Sean Hehir says Marathon showcases Dublin at its best

Defending national champion Sean Hehir believes tomorrow’s SSE Airticity Dublin Marathon showcases the capital at its best where record numbers of just under 20,000 will be led out by a strong East African representation.

“I’m looking forward to Sunday and hoping for a strong showing,” said the Clare native who won outright in 2013 in 2:18:19 and won the national title, which is incorporated into the race, last year.

“The international and Irish championship field this year is very strong which is brilliant and should make for a great race up front,” continued the Rathfarnham athlete.

“Dublin Marathon day in the city is incredible every year. Communities all over the city come out to support and it really showcases Dublin at its best.

Hehir is a primary school teacher in Coláiste Mhuire Gan Smal in Inchicore where his students are doing a marathon challenge to complete 26.2 miles over a few weeks. In April this year, Hehir ran a personal best time of 2:17:20 in London and just missed out on selection for the Rio Olympics.

Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) is another to have narrowly missed out on Rio selection having run a personal best time of 2:15:14 in Berlin last year and will be bidding for national glory.

Other contenders include Mark Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock) who also set a pb of 2:19:30 in Berlin last year along with Gary O’Hanlon (Clonliffe Harriers) who set a personal best time of 2:21:42 in London last April.

An interesting entry is David McCarthy (West Waterford) who has excelled on the track with a 3:55 mile and bronze medal over 5,000m metres at the European U23 Championships in 2009.

The evergreen Pauline Curley (Tullamore Harriers) is as prolific on the roads as Gary O’Hanlon and she will be looking to add gold to her surprise victory last year.

The Offaly woman, who ran in the Beijing Olympics, had only recently recovered from knee surgery last year.

She will face stiff competition from Fionnuala Ross (Armagh), Laura Graham (Mourne Runners) and Caitriona Jennings (Letterkenny).

Ethiopia’s Dereje Urgecha Beyecha is fancied to be the first man across the line a little after 11am tomorrow. His country woman Motu Mergesa Gedefa, who trains with Olympic bronze medallist Mare Dibaba, will be looking to win the women’s race on her debut marathon.