Mazerski denies O’Hanlon’s brave drive for five on Leeside

Poland’s Bartosz Mazerski denied Clonliffe Harriers’ Gary O’Hanlon a fifth marathon victory in eight weeks at the Cork City Marathon yesterday, winning in 2:28:29 while 2008 Beijing Olympian Pauline Curley ran a new women’s course record of 2:47:44.

O’Hanlon’s 2013 marathon streak began in Connemara followed by wins in Limerick, Kildare, and Newry last weekend. His bid for a fifth consecutive victory fell short by 23 seconds, running 2:28:52 as Mazerski pulled away in the last mile.

“In the last two miles I was saying to myself ‘all these marathons are madness,’” said the 39-year-old Louth man who nearly died in a fatal car crash 20 years ago.