Runner Profile: Dom Miaoulis
Introduction
Thank you, Ryan, for the nomination and it’s great to read your story and see that you were a never lover of running like me.
Hi there My name is Dominic, Dom, the Idiot if you fancy calling me that, or the clown. I am 45 years old now, I have lived in Felixstowe all my life.
Some of you may know me, some of you may not know me. Since coming back to Felixstowe Road Runners, I’ve noticed a big difference to the races and to how many there are now, the numbers of people at the club who run a diverse smorgasbord of different events. It is great to see, and I don’t know how some have the time to do them all. Here is my story so sit down be prepared as some of you may not know what is coming next
Early Years
I came from a normal family if you could call my mum’s hair normal, it was the 80s. My dad was the only sports man in the family when I was younger.
In my early years I was quite a chunk at school, and I did not have a fitness cell in my brain to warrant me doing any exercise. So, for me it was computer games and watching movies, it was the 80s so what more could a boy want, favourite films and video games.
However, I was a good swimmer and when it came to the school’s competitions, I would be the one they picked to swim us into victory. I also seemed to be very good at hockey and always took up the chance to play it.
Apart from the swimming and hockey the only other view I got of another sport was running, that was because back in the 80s my dad had decided to start running for Felixstowe Road Runners and I remember one of the first runs he did untrained was the Felixstowe Half Marathon he went off too fast did ok and from then he wanted to do more, so the family travelled (dragged) with him on the weekends to wherever the next race would be standing in the cold, rain, snow and wind to cheer him on, I do have to admit it was pretty boring and not what I expected to spend the weekends doing.
Gradually after time went on more and more supporters started to come and support Felixstowe I think there was more supporters than Felixstowe Road Runners making it more enjoyable to watch the races, we used to pitch up, banners were flying, flags flapping and all of us shouting singing I remember we had a runner called Eileen so you can guess what the bands used to play and we all sung the song that has stuck with me. That was always a favourite for Bob Southgate and Mike Todd to get ready on the Kirton 5 finish line for when she came running around the corner. It was good times after that.
Started running
My running career started with just a mess-around really. While parents were supporting partners/husbands us kids would just run around trying to race each other sprinting and doing laps of the field while we waited for the adults to finish, I wasn’t the fittest of kids but would give it a go.
I would then take up the Felixstowe May Day runs with the main race first then the Fun Run after, plenty of videos were taken and was just recently watching them to get the picture included – proof I did it with my fabulous sunglasses I was wearing counting the laps. I still didn’t like running then either.
Then at the races they would start to do mini runs for us kids to participate in, at the time I still wasn’t really a fan of running as I was not really that fit and had not done much running just the May Day runs and the odd running about in PE at school, but I did it anyways standing at the start line feeling everyone getting excited jumping around “Ready….. Set…….GO” everyone shooting off the start line like they were holding on to this giant elastic band aaaaand LAST I came last in that race, I pretty much came last in every race I took part in, watching peoples behinds getting smaller and smaller but there was always one guarantee you could tell I was always going to be the last to pass that finish line, no matter how many races I did I was last past that line, I just could not make my legs go any faster, was it because I didn’t really like running and my mind was set on just doing it no matter what speed or was I actually that slow. But I didn’t care if I was last, I did the race and that was all that mattered to me.
There used to be a Chi Chimnoy 2 mile race in Chantry Park every month in the evening that would be the longest run I would do, it was 2 laps, 2 very long laps and you guessed it: Last. It would be almost dark when I crossed the line but I am one for when I start something I will finish and never give up even though I knew I was coming last I would always make myself finish the race.
Joining FRR
When I was able to start running properly there was no Junior club in Felixstowe, even though the main club met at the British Legion on a Wednesday and the Tuesday night boys which actually mainly consisted of women met at the Orwell hotel there was no place for the juniors to run and train, after some talks my dad agreed to run with the Tuesday night boys and dedicate his time start the new club on a Wednesday which I started as one of the first Felixstowe Road Runner Junior members.
