Profile

Name: Alastair Higgins

Occupation: Retired drummer, whiskey specialist/advisor, stay at home dad and qualified distiller.

Home Town: Originally from Dumfries in Scotland but living in Dublin over 20 years.

Questions

What is your running background?

I started late in life after getting a cycling injury. I never raced bikes but always cycled whenever possible. After a few years of doing marathons etc the inevitable happened and I turned to the dark side of ultra-running.
Since then I’ve kind of specialised in road ultras, ideally 100 miles or more.

When did you first start running Ultra marathons and why?

In 2014- I think. I‘d been running half-heartedly for a few years but read Scott Jurek’s first book and decided the challenge of ultra-running was for me.

When or where (at which events) are we most likely to see you?

I’ve signed up for 3 Centurion race over the years but events have conspired against me and I’ve yet to do one!
In Ireland I’ll usually run Anto’s Donadea 50km every year and whenever my schedule allows I’ll race anything in Connemara or the surrounding area.

What are your personal key running achievements to date?

Spartathlon is a big race for me and I’ve completed it three times. Each one of those finishes is special for different reasons, but 4 th place in 2019 was a real highlight. This year I won the Art O’Neill Challenge which has been a goal for me since I started running ultras. It’s a wild race through the night with large sections in the mountains. No course markings and just a few waypoints to hit so the navigation is a large part of completing it successfully.

What was your hardest experience?

Spartathlon 2021. I really had a bad time in that race but you learn from these experiences. Hopefully this year will be better.

What is your typical race strategy for an ultra?

It really depends on the distance and terrain. For Spartathlon I like to divide the course into three sections of 80km or so. The first 80 is about economy and holding myself back, the second I like to push on a bit, and the third is just trying to hang on in there and get to the finish.

What does a typical training week look like?

This year has been a bit up and down because I got Covid in April and my recovery was quite drawn out. I’m back to running 100mile+ weeks now and will usually include some sort of speed work two days a week. I don’t do very long runs in training, the max would be about 35km but I will include a few ultra races or marathons as part of my training for a big race.

What one tip would you pass onto people running an Ultra marathon for the first time?

Just do your own thing. Trust yourself and run your own race. Once you’ve done the training the rest of the challenge is mostly mental.

Tell us one interesting fact about you?

I’m a retired musician and have toured in my old band with Primal Scream, Faithless and The Flaming Lips amongst others.

Have you taken part in the Spartathlon before?

Yes

How did you get on?

First year good, second year great, third year meh.

Where did you get your qualifier for Spartathlon:

Spartathlon

What tip would you pass on to those taking part for the first time?

Enjoy yourself. Try not to heap on too much pressure ahead of the race. It’s all about the finish and kissing that foot.

What are you looking forward to at the Spartathlon race?

Literally everything.

What are you not looking forward to during the Spartathlon race?

I’ll miss my amazing wife and kids.

How will you prepare specifically for the Spartathlon race?

Lots of mileage in training with some heat adaption two-three weeks out from the race.

Will you be bringing any support crew to the race? (If so, please introduce them briefly)

Yes, my clubmate Gary will be coming. He saved my race last year so I’m hoping he’ll have an easier job this time.