No losers as all-comers battle through to the end

EVERYONE was a winner in yesterday’s Dublin City Marathon.

Five hours into the 26.2-mile race that began at 9am, they were still pouring through the Merrion Square finish as the evening chill beckoned.

And the end for some of the 10,500 competitors from 60 countries was yet nowhere in sight.

“You’re almost there — enjoy this day,” said the commentator, rousing finishers to a last effort. Those that could, gathered themselves for a bit of gallop. Most appeared relieved, finished at last.

Louise Phillips from Cambridge was among the 2,000-strong British contingent for Dublin’s 27th edition of the race.

“I was married three weeks ago; this is my honeymoon,” Louise revealed, as supportive husband Ben arrived with the tea.

“No, we haven’t had a honeymoon, so we’ve been saying this is it. We’re going to go away next year.”

At 26, she’s a veteran of five marathons, three of them run in Dublin.

“Everyone should run a marathon,” said the radiant bride, who clocked 4:33:11. Her father, Dave Bircher, 51, was also running with their friends.

“For the first one I did in Dublin, I just wanted to get fitter — and that was to be my achievement. Then I just carried on,” said Louise.

Her friend Jackie Westrope said her first marathon was “an experience that was harder than I thought it would be”.

As they massed behind him on the Nassau Street start line around breakfast time, race organiser Jim Aughney had observed: “It’s a beautiful, calm morning — ideal for racing. We’re expecting fast times. I feel the record will go.”

Russian Aleksey Sokolov proved him right. Home first in a new record time, his 2:11:38 sheared more than one-and-a-half minutes from the previous fastest, set in 2004.

Fellow Russian Alina Ivanova also took the top spot in the women’s event, crossing the line in 2:29:49.

It was the first time either runner had taken part in the marathon.

“It feels great,” said the winner through an interpreter. “It was a good course and the race went very well for me.”

Four other competitors completed the gruelling race in under two hours 15 minutes, with more than 100 of the top runners crossing the line in less than three hours.

Around 5,500 Irish runners also pounded the streets, with Cian McLoughlin and Jill Shannon taking the top positions in the men’s and women’s section.

“It was a good course,” said Cian, 31, of Clonliffe Harriers. “Our rhythm would change with the wind, which would be against us and as we circled a corner came behind us, but generally conditions were good.”

Although his first time running in Dublin, Cian has taken part in marathons all over the Europe including Frankfurt, Vienna, Berlin and London. His personal best is two hours 18 minutes.

Jill, 24, from Belfast, a member of Lagan Valley Athletic Club, crossed the line just seconds ahead of last year’s Irish women’s winner Pauline Curley from Tullamore.

“It was never uncomfortable and I was never out of breath, but the last mile and a half was the hardest,” said Jill, who was running her first marathon.

“My legs are aching, I don’t know where my little sprint at the end came from.

“I would take part in one again, but not for a while though. The training is draining.”

Competitors had left the starting line to the sounds of samba bands, and made their way through the streets of Dublin.

The weather conditions were perfect, a complete contrast to last year’s heavy rain and winds.

Supporters were also cheered as the runners pushed themselves with an energetic sprint across the finish line.

Richie Powell, from Wales, was first across the line in the wheelchair section. He came home in just under one hour 55 minutes.

The 35-year-old, who won the Dublin event when he last took part in it in 1994, will summon the energy to fly over to New York on Friday to compete in another marathon next Sunday.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” Richie said. “I am very pleased with my performance.”