Dublin City Marathon: huge success as new records are broken

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By Liam McEvoy

This year saw a total of 13,000 participants take part in the Dublin City Marathon, which ultimately became a day of record breaking, with new completion times and a massive turnout.

Competitors, fun runners, people running for charity or just the challenge all gathered at Fitzwilliam Street for the nine o’clock start to the annual event.

Large crowds had gathered along the start up to O’Connell Street to cheer on the runners as they began their 26.2 mile journey.

The sun was out and rain stayed away as the cold morning soon warmed up, leaving perfect running conditions, even if spectators were left jogging on the spot to keep warm.

The early leaders had to battle the wind as well crossing paths with a herd of deer that ran onto the course, as the competitors made their way through the Phoenix Park.

Moses Kibet of Kenya won the men’s race setting a new course record time of 2 hours, 8 minutes and 56 seconds.

“At halfway, I knew, I felt good. There was still a small group there, but I was just behind them, in control,” Kibet said after the race.

“But I wanted to wait as long as I could, to make sure. And when I made the break then I knew I would win,” he added.

The women’s race was also won in a record of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 12 seconds by Tatiana Aryasova from Russia.

Both Kibet and Aryasova earned a course-record bonus of €5,000 to go with their winner’s prize of €15,000.

The Irish winners were Segiu Ciobanu, of Clonliffe Harriers, who took the glory for the men’s race with Barbara Sanchez, of Raheny Shamrocks, taking the women’s race.

Yet the success of the event is in the dedication of the participants from Ireland and across the world, who made the 31^st Dublin City Marathon an ecxiting and philanthropic event.

Runners from 74 countries have helped to raise millions of euro for their chosen charities in Ireland and abroad.