Dublin Marathon to move to Sunday of October Bank Holiday from 2016

The Dublin Marathon will move to the Sunday of the October Bank Holiday from 2016 in a bid to broaden the race’s appeal to overseas runners.

A record number of 15,216 participants will take place in the final Bank Holiday Monday running, with almost 4,500 representing 62 different nationalities.

Giving some background to the decision to shift the race back a day from 2016, race director Jim Aughney said: "By moving the race to Sunday, we are hoping to encourage runners to spend the full weekend in Dublin which will allow them to enjoy other activities and sights that the city has to offer before they return home after the race."

Reigning women’s champion Esther Macharia from Kenya is back defending her title this year with compatriot Grace Momany and Abebech Bekele of Ethiopia expected to be the main contenders. With Maria McCambridge not competing this year, the Women’s AAI National Championship looks set to be contested between Offaly’s Pauline Curley, international mountain runner Sarah Mulligan and Michelle McGee, who recently won the Longford Half Marathon in 1:18.29.

The 2014 men’s winner Eliud Too of Kenya is back competing this year. Fellow Kenyans Daniel Tanui and Peter Somba are the most likely to cause him trouble on the course along with Seán Hehir who is aiming to pick up an Olympic qualifying time after missing out at the Berlin Marathon earlier this year.

Gary O’Hanlon, Barry Minnock and Eoin O’Callaghan will also be challenging Hehir for the men’s AAI National Championship title which was won by Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harrier AC) last year.