, clocking 2:16:09 – well inside the necessary standard of 2:17. He had hoped to run quick in the autumn, although has now effectively surrendered his chance to run in a second Olympics, having also run in Beijing in 2008.

It was late 2011, when trying to qualify for London, that Fagan tested positive for EPO, and he immediately admitted his guilt, and accepted his ban without any protest.