Mark Christie can fly!
Over 700 club athletes have entered the Woodie’s DIY National Half Marathon Championships which takes place on Monday August 5 (8.30am) in Dublin.
With the race taking place a month earlier than usual, defending champions Paul Pollock and Maria McCambridge, both of them running the marathon at the forthcoming World Championships, won’t be able to defend their titles.
Mullingar’s Mark Christie, a runway winner of the national 5000m title last weekend in Santry, starts as favourite to take the men’s title. Christie, now coached by Jerry Kiernan, is clearly back in top form after a long battle with injury. Sean Hehir of Rathfarnham, who won the title two years ago, is hoping he can repeat that feat and help his club to a team medal. Gary O’Hanlon is joined by Northern Irish athlete Sean Scullion on a strong Clonliffe squad. Scullion won the Fingal 10km in Swords a few weeks ago, and is the antional 10km champion.
In the women’s race, North Belfast Harriers are aiming for team gold with a team led by Marathon Mission athletes Breege Connolly and Gladys Ganiel O’Neill. They will take on, among others, Lizzie Lee of Leevale, who made both European and World Cross Country teams last winter. Most recently Lee has won the Cork Half Marathon and the Dunshaughlin 10km. She is joined on the Leevale team by Michelle Finn, the national steeplechase champion, who represented Ireland at the World University Games in Russia.
The race over a course that starts and finishes in the Stephens Green area, takes in a loop that includes the Phoenix Park. Like the National 10km Championships, the race is organised in conjunction with an overseas commercial franchise, in this case the US-based Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon. It also means that the National 10km, half marathon and marathon this year all take place in Dublin – and with an early start of 8.30am, the National Half is a particularly expensive outing for the ordinary club runner.
Here’s a thought: why not move the National 10km and the National Half around the existing championships in each province?
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