Blood, sweat and smiles at the marathon
THEY ran through blood, sweat and tears – but mostly smiles.
Fuelled by the joy and jubilation on display, some 20,000 people ran in the Dublin City Marathon yesterday – many donning quirky costumes and running it for worthy causes.
In among the heroes and heroines who joined the 42km race was Eoin Sheridan, 16, from Clongorey, Co. Kildare, a wheelchair user who was pushed by family and friends, dubbed Team Eoin’s Chariot, for the gruelling race.
The boy who suffers from the rare DiGeorge syndrome and spent the first three months of his life on life-support, remained cheerful throughout.
His team of ‘charioteers’ raised more than €5,700 for the Curragh Lourdes Fund and the Jack & Jill Foundation – charities chosen by Eoin.
Another young battler who took to the streets on two wheels was Archie Naughton, with a team representing the Join Our Boys Trust to raise awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Asked on RTÉ One if he was put off by the length of the race, he joked: ‘No, because I listen to these mad people!’ in reference to the team who pushed him.
Of the array of colourful competitors who took part, there was a Power Ranger, a running guitarist and a Wonder Woman.
The latter was perhaps a nod to the celebration of female runners. The number of women taking part in the race has risen from 70 in 1980 to 7,000 this year. And to coincide with the 100th anniversary of women being granted the right to vote, suffragette and politician Constance Markievicz appeared on the finishers’ medals.
Lizzie Lee was the fastest Irish woman over the line after completing in a time of 2:35:04.
The men’s Irish Athletics National Marathon title was won by Olympian and Raheny Shamrocks runner Mick Clohisey, who finished with a time of 2:15:57.
Professional runners came from all over, however, and the men’s title was won by Ethiopian Asefa Bekele in 2:13:23. His compatriot Mesera Dubiso took the women’s title in 2:33:48.
The wheelchair athletes’ title was claimed by Englishman Johnboy Smith, who crossed the finish line in a time of 1:38:12.
‘I listen to these mad people!’