O irlandês Brendan Boyce anunciou o fim da sua carreira de alta competição, colocando um ponto final num percurso de mais de uma década ao mais alto nível na marcha atlética. O anúncio foi feito através de uma longa e emotiva publicação na sua conta de Instagram.
Aos 39 anos, o atleta natural de Milford, no condado de Donegal, representou a Irlanda em três edições dos Jogos Olímpicos — Londres 2012, Rio 2016 e Tóquio 2020, disputados em 2021. Na cidade de Sapporo, para onde foram deslocalizadas as provas de marcha e maratona devido às elevadas temperaturas previstas para Tóquio, Boyce alcançou um expressivo décimo lugar nos 50 km marcha, uma das melhores classificações da sua carreira.
Boyce iniciou-se na modalidade no Milford AC, passando posteriormente pelo Letterkenny AC, antes de ingressar no Finn Valley AC, clube que representou durante os últimos anos da carreira. Além das três participações olímpicas, marcou presença em várias edições dos Campeonatos do Mundo de Atletismo e construiu grande parte do seu percurso internacional nos 50 km marcha.
Na mensagem em que anunciou a retirada, o atleta não escondeu alguma frustração pela evolução das distâncias na marcha atlética e pelo desaparecimento dos 50 km do programa olímpico. «Consegui qualificar-me novamente para o Campeonato do Mundo dos 35 km em 2023. Mas não houve prova de 35 km nos Jogos Olímpicos de Paris 2024. Acabaram-se os Jogos Olímpicos. Os meus melhores anos foram-me tirados pela política», lamentou.
O adeus à alta competição teve, por isso, um significado especial. Boyce encerrou o seu percurso internacional em Podebrady, na Chéquia, durante o Campeonato Europeu de Seleções de Marcha Atlética de 2025, precisamente na mesma competição onde se estreara pela seleção irlandesa, então denominada Taça da Europa, em 2011, em Olhão. Na cidade algarvia, competiu nos 20 km marcha.
Entre os principais resultados da sua carreira destaca-se o sexto lugar nos 50 km marcha dos Campeonatos do Mundo de Doha, em 2019. Nesse mesmo ano, estabeleceu o seu recorde pessoal na distância, com 3:48:13. Dois anos antes, em 2017, também em Podebrady, alcançara a melhor classificação da carreira em Campeonatos Europeus de Seleções de Marcha, ao terminar no quarto lugar nos 50 km.
Na mensagem de despedida, Boyce deixou ainda palavras de agradecimento aos pais, Mandy e Margaret, aos irmãos e a todos aqueles que o acompanharam ao longo do percurso. Pai de três filhos, sublinhou o orgulho de ter vestido a camisola da seleção irlandesa e representado o seu país ao mais alto nível.
A federação irlandesa de atletismo também fez questão de homenagear o marchador, classificando a sua trajetória como «uma carreira internacional excecional» e agradecendo a dedicação e o contributo prestados ao atletismo irlandês. Boyce continuará ligado à modalidade, assumindo funções relacionadas com a marcha atlética junto da federação.
Antes de encerrar definitivamente o capítulo competitivo, o irlandês terá ainda uma última oportunidade de competir em solo nacional. A despedida acontecerá no próximo dia 5 de setembro, em Cork, na Robert Heffernan Mile.
Transcrevemos na íntegra (em língua inglesa) o texto de despedida de Brendan Boyce, a quem desejamos as maiores felicidades.
Watching the European Championships has prompted me to finally put something official out there. To something most people close to me already know
I've retired from international race walking.
I last competed at the 2025 European Race Walking Championships in Poděbrady.
It feels like the rightful place to lay down my singlet.
Poděbrady is where it all began for me in an Irish vest in 2011. And it is where it ended in 2025.
The same place that gave me one of my best results - 4th at the 2017 European Championships.
People often say athletics was their life.
For me, I literally don't remember anything else.
One of my first memories is racing the toddler race at Cranford Athletics Dome when I was three.
I won my first national medal at seven, in the 80m sprint at the Community Games - Ireland's domestic Olympics for kids.
Hugo Duggan guided those early years.
A World Masters champion in the long jump, Hugo set up Milford AC the year after I was born.
My parents Mandy and Margaret were there every step of the way. Along with my 5 brothers and sister.
Success was sporadic and it was never clear that athletics would become anything more than a hobby.
I never raced for Ireland in any meaningful way as a junior or U23. My first Irish vest came at 24 years old.
That Irish vest was at the 2011 European Race Walking Championships over 20km.
Six weeks before the race, I was knocked down by a cyclist while out training and suffered a hairline fracture to my patella.