The club started off in the late 80’s / early 90’s with a bunch of fresh-faced kids, while their dads/mums run at the club on a Wednesday my dad met everyone on the prom to start a session down there.
He would work us hard, but we enjoyed the running and he would always have a goodie bag for the winning team at the end of the night, usually consisting of chocolate and sweets and other little bits he could find around the shops.
We had quite a big group I think there was around 25 of us maybe more in total my dad making sure everyone helped each other, we worked with each other, but we didn’t have a running uniform we would be still running in just miss matched T-shirts, shorts and trackie bottoms. We needed to be a team so one of the adults from the running team suggested we create and design our own junior running kit and the winner would be the club’s mascot, the day came the winning design was announced and it was the bird! A road runner to symbolise our team, a symbol of speed. This was created by Harriet Todd the daughter of the late Mike Todd and they liked the design so much that not only did they use if for the Felixstowe Road Runners Junior club, the main club wanted to use it for all their running kit also. This included jumpers, banners, trophies, medals handed out for runs organised by Felixstowe Road Runners this became iconic and remembered by all once you saw the bird this now means business.
Then came the races we would go all over the place, we would be in Ipswich, Woodbridge, Framlingham, and castle, Bury St Edmunds, Bildeston, Stowmarket, Southend, Martlesham, Bungay Black Dog races, Kirton, all the Friday 5 series summer and winter and then all the X country Leagues also, Beccles, Haughley park we went all over the place.
I cannot remember my very first race, but what I do remember where I used to come last something had changed, something dramatic had changed. Over the line 10th of all these people that I used to watch go off into the distance ahead of me I am now one of them, and when I crossed the line, I felt good.
Race after race Felixstowe Juniors dominated the course, we would nearly always be the first 10 over the line a sea of red waves flushing over the line.
Then my moment came, 3rd I came third, then second, runner of the month, team winners, then the one that shocked me the most, Martlesham 1995 run started off like any normal run at the front with my fellow teammates bang off we went all nose to nose shoulder to shoulder then I went into my zone I just ran everything else had gone I could see no one I could hear no one just focused on the road ahead of me I came onto the field to do a lap of the field and then finish, next minute I was knocked out my zone by my mum screaming at me waving her arms she was jumping up and down I started to slow down crap had I took a wrong turn where was all the runners, then I could hear her “come on Dominic” then I looked and there was others jumping and screaming at me “come on GO GO GO” so I sprinted I could see the finish line so I went for it over the line I was gasping, confused people shouting at me mum screeching at me, I was like what, what? Where did I come, she was like 1st you came first, I was like no way did I come first I turned only to see the next RED entering the field, so I ran back and pushed my teammate Robert Sears over the line congratulating him as me and him always battled it out to beat each other as he was always faster than me.
Then a scout for Suffolk was about he was choosing some runners to run for Suffolk unfortunately I wasn’t chosen but my team mates Keily Gabril and Robert Sears were which left us now team members down, but it drove me to run one of my best mile times ever, it was on the Mayday relay race and we had to run against the Suffolk Champions 2 of them were now my former team mates both very strong runners, but we had a good Felixstowe Road Runner team, my dad was there encouraging us to just do our best and do what we trained to do. I was set to go first against Robert off we went off the line towards bath hill along the prom, up the hill along the top down the hill and sprint to the finish line handed baton to my colleague looked at the time when I crossed the line 5:40 my best ever mile then I was like where was Robert he was right behind me so I ran back to convalescent hill met up with him and said to him come on you can do this and sprinted with him over the line. His team coach congratulated me and did ask maybe one day I could run for Suffolk, but I had my team so I said I am ok thanks and went on to cheer my team over the line.
Felixstowe Team done awesome and with our efforts we won the relay race beating Suffolk champions.
