Richard Hooper (born 26 August 1956) is a former long-distance runner from Raheny, Dublin, Ireland.

Dick Hooper
Personal information
NationalityIrish
Born (1956-08-26) 26 August 1956 (age 68)
Dublin
Height5 ft 9 in (174 cm)
Weight150 lb (68 kg)
Sport
SportRunning
EventMarathon
ClubRaheny Shamrock Athletic Club
Medal record
Representing  Ireland
Men’s Athletics
Dublin Marathon
Gold medal – first place 1980 Dublin Marathon Men's Marathon
Gold medal – first place 1985 Dublin Marathon Men's Marathon
Gold medal – first place 1986 Dublin Marathon Men's Marathon

Career

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He represented Ireland in the Olympic marathon in Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988. He also represented Ireland four times in the European Championships - in Czechoslovakia 1978, Athens 1982, Stuttgart 1986 and Split 1990.

He is a three-time record-holding winner of the Dublin Marathon in 1980, 1985 and 1988 and he set his personal best time at the 1988 Irish National Championship in Wexford, clocking 2:12:19 finishing in 2nd place behind John Woods. He went on to win a record six national marathon championships winning his last in 1998 at the age of 42.

He is the younger brother of marathoner Pat Hooper,[1][2] and, having had a career in banking, also worked as a coach, and an athletics commentator on Setanta Sports and Irish TV.

Achievements

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  • All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing   Ireland
1978 Irish National Marathon Championship Tullamore   Gold 2:23:19[3][4] 18 June 1978
1978 1978 European Championships in Athletics Prague 29th 2:21:01[5] 3 September 1978
1980 Dublin Marathon Dublin   Gold 2:16:14 26 October 1980
1980 Irish National Marathon Championship Tullamore   Gold 2:16:27[3][6] 8 July 1980
1980 Moscow Olympics Moscow 38th place 2:23:53[7][8][9] 1 August 1980
1981 Irish National Marathon Championship Cork   Gold 2:15:37[3][10] 7 June 1981
1982 Irish National Marathon Championship Limerick   Gold 2:12:56[3][11] 6 June 1982
1982 1982 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon Athens 11th place 2:20:51[12] 12 September 1982
1984 Irish National Marathon Championship Cork   Gold 2:14:39[3][13][14] 23 April 1984
1984 Los Angeles Olympics Los Angeles 51st place 2:24:41[7][15] 12 August 1984
1985 Dublin Marathon Dublin   Gold 2:13:48[16] 27 October 1985
1986 Dublin Marathon Dublin   Gold 2:18:10[17] 26 October 1986
1986 1986 European Athletics Championships – Men's marathon Stuttgart 16th place 2:17.45[18] 30 August 1986
1987 1987 Dublin Marathon Dublin   Bronze 2:14:36[19] 25 October 1987
1988 Irish National Marathon Championship Wexford   Silver 2:12:19 PB[3][20] 24 April 1988
1988 Seoul Olympics Seoul 24th place 2:17:16[7][21][22] 2 October 1988
1990 1990 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon Split 23rd place 2:32.36[23][24] 1 September 1990
1998 Irish National Marathon Championship Killenaule   Gold (2:22:08)[3][25] 19 April 1998
1998 New York City Marathon New York City 34th place 2:22:46[26] 1 November 1998

References

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  1. ^ sports-reference Archived 2010-10-18 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ My Club: Raheny Shamrock AC by IAN O'RIORDAN, published by The Irish Times - Monday, October 26, 1998
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Irish Times, 19 June 1978, pg. 4
  5. ^ Irish Times, 4 September 1978, pg. 4
  6. ^ Irish Times, 19 May 1980, pg. 4
  7. ^ a b c "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ Irish Times, 2 August 1980, pg. 3
  9. ^ Mens Marathon at Sports Reference
  10. ^ Irish Times, 8 June 1981, pg. 4
  11. ^ Irish Times, 7 June 1982, pg. 4
  12. ^ Irish Times, 13 September 1982, pg. 3
  13. ^ Irish Times, 24 April 1984, pg. 3
  14. ^ Placed 2nd in race, but awarded the National Marathon title after Jerry Kiernan was disqualified for breaking the IAAF rule regarding the size of advertising lettering on his singlet
  15. ^ Mens Marathon at Sports Reference
  16. ^ Irish Times, 28 October 1985, pg. 1 and pg. 3
  17. ^ Irish Times, 27 October 1986, pg. 3
  18. ^ Irish Times, 1 September 1986, pg. 3
  19. ^ Irish Times, 26 October 1987, pg. 5
  20. ^ Irish Times, 25 April 1988, pg. 5
  21. ^ Mens Marathon at Sports Reference
  22. ^ Irish Times, 3 October 1988, pg. 7
  23. ^ 1990 European Athletics Championships – Men's Marathon
  24. ^ Irish Times, 2 September 1990, Sport pg. 5
  25. ^ Irish Times, 20 April 1998, pg A4
  26. ^ Irish Times, 2 November 1998, pg. A3