Rainy conditions fail to dampen marathon spirits

DESPITE less than ideal weather conditions a grand total of 50,000 runners and walkers took part in yesterday’s bank holiday marathons in Cork and Dublin which raised millions of euro for charity.

Sergiu Ciobanu, 26, of Clonliffe Harriers set a new record of 2:25:54 when he was first past the finish line of the 26.2 mile Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon.

Wet conditions did nothing to dampen the spirits of the 10,000 people who took part including first woman over the line Lucy Brennan, 51, from Sligo.

With a finishing time of 2:54:41 she became the first woman over the line for the last three years.

“The rain was okay but the wind was particularly strong, but three in a row in Cork is very special,” she said.

Sergiu, a native of Moldova now living in Co Clare, said: “I am very happy to be in Cork. It is my first time here. I really enjoyed it but the weather was a little bit tough and windy.”

Irish athletics legend Sonia O’Sullivan travelled from Australia to join the runners at the 9am starting line and ran the first leg of the relay race with her team made up of former Cork hurler Joe Deane and World Championship silver medal winner Gillian O’Sullivan.

“It is always a thrill to come back home and the revised course this year is the best yet. It is much flatter and I think the runners today appreciated the changes that have been made,” Sonia said.

Sonia’s team, however, were not the first relay team to cross the finish line. That honour went to the Metric Milers from Cork who recorded a finish time of 2.21.21. The team was made up of last year’s winner Michael Herlihy (North Cork AC), Ravis Zakis (West Waterford), Cian Murphy (Iveragh AC), Donal O’Callaghan (Roicht AC) and Ed Murphy (Gneeveguilla AC).

The wheelchair marathon was won by Daryl Erwin of Ballymena Runners Antrim in a time of 3:11:11.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dara Murphy, who ran a leg of the relay, congratulated everyone who took part in the event. “There was a celebratory and vibrant international feel to this year’s event – we had 10,000 people taking part from every corner of Ireland and the world, with 31 different counties represented and people from 19 different countries, from Canada to New Zealand.”

Ger Cunningham, sports sponsorship manager of Bord Gáis Energy, said: “This has without doubt been the biggest and most successful Cork City Marathon yet and to see the course record broken in the men’s event shows the commitment of the athletes involved, from the very top to all the relay runners who have raised more than €3 million for charity. That’s what this marathon is all about.”

Meanwhile, in Dublin, 40,000 fundraisers took to the streets in the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon, expected to net more than €14 million for charity.

Women of all ages representing every county walked, jogged and ran the 10km circuit which began at Merrion Square at 3pm.

This year’s winner was Linda Byrne from Dundrum/South Dublin Athletic Club in a time of 34 minutes 29 seconds.

Three women ran the race blindfolded to support ORBIS’s goal of eradicating the blinding disease trachoma in the poorest regions of Africa.

Clare O’Dea from Dublin, Diane Weatherup from Belfast and Ellen Vitting from Kenmare ran the 10km circuit without the use of their sight, instead they were lead through the bustling streets of Dublin by three aides who helped them avoid potential hazards.