The Irish Life Dublin Marathon held its media day yesterday a little under two weeks out from the event on Sunday the 27th of October.
The Irish Life Dublin Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 27th starting at 8:45am. There are 22,500 entrants including international athletes, club runners, wheelchair-assisted participants, charity runners, and first-time marathon participants.
This year’s race will start on Leeson Street and finish at the Pepper Canister Church on Upper mount Street.
Charity
Actor Colin Farrell, currently starring as The Penguin on Sky Atlantic will be running in honour of his close friend Emma Fogarty, the longest-surviving person with the severe skin condition epidermolysis bullosa (EB).
The Oscar nominee aims to raise €400,000 for Debra Ireland.
Comedian Rory O’Connor, best known as ‘Rory’s Stories’, is running in aid of AsIAm, Ireland’s Autism Charity. As a father of an autistic child, Rory is seeking to raise awareness and foster a supportive community for parents, particularly fathers, of autistic children.
Overall, it is estimated that the Irish Life Dublin Marathon raises €9 million for charities annually.
Economics
The marathon brings celebration and vibrancy to the streets of Dublin and provides significant social and economic benefits. According to a financial report by UCD, the marathon raises an estimated €26.5 million for the City of Dublin.
Milestones
2024 is the 43rd running of the Dublin Marathon, which is Ireland’s most prestigious and Europe’s fifth-largest marathon event. The inaugural event took place in 1980, with 2,100 runners.
Mary Hickey was one of 40 women who took part that day, and she is now the only woman who has continued participating in every event. Mary will be joined at the start line by the other ‘originals’ Dubliner Martin Kelly (64) and Peadar Nugent (81) of Galway. The remainder of this legendary group who have completed every marathon and will take part on the day are Donal Ward (Donegal), Seamus Cawley (Limerick), Seamus Dunne (Meath) and Dublin-based, John McElhinney, Patrick Gowen, Dominic Gallagher and Mick Carolan.
Meanwhile, 74-year-old Colette O’Hagan of Louth, pictured above, will complete her 1,000th marathon on the day.
Participants Inclusion Programme
The organisers of the Dublin Marathon allocate a specific number of entries each year to organisations and individuals who positively impact communities.
The inclusion programme acknowledges and supports those who may otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in the marathon.
Places were provided this years for Sanctuary Runners, a solidarity-through-sport initiative which uses running, jogging and walking to bring together asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and Irish residents.
Places were also provided to Dublin City Council in partnership with their Sports and Wellbeing team.
Lord Mayor Medal
At the start of the race the Lord Mayor of Dublin James Geoghegan will present the Lord Mayor’s Medal. Since 2011 this prestigious award has been given to a runner or runners who have either exceeded incredible odds to partake in the marathon or have an inspiring story, powering their marathon journey.
Elite and National Athletes
The elite field will include many top-class international athletes including Sorome Negash of Ethopia the winner of the 2023 Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Ayad Lamdassem of Spain who was fifth in the Toyko Olympic Games. The event will again incorporate the national championships, with medallists benefiting from prize funds and time bonuses for exceptional Irish athlete performances on the day. Defending national women’s champion, Ann Marie McGlynn is set to compete, while Hugh Armstrong who has won all four events in the Irish Life Dublin Race Series will be the favourite in the men’s race.
Finisher Medal
Every finisher will receive a medal which was designed by Myla Sirvte, a student at the National College of Art & Design. Her design includes intricate depictions of significant Dublin landmarks and features a unique rotating disc with runners to symbolise the different stages of the race and sense of togetherness of the event, making it a meaningful keepsake for all participants.
Supporters
There will also be several Irish Life Support Zones along the course as well at the Irish Life Mile.
There will be a wheelchair-friendly spectator viewing zone at the Irish Life Mile and at Castleknock. Additionally, the Dublin Marathon organisers have partnered with AsIAm to create a dedicated space in Phoenix Park to accommodate the needs of neurodivergent individuals and those with sensory processing differences or sensitivities.
Live Stream
For friends and family who are unable to attend and show their support on the day, live streaming will be available for the entire duration of the marathon on the Irish Life Dublin Marathon YouTube channel. During the elite race, Ronan Duggan will once again lead the commentary team, and Olympic Marathon runner Lizzie Lee will capture the post-race reactions of the winners. Additionally, the live tracker on the official Irish Life Dublin Marathon app will allow viewers and supporters to track participants along the route.
Road Closures
Road closures will be in effect for the entire route, within the city and county during the Irish Life Dublin Marathon on Sunday 27th of October. The public are reminded to allow time to travel on Sunday; there may be some delays to public transport services to facilitate the Irish Life Dublin Marathon see Irish Life Dublin Marathon website for full details: https://irishlifedublinmarathon.ie/traffic-information/.
“Come down and support the runners from “The Irish Life Mile”, running along Northumberland Road, the last mile of the marathon route,” said CEO of Irish Life, Declan Bolger.
“It’s the perfect place to watch the race and there’ll be plenty of freebies and entertainment, so make sure you join the craic, make some noise and cheer everyone home.”
“We are known as the friendly marathon because there are always thousands of people lining the course to encourage the runners taking on the challenge of completing the 26.2-mile course,” added Race Director Jim Aughney.
“There are also 2,000 volunteers supporting them including those managing the hydration stations and as well as pacers who play a crucial part in the event.”
The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations, including all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies.
