分类： sports

After weeks of relentless training, thousands of miles logged across Ireland’s roads and trails, and 33 back-to-back marathon challenges, the FTD Brothers have crossed their final finish line in Dublin — and now, they say, it is finally time for a long-overdue lie-in.

Jordan Adams, one half of the brother duo, sat down with BBC News NI shortly after completing his 33rd marathon in the Irish capital to reflect on the grueling, life-changing journey. What began as an ambitious fitness goal tied to a charitable mission evolved into a months-long test of endurance, mental grit, and sibling bonds, pushing both men to their physical limits while rallying communities across the country to support their cause.

Over the course of the challenge, the pair ran a full 26.2-mile race in every major county across Ireland, moving from coastal routes to rolling inland hills, braving unpredictable Irish weather that ranged from unseasonable rain to unexpected heatwaves. Crowds turned out at every stop to cheer them on, turning individual race days into community-wide celebrations that kept the brothers motivated when fatigue threatened to derail their progress.

Adams told reporters that the first thing on his agenda after wrapping up the final marathon was no post-race victory lap or elaborate celebration — just a long, uninterrupted period of rest. “We’ve been up at dawn and on our feet for months now,” he explained in the post-finish interview. “The first thing we’re both looking forward to is that lie-in, no alarm clock, no early morning shakeout run. We’ve earned it.”

The challenge, which was organized to raise funds and awareness for a mental health charity close to the brothers’ hearts, has already blown past its original fundraising target, with donations still rolling in from supporters who followed their journey across the nation. Organizers and community leaders have praised the FTD Brothers for their commitment, noting that their public challenge has helped spark wider conversations about physical fitness and mental health support across Ireland.

Two Irish brothers, Jordan and Cian Adams, have closed out an extraordinary athletic feat that has captured the attention of local running communities, finishing their ambitious goal of 33 marathons in 33 consecutive days at Dublin’s iconic Merrion Square in the heart of the capital.

The unprecedented challenge, which saw the pair tackle the full 42.195-kilometer marathon distance every single day for more than a month, took them across a range of terrain across Ireland, from rural country roads to urban thoroughfares, building momentum and public support as their journey unfolded.

Hundreds of local supporters, fellow runners, friends and family gathered at Merrion Square to cheer the siblings across the final finish line, celebrating the months of training, relentless endurance and mental grit that allowed them to pull off the rare endurance test. For the brothers, the challenge was as much a test of mental fortitude as physical fitness, with each day bringing new fatigue and obstacles that required teamwork and determination to overcome.

As the pair crossed the final finish line, crowds erupted in applause, marking the end of a journey that has set a new benchmark for amateur endurance challenges in Ireland. Speaking to reporters after the finish, Jordan Adams highlighted the role of public support in pushing the pair through the hardest days of the challenge, noting that the warm reception from communities across the country kept them going when exhaustion hit its peak.

The 2026 French Open has delivered its most staggering upset just days into the tournament, as men’s world number one Jannik Sinner crashed out in the second round following a crippling fitness collapse against Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in sweltering Parisian conditions.

Coming into Roland Garros, the 24-year-old Italian was the overwhelming pre-tournament favorite to claim the title – a status not seen since Rafael Nadal topped the betting in 2009. Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam champion, had arrived in Paris on a historic 30-match winning streak, having claimed five consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles across hard and clay courts over the previous three months. Most importantly, this tournament marked his best ever chance to complete a career Grand Slam, the only major trophy still missing from his collection, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by injury and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in the twilight of his career.

For two full sets, the expected narrative unfolded without a hitch. Sinner dominated Cerundolo, ranked 56th in the world, taking the first two sets 6-3, 6-2 and holding just one break point opportunity against his serve. Up 5-1 in the third set, Sinner appeared just moments away from closing out the match and advancing to the third round. That was when the tide turned irreversibly.

Unseasonably extreme heat gripped Paris throughout the match, with temperatures climbing above 34 degrees Celsius – conditions that have long posed problems for Sinner, who suffered severe cramping in near-40C heat at this year’s Australian Open, and only avoided an early exit there when the tournament’s heat rule was enforced mid-match. In a rare scheduling quirk, Roland Garros organizers placed Sinner as the first match on Court Philippe Chatrier, a slot no men’s top seed has opened before the semi-final stage in a decade. While the early start brought milder initial conditions, temperatures climbed rapidly as the match wore on, and Sinner’s old fitness issues flared.

After dropping 11 consecutive points and three straight games to see his third-set lead cut to 5-3, Sinner called for a medical trainer, visibly labored and dejected on court. He told staff he felt intense dizziness and overwhelming nausea, saying he wanted to vomit, before taking an extended mid-game medical timeout. When he returned to court, the Italian was a shadow of his dominant self. Where he once controlled rallies with powerful, accurate strokes from the baseline, his shots suddenly dropped 10 miles per hour in speed. He could barely chase down Cerundolo’s returns, wandering slowly around the court and stopping between points to shake out his fatigued legs.

Cerundolo, to his credit, kept his composure and capitalized on Sinner’s collapse, breaking the world number one’s serve to take the third set 7-5. He dominated the fourth set 6-1, and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the deciding fifth set. Despite cheers from the Paris crowd and encouragement from his coaching team, Sinner could not turn the tide. He managed only one more service hold to cut the lead to 4-1, but Cerundolo broke again in the next game to close out the historic 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1 victory.

The result is one of the most shocking early exits in Grand Slam history, ending Sinner’s undefeated 2025 season and his quest for a career Grand Slam for at least another year. It is Sinner’s first loss since February, and his first clay court defeat of the entire season.

For the remaining men’s draw, the upset has thrown the tournament wide open, handing Djokovic arguably his best chance in years to claim a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title. For Cerundolo, the win sets up a third-round showdown with either Spain’s Martin Landaluce or the Czech Republic’s Vit Kopriva, as he continues his unlikely deep run at the 2026 French Open.