I had a few more wins in upcoming leagues, some awesome X country runs very muddy but enjoyable, Selected to run for the Suffolk police championships Cross county races with my Dad and Mick Sears who organised and drove us to all the races, Felixstowe Road Runner Juniors were still leading the races and I was still happy to be a part of that still, then things started to change, runners were being approached by other teams Ipswich Harriers started taking runners, people moved away and our team started to shrink, my dad who started the club was under more pressure as times were changing in the running world and the Junior Team needed a structured plan going forward with a training table focusing on progression, he was working 12hrs then coming straight to running club after work and unfortunately he didn’t have the time to commit to that so he sadly had to stand down as coach, this led to a decision do I stay or do I just finish, I was 14 at this point everything was changing in the team, now being at high school, I decided to stick with it as I had done so well considering I still never liked running that much, and on a cold wet Wednesday evening we had our new coach, a very lovely lady called Jan took over (her husband Brian was already in the adult club) she was softly spoken, kind but very hard driven, but races just didn’t feel the same anymore we ran them and still did our best but it didn’t feel like a family anymore it felt more corporate and more of you got to win minus the fun anymore.
By this time the prom runs, street running had stopped and we had secured a place at Orwell High school to warm up, leave our bags and go train out on the field with the run track at the back we could do more sprinting, lap times, and distance running. The team was growing again with more new recruits.
Then one foggy evening we had arrived for training but our coach Jan never arrived, we all decided to carry on and do training by this time I was now 16 the oldest one there so I took lead and got everyone out to do training working on circuits, I remember struggling to see everyone it was that foggy lots of shouting but we did training and finished the night.
It was only that evening I learned that Jan had sadly passed away which was a shock to everyone and club had stopped for a couple of weeks.
My dad stepped in for the next session as no one was found to take the club on, his familiar training technique his old school training made it feel like a club again lightening the mood with the loss we all had with Jan.
Due to being unable to source a coach for the club after this session I decided to take it on being only 16 this was a challenge, but I took it on during the summer holiday I had only just finished school, so I was free and available to do this.
So, I took position of coaching the new set of juniors during the summer holidays in 1997 and into the winter period, running was harder now as I was coaching rather than training myself and by this time, I was now running in the under 18s category much harder and a lot more runners to compete with. I still managed a win that winter. By the spring they had found a new coach Dean Robinson and he was happy to take on the role as coach which meant my time in the Junior Club came to an end, I did my last session with them said my goodbyes.
I was running/training with the adults now, the likes of Nigel Powley, Richard Bennett, Mike Todd, Mick Sears, my dad Nikos, Richard Wold, Mick Moore. I thought I was fast but these guys were breaking course records fast very intimidating and it was a whole new league of running. Running then became a lot harder and for me I was losing that spark I found, the fun I had experienced was slowly fading away as I was now running against a lot of old ex-Club/team now and while I was holding my own and keeping up with them I was more happy just to plod along than race now watching them just go off into the distance and I was just happy to get round now rather than try to win it.
I did that for a while then felt I needed a change so ran for Woodbridge Shufflers. They were in need of younger runners so I thought I would try and add some youth to their team but it didn’t feel the same and eventually I came back to Felixstowe, the drive was too far and could not train all the time so I made the move back.
When I got to around 20 years old with job commitments now I was struggling to find the time to train like I did, I still ran for Suffolk police cross country championships every winter up until I was about 22 but that was it for me really and my running career ended around 2003. My last runs were Framlingham Castle winter and then the Framlingham Friday 5.
Rejoining Felixstowe Road Runners
I had been out jogging with a work colleague throughout covid socially distanced to get some exercise in and Kirsty Marsh would force and drag me out on runs, I started to cover some distance again, I was covering 10 miles twice a week, cycling 40 miles a week and playing badminton 2 times a week also. I would also be meeting a mate who was doing the couch to 5k so I would help him with that also and I was becoming quite active again.
I rejoined Felixstowe Road Runners back in 2019 and within that time I managed to complete my first 5 mile race it was the Framlingham 5 the very last race I did 16 years ago before I ended my running career it was very strange – the same hut, the same people – it was like time had stopped and I just was there again, I did ok but it was my first run back and experience with the red and white again, I also managed to do the Framlingham Castle cross country which was also my last winter series, very mixed feelings on that one as the last time I ran there I accidently injured someone with my running spikes, and it was the last cross country I did after seeing Richard Bennett desperately try and save another runners life so it was some mixed emotions on that one, but my nerves were at ease as I was greeted with the face of Richard Wold happy to see me and glad I was back. It wasn’t as muddy as I remembered it but I enjoyed it, then I managed the Coastal 10 as I felt I needed to do it for Richard, but due to work commitments I had to leave again.
