Place your investment here – An exclusive interview with long-distance runner Darran Agius – Malta Independent Online

The spotlight today is on Darran Agius, 37-year-old, former footballer and futsal player but at present one of the local leading long-distance runners. He spent his entire life investing in sports and academics. He is a father of a handsome six-year-old boy, Jerome who is already following in his father’s footsteps. Graduated in 2002 in Bachelor of Commerce (Melit.) followed by BSc. (Hons.) Financial services at the University of Manchester 3 years later. In 2011, he graduated in MSc. Human Resource Management and Development at the University of Leicester. He works as a Private Clients Investment Advisor where he manages a portfolio of high net worth clients, providing them with Investment advice at one of the highly renowned commercial banks in Malta.

1. Darran, you have come quite a long way in athletics, even though your experience as a former football and futsal player helped you a lot. In fact, delving into your CV, your first 5km race was covered in 18:53, 10K in 41:50 but 3 weeks later you improved it to 39:50 and your first half marathon in 1:23.50. It goes without saying that you certainly possess foundations for running and for excelling. There was no waste of time in lowering high timings. Your first timings are the envy and aspiration of many local running enthusiasts let alone your present PB’s. This is the typical case of Dal Mattino si vede il Buongiorno! At the onset were you so aware and ambitious to reach such levels and standards? What were your initial goals and aims? Tell us about your present and past achievements, improvements and PB’s.

Firstly Ray, I would like to thank you for your time and dedication towards local athletics and also for these interviews which not only promote the sport and it’s benefits but are also well thought and give a great 360 degree insight of each individual athlete. 

Sport has always been a part of my life and as you well said, this helped me adapt straight away when I first started athletics, both from the physical side and also from an overall lifestyle perspective. When I first started, I was not too knowledgeable on the dynamics and standards of athletics but I remember feeling that at 33 years of age, it was too late to set any high standards so I just set the customary target of running a sub 1:30 in the half marathon and a sub 40 in the 10k.

After a few weeks training under my coach, Has Kesra, I had my first race and it was from there that I realized I could go a bit further. I realized that age in long distance running is different to age in football and my aspirations started developing. Fast forward 4 years and yes the timings are beyond my wildest dreams back then but all along I took it step by step, fully trusting and focusing on the coach’s long term process. In each step I learnt to be patient and give myself time to master the level I was in and the next level eventually always came by itself. 

My current mindset is to master running sub 34 mins in the 10k on a regular basis, my best so far being 33:41 and also sub 1:14 half marathons which I thought I attained in the Valencia HM but the official time given was 1:14:00. I was planning to break the barrier in the Malta Half Marathon and then the unplanned The Hague half marathon but both were cancelled due to extreme windy conditions! 

2. Darran, it seems that you never stopped being active and competitive for a minute! We both know the sheer difference in playing sports for leisure and practising the same at competitive levels. The difference is abysmal in many ways. Commitment, consistency, accuracy and ability are just few buzz words which pertain to the competitive edge. You started playing football at the age of 7 with Sliema till the age of 17. You changed club to Melita and played another 7 years in the 2nd division. Once you hung up boots, you opted for fitness at the gym whilst playing futsal in the premier division. From age 27 to 29 you competed in local squash too! If this is not investment in sports, tell me what is!! Even in your studies, you invested quite a lot otherwise you wouldn’t have gained the trust and the engagement with one of the most local leading commercial banks. Your job entails advising clients to embark on advantageous investments. You have demonstrated to many that you believed in investing into sports and academics and am sure you won’t be selling something which you don’t really believe is worth investing in. Darren, I think your job befits perfectly well with what you have achieved in your life in both academics and sports. How do you relate to all this?

True Ray, I do not remember a single phase in my life where sport was not present in my life, and at most times it was more than just leisure. While I primarily practice sport because I enjoy it, it never felt complete without having a target and I always sought to be in or around a local high level competitive environment. When I was young I formed part of a very ambitious and successful Sliema Wanderers youth team which remains ingrained in me until this very day. I remember we were primarily thought to enjoy our football but we trained and worked to achieve high standards and every time success was achieved, the feeling of satisfaction was indescribable. I carry this with me until this very day.

Sport played a big role in my future, both academically and professionally and it gave me that extra motivation and ambition to do my best to succeed.  It also thought me to strike a balance. Focusing too much on something and neglecting others is one easy way to failure.

My line of work is quite sensitive since I deal with people’s money, sometimes being their life savings and therefore ethics play a big role in my job. I give this the utmost importance and this makes it easier to forge long term relationships with clients. Furthermore my job entails the necessity to constantly keep updated with the continuous changes and happenings in the economic and financial world and this makes my job the more interesting.

3. Darran, incredibly enough your experience in running proved positive almost instantly. Football is a team event, athletics seems to be an individual event yet with the ever growing and improving Mellieha AC, it seems that long distance running to a certain extent involves team work too. For the past years, Mellieha AC showed that there is so much healthy competition within the club that the latter kept winning team events like relays and overall team performances in various team overall standings. Mellieha has just been declared the winners of MAAA league for this year and you contributed to all this. The effort for running is individual but one can only improve thanks to teamwork. Do you train on your own or you manage to do track sessions with your fellow friends? What do you prefer most self-training or training with the group?

