Sergiu Ciobanu wins Cork City Marathon

Today's Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon was won by Moldovian Sergiu Ciobanu in a time of 2:25:54.

Ciobanu beat the official Bord Gáis Energy Cork City marathon record by 1 minute 42 seconds.

Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers is the reigning national marathon champion in Ireland, achieving a personal best of 2.22.06 last October in the Dublin Marathon. Today, Sergiu Ciobanu smashed the official race record in Cork set in 2007 by Alan O’Shea of 2:27:36.

The first woman over the line was Lucy Brennan (aged 51) from Sligo who won the women’s race for a third year in a row, with a finishing time of 2:54:41. The second woman over the line was Angela McCann from Clonmel AC, who finished with a time of 2:59:18.

The first relay team to complete the race was the Metric Milers from Cork who recorded a finish time of 2:21:21. The team was made up of last year’s marathon winner Michael Herlihy (North Cork AC), Ravis Zakis (West Waterford), Cian Murphy (Iveragh AC), Donal O’Callaghan (Roicht AC) and Ed Murphy (Gneeveguilla AC).

Sonia O’Sullivan joined the 10,000 people at the start line to run the first leg of the relay race with her team made up of former Cork hurler Joe Deane and World Championship silver medalist Gillian O’Sullivan.

Sonia said that Cork City Marathon is one of her favourite places in the world to run.

"it’s always a thrill to come back home and the revised course this year is the best yet, it’s much flatter and I think the runners today appreciated the changes that have been made," she said.