I could only train once every three days because of the pain. So I decided I needed to train as hard as possible on those days.
30km tempo sessions to exhaustion.
Two days in bed.
Pain relief.
Repeat.
Those sessions became the birthplace of my 50km career.
I had raced my first 50km in March 2010.
It was brutal.
But after getting through those sessions and that first international race, I knew the 50km was my true calling.
In September 2011, in only my second ever 50km, I achieved the Olympic A standard for London 2012.
Rob Heffernan qualified in the same race.
I was training in the UK under Andi Drake at the time, and UK race walking supported me enormously in the years leading to London.
Thank you to everyone in Coventry, Leeds and across the UK who helped me get there.
I finished 26th at London 2012.
I knew I needed to change things if I wanted to improve further. In 2013, Rob kindly brought me into his system.
I got to see with my own eyes - and learn on my feet - what it would take to reach the top.
We both improved our 2012 results. Rob went from 3rd to 1st. I went from 26th to 25th.
Then it was work. Year after year. Chipping away.
Under the eye of Marian Heffernan, Liam O'Reilly, Ray Flynn, Derry McVeigh, Robbie Williams, Patsy McGonagle, Finn Valley AC, LetterkkmeyAC and so many others, I kept pushing.
Our extended families and friends were a huge part of it also. My wife-to-be, Sarah McCarthy.
And my guardian angels in Donegal, Tommy and Donna Gallagher of Tommy Gallagher Injury Management. "Above and beyond" doesn't come close.
2014 - European Championships: 15th
2015 - World Championships: DQ
2016 - Olympics: 19th
2017 - European Championships: 4th
Those 2017 European Championships felt like a turning point.
That summer my training was better than ever. Then, five days before the World Championships, I tore my hamstring and couldn't start.
I have huge sympathy for Sharlene having to pull out of these Championships during the best season of her career. The experience gained this season is not in vain.
2018 was also curtailed by injury, a stress fracture in my tibia meant a summer of x-training but still mananged 19th at Europeans in Berlin.
I thought my luck was out.
But 2019 became my best year.
I wanted early qualification for the 2020 Olympics, so I raced the European Race Walking Cup in May. I finished 5th with a PB And I became the first Irish athlete to officially book a place for the Tokyo Olympics.
Twelve days later, I got married.
Love you, Sarah.
We squeezed in a week of honeymoon, then it was back to work.
Then came Doha.
The suffocating conditions felt perfect for an athlete forged from suffering.
6th place at the World Championships felt like a dream.
It gave me hope that something really big could happen in Tokyo.
Then came the news that the walks and marathon would be moved from Tokyo to Sapporo to avoid the heat.
I was gutted. It felt like the conditions that had become my superpower were being taken away. Suffering was my superpower.
COVID took a year from everyone's careers.
With global sport on pause, we decided it was time to start a family.
Our twins, Tom and Isabelle, arrived in February 2021.
They gave me even more motivation to push my limits for what I knew was my last shot at Olympic glory.
Sapporo was hot in the end - thankfully.
I hoped something special might happen. It didn't.
But another Top 10 at an Olympics is something I will always be proud of.
Tokyo 2020 was also the end of the road for the 50km event.
The end of the 50km meant adapting to the 35km and 20km. Neither suited my strengths in the same way.
But I still managed another Top 10 at the 2022 European Championships over 35km, despite struggling with an Achilles problem that summer.
I qualified for the 35km World Championships again in 2023. But there was no 35km at Paris 2024.
No more Olympics.
My best years taken away by politics.
I tried again in 2025.
A poor performance in Poděbrady and the new ranking system meant there was no route to the World Championships in Tokyo. And that was that.
Family has been the main focus over the last number of years.
Max arrived in April this year to grow our family further.
I will tog out one last time on September 5th in Cork, for the Robert Heffernan Mile at the Marina.
If you want to see me in short shorts one last time - or have a go at race walking - come and race me.
You might beat me.
To everyone who has supported me over 30+ years in athletics, from Milford to Midleton and all over the world:
Special thanks to all my training partners over the years, racewalking is truly unique and everyone is happy to team up, especially my Spainish Amigos in Guadix.
I like the acknowledgement the work done by all the athletics volunteers around the country and walking judges that travel to make our events possible both nationally and internationally.
Thank you everyone.
It has been a privilege to wear the Irish singlet for so many years. I will continue to support athletes through my roles with Athletics Ireland, OFI commissions and beyond.
To the current Irish team: I wish you all the success you deserve. Enjoy every day.
I look back with immense pride at all those days in green.