One thing I thought I’d miss from my football days is the dressing room environment and team work but this is certainly not the case with my Mellieha AC team mates. We are a closely knit group, where we are not only close friends but we also push and support each other both in running and sometimes even in our personal life. 

As I always say, the best and most satisfying achievements I consider are the ones we achieve as a team. It is a motive that pushes me to perform better as I feel a responsibility towards the club and my team mates especially in MAAA races.

The group trains together especially our track sessions and long runs however for me this is not always possible because of family commitments. I do however seize the chance when I am able to join the group.

4. Running is a way of life but it’s an investment for life too. Life is not always rosy and at times running can provide escapism from the boredom and odds of daily routine. You were into other sports for many years, what stark differences do you see from football, futsal, squash and gym? I find running as a relief to detoxify daily ill thoughts, releasing stress and tension but most of all, incredible brain storming!! What about you?

I find all kinds of sport to be beneficial from most aspects you mention but as you well said, running gives one time to relax and freshen up the mind, especially in the easy runs where I often switch off completely. When I do need to think and organize myself, I often do this during my runs and I try to write down any bright ideas I get as soon as I get home! 

All sports I practiced were very stress relieving but I feel that running gives that something extra and the fact that one can be flexible in terms of time complements today’s demanding busy lifestyle.

Sport also comes in handy in tough times. Having a focus and a challenge can really help with dealing with adverse life events in a positive manner. People seek different coping strategies, some being destructive ones but sport is certainly a positive way to cope and move on.

5. Investing in competitive running is highly demanding. It is a 6-day training schedule, varies from tempo runs, back to back hard training sessions, H.I.T sessions, long runs and recovery runs. Rest and diet are paramount. Considering that you have now established yourself well in the top list of local elite athletes, it takes more than this to excel. Many factors can break or make you. Now every second to improve a PB is tougher than ever. I tend to agree that pain is temporary, but Glory stands forever.  I have an opinion which you might not agree with. Let’s put away the genetic factor and others but to really excel one needs to be willingly ready to suffer. If one is not prepared to suffer, one reaches a plateau and results will remain the same. What are your views on this? Do you think that the end justifies the means?

Starting off with training, there are different schools of thought on the subject. The method used by our coach, Has Kesra, does not involve a no pain no gain method. We follow a scientific approach that is primarily based on respecting the balance between work capacity (athlete’s ability) and work load. The higher the ability, the higher the work load. Most of the training is not really demanding in terms of intensity. If you take the whole year plan, only 7% is very high intensity but not intensive that one cannot handle. Our processes are based on 3 elements: first element is the periodization where a year plan based on different phases is set out. Each phase has its own ingredients such as base building, speed etc. The second element is the balance between the work capacity and work load mentioned earlier. The third element is the fundamental principal of super-compensation, because recovery is as important as training. One benefit of this element is to help us peak on race day. This system seems to be bearing its fruits within our group with athletes across different levels. The key point is to develop into a good athlete using a long-term approach. Chasing PBs is secondary because Has explains that current and future PBs are only an outcome of respecting the process.

I conquer with you when it comes to fatigue resistance during races be it can be painful. However it’s is all worth it once you cross the finish line, knowing you gave your all.

Being committed to the 6 day training program and double sessions is not enough to succeed at high level. One must also be committed to do regular stretching, core strength and stability training and strive to improve their biomechanics. All these do not only help prevent injuries but also improve overall performance. Nutrition is of outmost importance for performance where one must develop healthy eating habits and ensure to fuel up with the required high calorie intake and take the necessary carbohydrates, protein and fats. 

6. Darran, you have shown that you cannot live without sports, I reiterate and at competitive level too. Irrespective of the sports discipline, you didn’t neglect your studies. You juggled both. Going back to when you were a student sitting for O and A levels, or even later on at University. How did you manage to cope with both? Apart from time management, one needs a good balance of both issues. Describe yours. Where there some instances where you had to forfeit your training or competitions because of studies or did you manage to fulfil both? What advice would you give to prospective students-athletes who embark on a dual career path?

I feel that there is a common belief especially amongst parents that in order for their children to be successful scholastically, in certain phases, they must reduce leisure time and sport to have more time to study, take private lessons and put as much energy as possible into this. I am a strong believer that this carries many disadvantages such as burnout, unnecessary extra stress, mental issues and it is also proven that these issues cause students not to perform at their maximum potential.

It is the same with work where there is a notion in certain professions that working long hours (some without being paid for overtime) makes you or your staff better workers and deserve promotions over others who maintain a work life balance. Scientific evidence shows otherwise and most workers who balance out are more productive and usually give more meaningful input and in less time.

In order to manage to keep up with activities outside work and academics, besides time management, one must have a passion for the sport or activity they practice. With passion comes motivation, will and dedication which is then translated into satisfaction. At the same time, one is likely to flourish in his career or studies for the simple reason that the net result of this relieves stress, gives more energy, gives discipline, freshens the mind and this allows for higher quality work because the brain just functions better.

