#341 Lonan O'Farrell: Adventure Races, Running Through Alps, UTMB and more

This week on the Any Given Runday Podcast, we welcome ultra runner and adventure racer, Lonan O' Farrell (@lonanruncoach on Instagram). Whether it’s recently coming second in Hellevation BYU, winning the Beara 100 mile in 2025, running 335km km around the Italian Alps, being a two-time UTMB finisher, or running into a Minotaur, we discuss all things ultra running, adventure racing and much more17:00 Introduction to Lonan O'Farrell and his achievements17:25 Lonan's background in football and adventure racing18:19 Transition from team sports to ultra running20:31 First ultra race and learning to dig deep21:25 The team element in adventure racing24:36 Details of the Donegal 24-hour adventure race27:15 The Beast 220km multi-sport race29:59 Navigating and strategy in adventure racing31:48 Dealing with fatigue, hunger, and sleep deprivation34:48 Mountain biking and technical trail skills36:21 Fuel, nutrition, and managing race pace39:03 The mental challenge and hallucinations during ultra races43:35 Training, preparation, and progression to ultra distances49:59 UTMB and the allure of iconic races67:53 Lifestyle, training, and balancing family and sport73:39 Lonan's coaching and social media presence75:16 Closing remarks and future ambitionsYou can follow us on Instagram:@anygivenrundaypodcastALTAR Speed Dust is engineered to keep fuel in your tank so you can go faster, farther and longer than ever before. Use the code AGR15 to get 15% off at checkout (excludes bundles).altarfuel.com The Sports Recovery Kit is everything you need after training, matches, gym sessions and long active days. The full routine, ready to goShop HEREGet the AGR Ultrapure Sprint Bundle HERE If you've never had your VO₂ max or metabolism measured, there's a good chance you're training at the wrong intensity, missing valuable adaptations, or getting your race nutrition wrong.Health Matters replaces guesswork with data. With over 15 years of experience, they're one of Europe's most experienced performance testing providers.Find out more or book your test at myhealthmatters.ie.