An estimated 13,000 runners are taking part in this year’s Dublin city half marathon.
The 21.1km course started on O’Connell Street at 8:30am and will finish on Guild Street in the north-east inner city.
Seán Tobin of Clonmel AC, from Tipperary, crossed the finish line in a time of 1:03:11 to win the men’s race and Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill of West Limerick AC, Limerick won the women’s race, both setting new course records on the way to securing their wins.
Tobin (31) won his first competitive ‘half’ in 63 minutes and 11 seconds after a tough tussle in the elite men’s field. He eventually came home 32 seconds clear of Dundrum South Dublin’s, Paul O’Donnell (63:43) and Donore Harrier’s John Travers (63:54).
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Schoolteacher Nic Dhomhnaill (41) from Newcastlewest, Limerick won the women’s title in 71 minutes and 25 seconds. This was a course record and over six and half minutes faster than the time run by last year’s winner Nichola Sheridan.
“Conditions were perfect, there was no headwind and I kept the pace pretty steady. My plan was to break 72 minutes so I’m delighted with that,” she said. “I’ve actually been off work for the past year because I had a baby last April. I’m going to back to school on Tuesday after a year off so, thankfully, it’s a bank holiday weekend and I can recover tomorrow.”
The women’s runner-up, Maebh Brannigan (Galway City Harriers), made her first major podium in a personal best time of 74:47 and third-placed Sheila O’Byrne, from Wicklow, who trains alongside Nic Dhomhnaill at Dublin Track Club, knocked over three minutes off her personal best.
In the men’s wheelchair Patrick Monahan was a clear winner in 51:38 from Tian Bosch 62:13.
Runners in the second staging of the annual event followed the route through Phibsborough, Drumcondra, Beaumont and Artane, passing landmarks including Croke Park, the tree-lined avenues of Killester and Raheny, the Clontarf coastline and the historic Five Lamps, before a North East Inner-City finish at Guild Street, near The Convention Centre.
With thousands of participants and strong community support along the route, the event celebrates a shared city-centre experience.
The event is impacting public transport services and there will be diversions in place up to 6.30pm in places.
Various bus replacement services will be operating for Luas and Dart services. There will be no northside trains running on race day, due to engineering works between Clontarf Road and Drogheda, which continues on Monday. There will be no Dart service between Connolly and Malahide/Howth.
