The long road to happiness
Runners must recalibrate targets after Dublin Marathon cancellation
‘THE END OF MAY SIGNALS THE START OF PREPARATION FOR MANY’
MARATHON day is the happiest one of the year in Dublin. It is rare to find a time when thousands of people, snaked across the capital, share such obvious joy.
For a few hours on a cold morning every October, though, happiness pervades the city. Many of those slogging through the 26.2-mile route struggle with darker feelings than that, but the ceaseless support from onlookers crowding pavements along practically every inch of the route feels, at times, like a miraculous intervention.
It is possible to gain a deeper understanding of what kindness means when a stranger bellows encouragement as the effort starts to tell.
An invigorating atmosphere has long been associated with Dublin, even when it was a much smaller event and only a few thousand took part.
Over the past decade, though, the popularity of the race has grown enormously, to the point that there was some resistance to the introduction of a lottery as a means of filling some places for 2020.
The decision was inevitable, though, given that demand exceeded supply last year and did so again for this year: 35,000 people applied for 25,000 places.
Running has been booming in Ireland since the last recession, and with another one looming the sport will continue to thrive. That is one incidental but positive effect of the grim times that loom.
The race was moved from the Monday of the October Bank Holiday to Sunday in 2016, and that has led to huge overseas interest.
It allows participants from the UK, for instance, to arrive in Dublin on Saturday and be back home Sunday night on a weekend that is not a holiday in Britain.
More overseas runners meant more hotel and restaurant bookings, to add to those made by domestic entrants.
The marathon was a practical benefit to the tourism sector at a time of year when it is, in normal circumstances, starting to slow.
Organisers have estimated that it is worth over €25million to the Dublin economy, and the loss of that will be felt, particularly in a crippling year. There is a financial loss to consider beyond that, too. Charities benefit enormously from runners who raise funds by taking part in the marathon.
Marathon officials said this week that charity fundraising comes to at least €9m. The sector is braced for a big decline in contributions as a result of the pandemic anyway, and the absence of money raised through the race is a further blow.
There are bigger sporting occasions that will not be held this year, and there are sporting bodies that will cut the wages of staff and be forced to let some of them go as they try to survive hard times.
In the week that sport restarted in this country, bringing with it joy and diversion and stirring hopes that more can soon follow, the loss of the marathon was significant.
It can be difficult, at times, to appreciate that there are such contrasting sights in the Irish sports’ landscape. At this time of year, in particular, it is often difficult for anything other than the GAA Championships to get attention.
However, there are thousands for whom the end of May signals the start of their marathon preparations. Many more would ordinarily be stuffing themselves into lycra suits and devoting their evenings and weekends to cycling.
Their efforts go entirely unremarked upon, which is no surprise because there are no records being set or great deeds being achieved in the name of athletic excellence.
But the hours of training and preparation are important to society generally, because they keep people physically and mentally well. Sport at its elite level entertains and enthrals, but its value to Irish life in its recreational manifestations has been made vividly clear in its absence.
The golfers and the tennis players were beside themselves with delight all week, while the possibility of training for team sports resuming soon is keeping the country’s modestly-talented soccer, rugby and GAA players going.
Yet when the inevitable slashing of budgets begins, expect sport to be dealt with quickly and ruthlessly. No politician will stake their career on defending it, but the truth is it will never be more important than in the months and years ahead.
Just reflect on the sheer happiness of golfers interviewed as their game restarted on Monday.
And just talk to any runner who had their place booked for this year’s Dublin marathon.
They will keep pounding the roads but there is no longer the lure of October 25 and the prospect of a Dublin filled with happiness.