In my case, I always found time for sport as I continuously found it as the best charging mechanism for my overall quality of  life including when I was working full time and reading my post grads at the same time. I remember vividly on the eve of my Maths O Level, after a whole day of studying, going to football training anyway even though this was one subject I did not excel in and I remember feeling refreshed not only after training but I went to my exam with a fresh and rested mind which helped me do well in my exam. 

7. Darran, you are a young father of a six-year-old son Jerome. Following you on social media, some time ago you were happy with your son running on the track. It goes without saying that you are definitely his role model for life in many positive aspects. To a certain extent even his superhero! Having tried so many sports disciplines, which discipline would you like for your son to invest in and why?

Jerome currently practices football. In the past he practiced various disciplines such as swimming, karate and athletics. I feel that he is too young to specialize in a particular sport and currently the main objective is for him to build a solid base. While he enjoys his football, I strongly recommend that at a young age children are also exposed to sport like gymnastics and perhaps martial arts where they can develop certain basic skills such as balance and coordination which will eventually help them stand out. 

For the future, I will advise him to be open minded and practise the discipline he has a passion for at the time. I experienced a few bad years in football from a psychological point of view because I was out of love for the game and my motivation levels, consistency and continuity were abysmal to say the least  but in my head it was the only route to satisfy my desire to compete and I kept going back to it in what became a viscous circle. During that time I still kept very fit and I had developed a love for fitness training but I used to miss the competitive edge which always made me go back to football until I decided to start running.

Continuing on my personal experience, I found that when growing up, sport gives you attributes that are very beneficial for your childhood, teenage years and also beyond. Besides the health benefits, there is a big social factor which include formation of character, teamwork, values, mental development and discipline amongst others. However the most important thing it gave me is that I always knew where my limits where. This kept me away from bad habits such as smoking and excessive drinking or whenever I did them, I always knew where to stop, mainly because of my ambition in sport. Proper upbringing is also very important however sometimes this alone is not enough.

Therefore, when it came to my son, sport was top of the agenda. Today’s world has evolved from the time I was growing up and the dangers of having an unhealthy balance and getting addicted to things like tablets and computer games is much higher. Furthermore the drinking and drug culture and the short term thinking of today’s generation is a big danger to their future. Like myself, I hope that through sport and other activities, Jerome, other children and youths are able to develop a sense of balance and limitations to manage these threats that may ruin their long term health and quality of life.

8. Darran, in Malta we are always bombarded with football: be it the National team or the domestic leagues or international football. Given that you were into football since you were just 7 years old, what is your impression about local football and why its standards are so low compared to the rest of the world. To be fair, even our local athletics statistics lag behind the rest of the world but for sure the investment and infrastructures are totally different. In Malta we only avail of two 400m tartan tracks, the others are either 300m or 200m so they cannot cater properly to all athletes. As regards football grounds, I reckon there is almost one if not more in every village. Sponsors in football are galore, some good local footballers can make a living out of it. Athletics on the other hand, the elite athletes can enjoy some good sponsor which might provide them with free products like runners, nutrition and sports gadgets. It helps the individual but surely there is no grand sum of money involved. What is your impression and opinion of this?

I completely agree with you on this. When I was younger I was football crazy and didn’t see this but today I am more open minded and I believe that the energy and resources put into football locally somehow does not justify the end result. The obvious comparison is done with the recent results achieved by Iceland which is a whole debate in itself. However, through this, it is clear to see that the best investment in football and also other sport disciplines is to encourage a complete culture and mentality change in parents, children, sport associations, sponsors and government entities to enable youths to have opportunities and most importantly a desire by the youths themselves to develop their talents abroad rather than locally on a more permanent basis. Usually local players look for moves abroad when it is too late but if they do, one will eventually notice the difference in the level of these players when they turn out for the national team when compared to players playing in the domestic league.

This would also be true for other sports and in my opinion it is a pity that other sport is not given a bit of more importance. I am not talking only about athletics but also other sport where resources are what they are because money there is a big imbalance in priorities when it comes to investing and sponsorships.  An investment in a couple of multi-sport projects across different regions on the island would be a start. I believe the University track is earmarked for a project so that is a start! This together with upping the level of coaching through subsidized opportunities in different sports will most likely help in prospective Maltese athletes achieving better results.

At the end of the day, it will always boil down to finances and also financial help because besides local top level footballers, most athletes practise sport in their free time as a hobby and pay all expenses out of their own pocket. Therefore as things stand, one must really have a big love for the sport they practise to keep pursuing it, irrespective if it is just for leisure, for the challenge or at local elite level.

Darran, by now we know the story behind your success. I perused the past three years of MAAA road running championships and your remarkable escalation from the 13th overall place and 5th in your age group improved last year to 9th overall and 3rd in age group to the formidable 5th place overall for this season and 1st in age group. May all this be your starting point, am sure you have more in you to keep shining Darran!