Marathon by sea to dispel budget blues

TONNES of salt were spread out yesterday to dispel the last vestiges of ice along the route of an inaugural coastal marathon race, attracting over 1,000 runners tomorrow to the coastal by-roads and town centre of Clonakilty.

Volunteer race organisers kept the bright side out through a gloomy budget week and icy weather conditions, saying the whole town — and weather forecasts — are right behind the depth-of-winter venture.

Ice-scrapers, scatterings of salt and grit, hard graft, plus the long-awaited thaw as part of the forecast of a fine, warmer Saturday, look like keeping the Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon on course. “We’re shaking off the budget blues, and escaping the icy grip of the past fortnight, and just going for a blast of positive, up-beat energy,” said Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon spokesperson Fiona O’Donnell.