US support teams make loudest noise as runners risk life and limb in carathon

They came, they saw and they started - well, most of the expected 3,000 runners from the US turned up at the starting line of yesterday's Dublin City Marathon.

"Way to go," their friends in the crowd hollered, somewhat stating the obvious as the field started on its 26.2-mile journey through the capital.

It was typical Dublin marathon weather - grey and ghostly, with a biting south-west wind to whip away your breath on the inclines of Kimmage and Ballyfermot.

And that was just for the spectators.

As usual these days, concerns over traffic meant the 8,000 or so runners were banished to the city's quieter backwaters, and even then they had to vie with cars for much of the route.

Bank holiday Monday in the city that never sleeps had all the usual Dublin obstacles for the runners to negotiate - impatient traffic, insistent burglar alarms, non-stop construction sites and the detritus of the previous night's revelry.

The finishing stretch down the north quays and into Smithfield was positively dangerous, with cheering crowds at risk of being hit by passing traffic and wheelchair athletes unable to make themselves heard when overtaking runners.

Thanks perhaps to the early start, there were few spectators out in time to support the fastest runners. But as usual, the American support teams, well-armed with pompons and cowbells, were most in evidence.

The US runners made their travel plans before September 11th and although some dropped out, those that made the trip expressed no doubts. "Hell or high water couldn't have kept me from Dublin. I was born to run," was a fairly typical reaction from Mike, from New Jersey.

In the race itself, it seemed there were two contests in progress at the same time. A group of mainly African athletes imposed themselves on the men's race from the start, opening up a large gap on the following field.

Zacharia Mpolokeng of South Africa ran out the winner in a respectable time of two hours, 14 minutes and three seconds, followed by Gino Van Geyte of Belgium just four seconds behind. The best of the Irish was veteran John Griffin, who came 13th in two hours, 23 minutes and 23 seconds.

The women's event was won by England's Debbie Robinson in two hours, 35 minutes and 40 seconds. Ireland's Teresa Duffy was third in two hours, 43 minutes and 36 seconds.

The men's wheelchair race was won by Scotland's Ken Harriott. Ireland's Patrice Dockery won the women's wheelchair race.