Dublin Marathon

The National Lottery Dublin Marathon is known among athletes as 'the friendly Marathon'. The 42.2km (26.2 miles) race attracts more than 11,000 runners and thousands of spectators line the route to cheer on the athletes from the side of the road or their front gardens. Before and after the race there is plenty of opportunity for overseas visitors to sample The Craic, Irish for having a good time. The organisers put on an Irish breakfast the day before the event and there is an afterparty at the end of the race day for those who can still move a muscle.

Dublin Marathon History
Dublin Marathon is held annually on the last Monday in October, the October Bank Holiday. Instigated by Noel Carroll, the first Dublin Marathon was run in 1980 and won by a two locals: Dick Hooper in 2:16:14 for the men and Carey May for the women with 2:42:11. The marathon is becoming increasingly popular with Irish and International athletes and the field of runners has grown from 2,100 in 1980 to 11,700 in 2008.

Overseas Athletes
Approximately half of the participants in the Dublin Marathon come from abroad. To welcome the international contingent, Dublin Marathon organises a special breakfast run on the Sunday preceding the marathon. Following the run, overseas athletes are treated to an Irish Breakfast and some traditional Irish Music.

The Dublin Marathon Course
The Dublin Marathon starts at Georgian Fitzwilliam Square to the East of St. Stephens Green and finishes in Merrion Square. Both start and finish line are near the city centre. The route passes through Dublin's picturesque Georgian streets dating back to the 17th century. It takes in sights such as Trinity College, Herbert Park, St. Stephens Green and Phoenix Park in a single-lap course. It might be a fairly flat course, but it's not a walk in the park either. The exact route of the Dublin Marathon changes every year, but runners can expect a few climbs of less than 100m in altitude.

Finishing The Race
Out of the total field, 76% or 9,000 runners crossed the finish line in 2008. This is a notable increase over the first Dublin Marathon in which 67% of athletes reached the finish line. Standards are high, but the Dublin Marathon is still a fun race with many charity teams in the field. Every runner to complete the full Adidas Dublin Marathon will receive a medal, a certificate and a commemorative T-shirt. The overall winner receives the Noel Carroll Memorial Trophy and €15,000 prize money. There is a separate €5,000 prize for the runner who breaks the current track record.

Dublin Marathon Track Record
The current track record for the Dublin Marathon was set by Moses Kangogo Kibet (Kenya) for the men with 2:08:58 and by Tatyana Aryasova (Russia) for the women with 2:26:13.

Recent Dublin Marathon Winners
2010
Men: Moses Kangogo Kibet (Kenya) 02:08:58
Women: Tatyana Aryasova (Russia) 2:26:13
2009
Men: Feyisa Lilesa (Ethiopia) 02:09:12
Women: Kateryna Stetsenko (Ukraine) 2:32:45
2008
Men: Andriy Naumov (Ukraine) 2:11:06
Women: Larisa Zyusko (Russia) 2:29:55
2007
Men: Aleksey Sokolow (Russia) 2:09:07
Women: Alina Iwanowa (Russia) 2:29:20
2006
Men: Aleksey Sokolow (Russia) 2:11:39
Women: Alina Iwanowa (Russia) 2:29:49

Most Recent Irish Winners
The most recent local athletes to win the Dublin Marathon were Teresa Duffy for the women in 1998 and John Treacy for the men in 1993. Teresa finished in 2:39:56 and John completed the race in 2:14:40.

Entering The Dublin Marathon
The Dublin Marathon operates a guaranteed entry system: You pay the entry fee of €70-90 and you're in. You do not require a qualifying time. The deadline for entries for the 2011 Dublin Marathon is 5th October 2011.

Homepage: http://dublinmarathon.ie