Dublin Marathon to become fifth largest in Europe

This year’s SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon is poised for another sell-out, the limit of 20,000 race entries on course to be reached in advance of the closing date, October 1st – with the race taking place on the Sunday, October 29th.

Last year was the first time the event was moved from its traditional Bank Holiday Monday to the Sunday, which race director Jim Aughney says directly contributed to the sell-out of 19,500 runners, a 30 per cent increase on 2015. That limit has been raised slightly this year but will be capped at 20,000, which now makes it the fifth largest in Europe.

“The entries to date have been really strong and we are encouraging all those who wish to take part to enter early to avoid disappointment,” says Aughney. Those wishing to enter the race there will be an early bird registration rate of €70 before the 31st of May after which the price will be €80.

Launch

Rio Olympian Mick Clohisey, two-time men’s national marathon champion Sean Hehir, reigning women’s national champion Laura Graham and Clare Gibbons McCarthy were present for the event launch in Dublin.

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Clohisey, Hehir and McCarthy have all been selected for the marathon at the World Championships in London this August, and will be joined by Paul Pollock (men) and Fionnnuala McCormack (women).

The 2017 edition of the race, which started in 1980 with 2,100 runners, will also coincide with the Dublin wide celebration of the 350th anniversary of writer Jonathan Swift’s birth: the race course will pass St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin where Swift was Dean.

SSE Airtricity has also extended its sponsorship to the race series, which begins with the Fingal 10k on Sunday 24th July, with the long running Frank Duffy 10 Mile set for the Phoenix Park 26th of August, while the Dublin Half Marathon will take place in a new venue in 2017, the Newbridge Demesne in Donabate, Co. Dublin.