Community Support for Collette

A Dundalk Legend on the Path to Her 1,000th Marathon 

There are few people who can say they’ve run even one marathon in their lifetime, but Collette O’Hagan, Dundalk Credit Union’s brand ambassador, is about to run her 1,000th on the 27th of October 2024 in Dublin! Collette’s journey is nothing short of incredible, and Dundalk Credit union is proud to be sharing her story, both in their branches and across social media, as she approaches this historic milestone. 

On Saturday, 21st September 2024, Dundalk Credit Union’s marketing team hosted a special community event – Collette’s Café – where the local community had the chance to meet and engage with this running sensation, as she shared stories from her remarkable running journey spanning over 35 years. 

The centrepiece of the day was the awe-inspiring display of over 990 marathon medals from races all around the world. Visitors were in awe as they took in the sheer magnitude of Collette’s achievements, and seeing her collection in person really drove home the scale of her lifelong commitment to running. In addition to the medals, the walls of the venue were adorned with posters listing the name, date, and location of every marathon Collette has completed, laid out in the exact order she ran them. It was a visual journey through her career, capturing not only the physical effort but also the emotional dedication and persistence that it takes to achieve such a feat. 

Children who came to meet their local hero were treated to a fun, interactive experience too! They joined in by colouring posters with encouraging messages for Collette and proudly stood beside her to have their photo taken with this inspirational woman. 

Speaking about the event, David Donnelly, Head of Marketing and Communications at Dundalk Credit Union, expressed his admiration:   

“We are thrilled at the turnout for Collette today. Seeing her medals and plaques on display is really an amazing sight. She is so incredibly modest about what she has achieved. The fact that she has done all this while also fostering over 80 children over the years just speaks to the selfless and wonderful person that she is. She’s such a local character, and we at Dundalk Credit Union are thrilled to support her. We’ll be with her all the way to 1,000 and beyond!”