Kemal Husen and Sorome Negash seal Ethiopian double at Dublin Marathon

Stephen Scullion claimed his second national marathon crown and Ann-Maire McGlynn won her first title.

FIRST HOME: Kemal Husen celebrates after winning the men's event in the 2023 Irish Life Dublin Marathon. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Ethiopia's Kemal Husen stormed to victory in a new course record at the 2023 Irish Life Dublin Marathon on the streets of the capital this morning.

In what was only his second ever marathon, the 20-year-old knocked over one minute off his personal best from earlier this year, crossing the line in a time of two hours six minutes, and fifty-two seconds.

Husen took control of the race after 10 miles, sticking right behind the pacemaker until he passed 30k, and never relented. 

“I’m so happy. I didn’t expect to run this time,” he said.

He finished nearly four minutes clear of Uganda’s Geofrey Kusuro (2:10:45) in second place. Irish record holder Stephen Scullion (2:11:51) sprinted to the line to claim third. 

Scullion, who finished second in the 2019 race, was pleased to return to the podium; “That was a really good days work, I’m really happy with it. When you’ve put in the work in the training you know that when it gets tough, it’s going to be ok.” 

It was the Clonliffe AC man’s second national marathon title.

Ryan Creech of Leevale was the second Irishman home (2:14:08), while Seattle based Ryan Forsyth of Newcastle and District AC won national bronze (2:14:43) in his marathon debut.

Sorome Negash of Ethiopia was an impressive winner of the women’s race in two hours, twenty-six minutes, and twenty-two seconds, just off the course record. “I’m so happy. I want to thank Dublin Marathon for giving me this chance, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” an overjoyed Negash said when speaking afterwards.

Negash broke clear from a group of four athletes in the closing stages to win by over forty seconds.

Joan Kipyatich of Kenya finished second (2:27.04), while Genet Abdurkadir from Ethiopia clocked a personal best to cross the line in third.

Ann-Marie McGlynn from Letterkenny AC took the women’s national title in two hours, thirty-four minutes, and thirteen seconds, finishing as the fifth fastest female overall. The 43-year-old was emotional after the race; “I had written on my hand ‘today is my day’ and I believed it all week. I knew I had a job to do regardless of who was in the race. Myself and Emmet (Dunleavy, coach) had a plan and it never changed. We done it.” Gladys Ganiel from North Belfast Harriers, a lecturer at Queens University, won national silver (2:37:08) in a new over 45 women’s national record, while civil servant Sorcha Loughnane, representing Donore Harriers, claimed bronze (2:45:31).

In the wheelchair race the winner was Patrick Monahan taking his seventh Dublin Marathon title.

Results:

2023 Irish Life Dublin Marathon Men: 1 K Husen (Ethiopia) 2:06:52, 2 G Kusuro (Uganda) 2:10:45, 3 S Scullion (Clonliffe Harriers AC) 2:11:51.

Women: 1 S Negash (Ethiopia) 2:26:22, 2 J Kipyatich (Kenya) 2:27:04, 3 G Abdurkadir (Ethiopia) 2:27:49 National Results Men: 1 S Scullion (Clonliffe Harriers AC) 2:11:51, 2 R Creech (Leevale AC) 2:14:08, 3 R Forsyth (Newcastle & District AC) 2:14:43 Women: 1 A-M McGlynn (Letterkenny AC) 2:34:13, 2 G Ganiel (North Belfast Harriers) 2:37:08, 3 S Loughnane (Donore Harriers AC) 2:45:31