Picture the scene, 27 athletes are lined up on the blue track of the Lohrheidestadion arena, the home of SG Wattenscheid, in Bochum, Germany, about to undertake 25 laps at the chance of glory.
Up steps David Mullarkey from Northern Arizona University, representing GB Students, nestled nicely in the front row of all the athletes and in a stunning showcase of endurance and tactical maturity, he captured the silver medal in the men's 10,000 metres.
Competing against a deep international field under warm summer skies, Mullarkey crossed the finish line in 28:43.44, earning his place on the podium after 25 laps of relentless effort and perfectly timed surges.
From the early stages of the event, the pack remained tightly bunched, with various runners taking turns at the front in an effort to dictate the pace. Mullarkey settled in the front half of the group remaining calm, conserving energy, and avoiding unnecessary surges while staying alert to every move.
As the field began to stretch out in the final few laps, Mullarkey made sure to stay with the leading pack. With the bell ringing with one lap to go David was sat comfortably in second place with three other fellow athletes trailing closely behind. As the front two arrived at the final 100m it was a sprint off to see who could come out victorious, eventual winner Musau just had the edge and despite all David’s efforts he collapsed across the line with a silver medal waiting to be hung over his neck.
Straight after the race it was all celebrations with the GB flag drapped around his neck thanking the support of fellow GB athletes and staff and of course getting a few images to hang on the mantle piece.
After the race David said “It was about staying patient as long as I possibly could, staying calm, and trying to build momentum as the race went through."
“I caught a ride with the leader and he just carried us round. We managed to run away from the other guys, but he had the strength in that last hundred to pull away.”
“You never feel good at the end of a 10,000. If anyone tells you they do, they’re lying. Just to get it done and finished with, silver medal in the bag, is a great feeling.”
David’s medal take’s GB Students medal tally for Rhine-Ruhr 2025 to three, two silver’s and a bronze with plenty more opportunities on the way to add to the summer collection.
