Marathon shines on roads of West Kerry after a misty start
A HEAVY mist that blanketed Dingle early on Saturday morning lifted just in time for the 9am start of the 10th Dingle Marathon, which got off to a bright start and was a great success despite fewer than expected runners turning up at the start line.
Dingle was packed for the weekend with marathon runners and their supporters and this produced a late season boom for local accommodation providers and restaurants. However, the late night revelry that is familiar on busy weekends was notably absent – no doubt because marathon running and boozing aren’t a good mix. Local Gardaí said the runners and those who came with them were “a great crowd and there was no hassle at all over the weekend”.
Dingle Marathon organiser Ken Dunne said a surprisingly large number of registered runners failed to turn up this year. Of the 3,500 who had signed up in advance of the marathon 2,600 set off from the start line and Ken said that, while “you would expect a drop off, that number was on the higher end of the scale”.
However, the smaller than expected number of participants, coupled with years of experience, made it easier for the many paid and voluntary stewards to keep the event running smoothly and the whole thing ran like clockwork.
The first man home in the full marathon was Eoin Sugrue in a time of 2:44:44, while the woman across the line was Léan Ní Chiobháin from Gráig in a time of 3:22:53. In the half marathon John Meade was first to cross the line at Kruger’s, in a time of 1:12:38 and the first woman to finish was Clodagh Lennon (1:23:51). With the exception of Clodagh Lennon, this year’s fastest finishers were slower than last year’s. The weather may have been a factor in this: last year’s runners were drenched by continuous rain, while last Saturday’s participants had warm weather to contend with.