Crowds 10ft deep cheered as runners completed the final stretch of yesterday’s Dublin Marathon.

A record 20,000 runners will stride out on Merrion Square South tomorrow morning for the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon, with club runners from Acorn AC right through to Youghal in search of that coveted finishing medal.

Irish Examiner Cork City marathon

Mark Christie won the Great Ireland Run in 29:30 in the Phoenix Park yesterday and also secured the national 10km title.

Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock AC yesterday led the field home to win his first Ballycotton 10-Mile title, finishing strongly in 49:20, 20 seconds, clear of Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers, (49:46) and third-placed Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel AC) in 49:54.

Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrocks has won this year's Ballycotton 10 road race.

Over 3,000 runners will fill the narrow street of an east Cork village on Sunday next as the Ballycotton ‘10’ celebrates its 40th birthday.

Raheny Shamrock’s Mick Clohisey and UCD’s Ciara Mageean will be two of the leading lights at the Irish Life Health National Cross Country Championships at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus tomorrow.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Defending national champion Sean Hehir believes tomorrow’s SSE Airticity Dublin Marathon showcases the capital at its best where record numbers of just under 20,000 will be led out by a strong East African representation.

Three years ago, Ciara Mageean was unable to run, beset with injuries and staring down the barrel of career-threatening surgery.

WHEN runner Sergiu Ciobanu landed in Ireland 10 years ago at the age of 22 he didn’t even know what language the people spoke. 

For several of Ireland’s best marathoners, the door finally closed on Olympic qualification at the London Marathon yesterday, with the race to Rio de Janeiro now left in the hands of selectors ahead of next month’s deadline.

Mark Hanrahan of Leevale Athletic Club led home an entry of well over 3,000 yesterday in the annual Ballycotton 10-mile road race in East Cork.

Cillian O’Leary claimed a famous comeback victory in the Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon in 2:30:41 yesterday, as Nollaigh O’Neill-Hunter triumphed convincingly in the women’s race in 2:57:45 in wet and wild conditions.

Thomas Barr is European athlete of the month for April, rewarded for his European-leading 400m hurdles time of 49.08 to win at the Tom Jones Classic in Gainesville, USA, on April 24.

Gemma Steel denied Fionnuala Britton a maiden victory in a fascinating duel in blustery conditions in the Phoenix Park at the SPAR Great Ireland Run 10km on Saturday.

Fionnuala Britton produced the best road race of her career to finish second at today’s Spar Great Ireland run.

Fionnuala Britton will aim to make it third-time lucky at the SPAR Great Ireland Run 10km in Dublin’s Phoenix Park tomorrow as she continues her transition to road running.

A fifth victory in a row by Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers in the men’s race in and a course record winning time of 54:20 by Maria McCambridge of Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club were the highlight performances at yesterday’s annual Ballycotton 10 mile in East Cork — the 38th running of this Irish road classic.

Sergiu Ciobanu didn’t take long to understand the prestige and history of the Ballycotton ‘10’. Fresh off the plane from Moldova, Ciobanu quickly realised victory in East Cork would guarantee household status in local running circles.

Athletics.

IT was a return to Kenyan dominance at the SSE Dublin marathon yesterday but not without an Irish twist in the tale.

One of Ireland’s best long-distance runners has all but given up hope of competing at the European Championships in Zurich in two weeks’ time as his application for Irish citizenship has yet to come through.

It was a case of déjà vu at the Cork Marathon yesterday with Poland’s Bartosz Mazerski denying Gary O’Hanlon’s brave attempt for a third marathon victory in 15 days in a sprint finish down St Patrick’s Street, while Pauline Curley smashed her course record from last year when coming home in 2:43:37.

Robert Heffernan was placed 23rd (1:21:00) over 20km at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Taicang, China yesterday.

Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers coasted to a comfortable victory in yesterday’s Ballycotton 10-mile in East Cork — the 37th edition of this famous road race classic.

Sergiu Ciobanu, the Moldovan native who runs with Clonliffe Harriers, will start favourite to win tomorrow’s annual Ballycotton 10 mile road race in East Cork — the 37th edition of this classic event.

Sean Hehir became the first Irish winner of the Dublin marathon in 20 years this morning.

Paul Pollock has recorded the best ever position achieved by an Irish athlete in a World Athletics Championships men’s marathon.

Kenenisa Bekele’s star quality was able to pierce through a blustery crosswind at the Spar Great Ireland Run 10km in the Phoenix Park yesterday.

Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) coasted to victory in the 36th running of the Ballycotton 10 mile road race.

Not even a missing spike key could deter Mary Cullen from dominating the Woodie’s DIY Inter Club Cross Country Championships in Charleville Estate in Tullamore yesterday.

Maria McCambridge won’t lack motivation when she contests today’s Dublin City Marathon.

They will come in all shapes and sizes, and all levels of expertise, but they all have just one thing in mind — getting across the finishing line.