City gears up for marathon weekend

FOLLOWING a bumper rugby season, Limerick’s hotel and catering sector is set for another huge windfall over the bank holiday weekend when up to 5,500 participants take to the streets for the inaugural Great Limerick Run on Sunday.

A marquee event in Limerick’s Riverfest celebrations, the Great Limerick Run is the first event of its kind to incorporate a full certified marathon, a half marathon and a 10k run into one day.

Runners from 14 countries will be represented in the field.

A spokesperson said: “The event which actually kicks off with the Great Limerick Run Expo in Thomond Park on Friday fills a much needed void in Limerick’s sporting calendar by delivering a mass participation event suitable for all ages.”

The starting times are 9am for the marathon, 11am for the half marathon and 12.30pm for the 10k. All races start from Pery Square. A full map of the route is available on www.greatlimerickrun.com

Participants should be at the start 60 minutes before their race starts and need to register in advance to receive their race number and goodie bags at the Great Limerick Run Expo which is taking place in Thomond Park from 2pm to 8pm on Friday and from 10am to 7pm on Saturday.

Martin Tynan, event organiser, thanked all those who have helped the event come to fruition.

He said: “With nearly 5,500 participants confirmed and thousands more coming to support their friends and family, we cannot be more happy with the take-up in this our first year.

“The idea behind the Great Limerick Run was to bring a mass participation event to our home town of Limerick and we are delighted to have succeeded in capturing the interest of so many people.

“The success of the event is down to our numerous sponsors, local authorities such as Limerick city and county councils, Limerick Co-ordination Office and Shannon Development and many volunteers, each of whom has played a huge part in getting this event off the ground. The fruit of all our efforts will be seen when so many people of all ages take to streets of Limerick on Sunday morning and showcase our fantastic city to a huge audience.”

He added: “There should be a real carnival atmosphere in the city all weekend with Riverfest taking place and I’m sure all our participants will look forward to unwinding in the city after the race while watching Munster’s big match with Biarritz. It should be a truly spectacular weekend for the city and I can’t wait for it to get under way.”