UTMB finish line announcer dreams of representing Ireland at Olympics – when he’s not busy selling fudge and teaching English
- Eoin Flynn quit his desk job to pursue a simpler life, and ended up announcing the winners of the world’s most famous ultra marathon
He may be known as the English (Irish, actually) and Spanish voice of Ultra Marathon de Mont Blanc (UTMB), but bilingual race announcer Eoin Flynn is also one hell of a runner who has won 78 races.
The proud Irishman was one of his country’s top middle-distance runners and marathoners and represented Ireland in the world mountain running championships. He lives in Spain, in the Gran Canaria, makes a living selling fudge, and at 38 still hopes to make it to the Olympics.
“Every race is different and the announcer must understand the culture and essence of each race,” Flynn said. “For example, UTMB – I would describe its essence as ‘elegance’. The announcer must transmit the essence of the race to the runners and the energy of the runners to the crowd.”
Flynn literally walked into a career in race announcing in Las Palmas, the town in Spain where he lives. “On the street I bumped into the organiser of Transgrancanaria race,” Flynn said. “He said he needed a bilingual announcer immediately – I said, ‘I’ll do it’.”
Then came an invitation to UTMB. “Catherine Poletti [UTMB founder] heard me at Transgrancanaria in 2017 and said, ‘You were talking all day with a smile on your face’,” Flynn said.