Now my work has changed and I am home based I rejoined FRR again in 2026 and here I am today and here to stay. It has changed very much, the mascot the faces and it’s amazing how many races there are now. Back when I first started they were few and far between not to mention the price of them now, it was like £1-£3 to do a race back then, you got a medal and T-shirt but I am glad to be back.
parkruns
Fast forward about 16 years from when I stopped running I discovered parkrun a brand new way of running, my dad had already done one and he took me along with him and even though I didn’t come last, I did it in 31:05, it was a shock but what once was an easy run for me turned into me challenging myself into doing better and going faster again. My fastest to date is 24:41, it was on New Years day I had run the Kesgrave parkrun then we shot off to Felixstowe and managed to catch that one before it started, I managed to do that one in 24:57 I thought it was quite an achievement as both times were my fastest I had done. But I am steady at around 26/27 minutes now.
Achievements
My biggest achievement was doing the London marathon, I had watched and supported my dad for many years at London, and it was my biggest goal to do the London Marathon. I wanted it really to be my last big run I did, it took me 16 years of applying then I got in, with the mishap of covid I had to delay it 2 years but in 2022 I finally did it. Not as fast as I should have but I completed it, I had a mishap with me drinking orange juice in the moment only realising once it was down and I was doomed at 20 miles, lucky there was a toilet every mile ha ha. I was happy, I didn’t train too hard and got to 20 miles on target just my mishap set me back, but I completed it. Still happy to plod along.
I had hoped to run it with my dad, but he never got in again, he has finished with running now and everyone always used to see him out its also strange he isn’t running again as that’s all I remembered him doing and right up to him finishing he was still giving me training advice.
I’ve done 4 Tough Mudders 12-mile assault courses over my time – that was an achievement. I called back old school Nikos Miaoulis to train us run ready for the distance, the first 2 were for MSC so we needed a coach and he took part in them also.
Work
I worked as a ship’s agent from 2000 up until 2026 which was a lot of my time and a lot of hours so I didn’t have time to run, I boarded vessels at port and on sea so the only legs I had time for was my sea legs. It’s needed with pilot launches out to vessels at sea or wandering around a cruise ship.
Now I work in an office close to home on dry land
Home Life
I am pretty chilled. I have 2 dogs that I walk every day to get some mileage in, I do cycle, I play badminton, the running helps with my speed across the court. I also have a 4-year-old keeping me busy all the time and one day I hope she will be a runner like I once was – she has attended races supported me and given me that extra boost I have needed.
But it is the motivation to go out I find I struggle with for running, it is always tomorrow attitude, but I do go out in the end
Health conditions
I had been struggling with my running on my return not because I was not used to running anymore but there was this overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, my body was feeling ok but internally I was struggling, I later found out that I have severe Gilberts Syndrome which is basically Jaundice, this can be triggered by dehydration or heavy exercise, that running can trigger or badminton and cycling. It can leave me feeling like while I am running a race I want to fall asleep while running, I can have good days where my body has processed the toxins well or bad days where it’s not processing them and I feel like I am being poisoned, this makes it hard trying to run or gauge to run a race if I get it wrong I can be ill for weeks, like I found out with the Kirton 5 even though I had hydrated well the sun on me caused me to dehydrate pretty quickly. But it’s something I must deal with and hopefully others who suffer from it know they are not alone.
My Goals
I would like to get a long run in, one I can do comfortable, perhaps be stupid enough to do the London marathon again. Half marathon would be nice or just get to a point where I am attending races again.
I am thinking of the Coastal 10 but for me I want it to be cool and overcast the sun killed me last time it wasn’t an enjoyable experience, but as always ill just be plodding along.
Next Months Nominee
For next month I’d like to nominate Brett Deakin
