Dan Martin clocks blistering sub-30 minute 10km joining growing trend of retired pros impressing on foot

Dan Martin is still making headlines more than four years after retiring. The double Monument winner and five-time Grand Tour stage winner has just run a rapid personal best in a 10km road race in Spain, adding his name to a growing list of former professional cyclists who have transitioned their massive aerobic engines to elite-level running.

Martin, who retired in 2021 with a career-best Grand Tour finish of 4th at the Vuelta a España, clocked an impressive 29:53 at the B100 Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona on New Year’s Eve. Breaking the 30-minute barrier for 10km is a benchmark that separates serious athletes from recreational runners, and Martin's performance confirms that the climber has lost little of his cardiovascular capacity.

However, the Irishman is far from the only retired pro lighting up the timing sheets without a bike. He joins a high-profile club of recent retirees, including the likes of Tom Dumoulin, Nacer Bouhanni, and Tony Martin, who are currently proving that WorldTour conditioning translates devastatingly well to the road.

While Martin’s effort was explosive over a shorter distance, his former colleagues have been making waves in the marathon and half-marathon distances over the last few months.

Former Giro d'Italia winner Tom Dumoulin shocked the running world in October at the Amsterdam Marathon. The Dutch time-trial specialist made his debut over the full 42km distance with a stunning time of 2:29:21.

“I wanted to run under two and a half hours, and that’s what I did — but it was painful,” Dumoulin said after the race. "My heart said go, my legs screamed no."

Dumoulin's ability to hold a 3:32/km pace for over two hours set a high bar, but he was nearly matched by a surprising candidate: Nacer Bouhanni. The former French sprinter, known for his explosive fast-twitch muscle fibers and boxing training, completed the Valencia Marathon in December in an astonishing time of 2 hours and 31 minutes.

Meanwhile, German powerhouse Tony Martin has also pinned on a number recently. The four-time World Time Trial champion took on his first-ever half-marathon in November. While he admitted it was a shock to the system, he posted a very respectable 1:24:00.

"My first half marathon ever... Really fun, but incredibly tough and painful," the German veteran admitted, proving that even the biggest engines in the sport have to adapt to the impact of running.