Marathon man Ciobanu on course for Cork three in-a-row

Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) broke the course record when winning the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon in 2010 and 2011, and that’s his target again as he bids for an unprecedented three in-a-row today.

The Moldovan, based in Ireland for the past six years, shaved 20 seconds off his previous record when he won last year’s race in 2:25:34 with US-based Corkman Alan Foolkes (Leevale AC) and Colin Merritt (Carrig na bhFear) five minutes behind.

Ciobanu came to Cork as national champion, having won that title in Dublin the previous October, but he relinquished that crown to Sean Connolly (Tallaght AC) in their failed bid for Olympic qualification at last year’s Dublin Marathon.