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| Mid-pack Dublin Marathon 2012 |
Although a title sponsor has yet to be nailed down, entries are already coming in for next year’s Dublin Marathon on Monday October 28.
“The race is definitely going ahead but maybe not the same version as recent years,” says race director Jim Aughney.
With no race sponsor for this year’s race, the post race party and TV coverage was scrapped.
“We have to look at everything, such as prize money, promotion abroad and the Marathon Mission, although it has been such a success,” says Aughney.
Thanks to the Marathon Mission, standards are steadily improving in Irish long distance running, with four women qualifying for the London Olympics and six men under 2 hours 20 minutes.
In its 33-year history, the Dublin marathon has seen lean times. “In 1992, we had no title sponsor and we survived. Adidas then came in and gave us a huge boost,” says Aughney who has been involved with the race since 1989 and as race director since 1997.
He’s pleased that the number of Irish runners in the race continues to grow. “We had 10,000 in this year’s race and that mostly is a result of the race series we started in 2002.
“People were able to manage the five mile and were getting comfortable. We persuaded them to try 10 mile and the half marathon with a view to attempting a marathon a year later. It worked exactly as we predicted – the number of Irish runners in the marathon went up in 2003 and has since gone through the roof.”
Closing down the city of Dublin for a day doesn’t come cheap with the Dublin Marathon not getting much change out of €1.5m in operational costs.
“For the first time since 2004, we have increased the entry fee to €75 which still compares well with other big city marathons. That extra money will be something of an insurance policy.”
Aughney and his team are still talking to do potential sponsors, although it is getting late in the day for next year’s race.
“Whatever happens, the race will go ahead. We just have to be more imaginative in how we use our resources.”
*Online entry will be available for next year’s Ballycotton ‘10’ on Sunday March 3 – but only after postal entry forms are returned. To get an entry form, send an SAE with the correct postage to Ballycotton Running Promotions, Ballycotton, Co Cork to arrive before November 30.
All returned postal entries returned before December 5 will be accepted. Online entry will then open until the figure of 2,500 is reached.
Members of Athletics Ireland clubs have until December 18 to get their forms in – yet another good reason to join your local athletics club.
*Despite a heroic effort by Brian Kelly for DCU on the final mile, UCD retained the Irish University Road Relays men’s title in Maynooth winning by just 0.3 of a second.
DCU had built up a half minute lead on after two laps thanks to the efforts of Joe Warne and Paul Robinson, but Joe Sweeney running the three mile leg for UCD, whittled that lead down to 17 seconds. Then came the leg of the day for UCD when Chris Johnson caught DCU’s Darren McBrearty and handed over to Mark English with a 10-second lead. English ran a canny race to hold off Kelly, who set a new lap record of 4 mins 14 secs. In an equally thrilling women’s race, DCU took a ninth consecutive win despite the best efforts of UCC. The teams were level after three legs, with DCU’s Mary Anne O’Sullivan pulling away for victory.
*Wayne Reid of Mullingar Harriers led home 174 finishers when the New York Marathon came to the Phoenix Park, thanks to the ingenuity of the Dublin Marathon organisers.
It may not have been the Big Apple, but on a five-mile loop and a perfect autumn day, the runners, all wearing their New York race numbers, got enthusiastic support.
Coming home second was Niall Lynch, whose time of 2:48.58 was almost five minutes quicker than the time he recorded at the “unofficial” New York Marathon in Central Park a fortnight ago. Fastest of the women was Karen Lavelle who finished in 3:09.27.
*Places on the Irish team for the European Championships in Budapest are up for grabs at Sunday’s Woodie’s DIY National intercounties in Ratoath, Co Meath. One person guaranteed her place is defending European champion Fionnuala Britton, who races in France this weekend. Defending intercounty women’s champion Sarah Treacy warmed up with a good fifth place at an international cross-country in Soria, Spain last weekend. Also entered is Ava Hutchinson of DSD; not running is Linda Byrne, who has been ill. Defending men’s champion Joe Sweeney of DSD is coming into form at the right time; he will take on the in-form Paul Pollock.
* Sean Hehir, second at the Irish Marathon Championship, won the men’s race at the Noel McQuill/Sandra Floyd Cross-Country in Dunleer. Raheny’s Fiona Roche was first woman.
*Raheny’s David Rooney finished a brilliant seventh and first non-African at the NCAA Cross-County Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. Other good runs came from DSD’s Breandan O’Neill 28th, Thomas Casey of Sligo 67th and Ferrybank’s Shane Quinn 70th. Sarah Collins of Finn Valley was an impressive excellent 10th in her first outing in the women’s race.
*Just three weeks after his victory in the Irish Marathon Championships, Paul Pollock won the Podium 4 Sport Seeley Cup 10km Road Race, leading home a 800-plus entry. First woman was Kerry Harty of Newcastle in a new personal best time of 34 mins 23 secs.
Clonliffe racing machine Gary O’Hanlon led home an entry of 277 at the Stook 10-Mile race organised by Gowran AC. Angela McCann of Clonmel was first woman. In Cork, Sergui Ciobanu of Clonliffe won the Oval BHAA 16 mile race.
*Davey Byrne and Maura Kearns were the first man and woman home at the second Parkrun 5km held in Malahide Castle. Over 200 finished. Entry is free for these runs; just register the day before with www.park.ie.
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