Belfast Marathon

The Belfast City Marathon takes place in Belfast in Northern Ireland. The organisers describe it as the "largest mass sport participatory event in Northern Ireland" with between 15,000 and 18,000 participants taking part in several events.[3][4][5] These events, typically scheduled over the May bank holiday weekend, include marathon, wheelchair race, team relay and 8-mile walk events. The organisers also stage Northern Ireland's largest half marathon event, which takes place annually in September.[citation needed]

Belfast Marathon
Inflatable archway, outside Belfast City Hall, at the start of 2011 event
DateEarly May
LocationBelfast, Northern Ireland
Event typeMarathon
Distance26.2 miles (42.2 km)
Primary sponsorMoy Park
Established1982[1]
Course recordsMen's: 2:13:41 (2012)
Ethiopia Negewo Ararisa
Women's: 2:35:03 (2024)
Kenya Beatrice Jepkemei
Official siteBelfast Marathon
Participants>5,700 (2021)[2]

Marathon

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Participants in 2013 event

The Belfast City Marathon is an AIMS certified race.[6] The race traditionally starts at Stormont Estate at 9am and finishes in Ormeau Park.[7]

5,000 runners took part in the 2019 "full marathon".[3] Following this event, organisers apologised after it was noted that the course was 0.3 miles longer than the typical marathon standard.[8][9]

The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland, with all registrants given the option of either running the race virtually or transferring their entry to 2021, 2022 or 2023.[10][11] The 2021 event was rescheduled from May to October 2021.[12][13]

Previously sponsored by Deep River Rock,[14] the 2022 event (scheduled for May 2022) was reported to be Mash Direct.[15]

Half marathon

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First launched in 2013, the Belfast City Half Marathon is an extension of the May Marathon event.[citation needed] The race starts at Ormeau Park.[16]

Winners

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YearMale AthleteCountryTimeFemale AthleteCountryTime
1982Gregory HannonNorthern Ireland2:20:25Susan BorehamNorthern Ireland3:11:26
1983Paul CraigNorthern Ireland2:20:14Roma McConvilleNorthern Ireland2:58:07
1984Andy Daly  Scotland2:18:01Theresa KiddNorthern Ireland2:47:33
1985Marty DeaneNorthern Ireland2:15:51Moira O'BoyleNorthern Ireland2:45:40
1986Marty DeaneNorthern Ireland2:16:05Moira O'NeillNorthern Ireland2:43:26
1987Calum Bark  Scotland2:17:47Theresa KiddNorthern Ireland2:48:28
1988Thomas HughesNorthern Ireland2:19:00Theresa KiddNorthern Ireland2:49:10
1989Ian Bloomfield  England2:20:45Rosaleen Hayden  Ireland2:58:31
1990Jerry Kiernan  Ireland2:18:58Eleanor Hill  Ireland2:50:07
1991Joel Kipchumba  Kenya2:18:56Brenda McNamara  Ireland2:55:25
1992Jerry Kiernan  Ireland2:20:52Catherine Smyth  Ireland2:42:41
1993Gerard McGrath  Ireland2:18:12Catherine Smyth  Ireland2:45:05
1994Terry Mitchell  Scotland2:20:24Catherine Smyth  Ireland2:44:42
1995John FerrinNorthern Ireland2:18:42Patricia Griffin  Ireland2:53:10
1996Terry Mitchell  Scotland2:21:36Trudi Thomson  Scotland2:44:57
1997John FerrinNorthern Ireland2:20:17Olive Nolan  Ireland2:55:10
1998Thomas HughesNorthern Ireland2:23:33Jackie Newton  England2:57:25
1999Samuel Okemwa  Kenya2:20:58Barbara BrewerNorthern Ireland2:58:49
2000Wilson Cheruiyot  Kenya2:24:13Mary Jennings  Ireland3:02:31
2001Joseph Riri  Kenya2:26:00Debra Curley  England2:56:05
2002Simon Pride  Scotland2:22:21Trudi Thomson  Scotland2:49:39
2003Lezan Kimutai  Kenya2:17:09Trudi Thomson  Scotland2:45:48
2004Peter Edukan  Kenya2:23:51Julia Myatt  England2:52:52
2005Eric Kiplagat  Kenya2:22:20Lemma Urge  Ethiopia2:41:33
2006Stephen Ndungu  Kenya2:16:51Joyce Kandie  Kenya2:43:11
2007John Mutai  Kenya2:16:24Desse Demelesh  Ethiopia2:46:45
2008John Mutai  Kenya2:16:31Marshet Jimma  Ethiopia2:39:22
2009John Mutai  Kenya2:17:35Joyce Kandie  Kenya2:47:44
2010Urga Negewo  Ethiopia2:16:53Sarah Stradling  England2:44:03
2011Jacob Chesire  Kenya2:14:56Vera Ovcharuk  Ukraine2:46:04
2012Negewo Ararisa  Ethiopia2:13:41Alice Chelangat  Kenya2:39:02
2013Joel Kipsang  Kenya2:19:28Nataliya Lehonkova  Ukraine2:36:50
2014Freddy Sittuk  Kenya2:18:30Bayrush Shiferaw  Ethiopia2:41:20
2015Joel Kositany  Kenya2:19:36Berhan Gebremichael  Ethiopia2:40:57
2016Joel Kositany  Kenya2:17:39Berhan Gebremichael  Ethiopia2:48:26
2017Bernard Rotich  Kenya2:16:04Laura Graham  United Kingdom2:41:47
2018Eric Koech  Kenya2:18:19Caroline Chepkwony  Kenya2:41:23
2019Joel Kositany  Kenya2:18:41Caroline Jepchirchir  Kenya2:36:39
2020cancelled as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland[11]
2021Mick Clohisey  Ireland2:20:42Fionnuala Ross  Ireland2:43:42
2022[17]Paul Pollock  Ireland2:16:16Gladys Ganiel  Ireland2:43:49
2023[18]Mohamed Oumaarir  Morocco2:22:54Shewaye Woldemeskel  Ethiopia2:37:20
2024[19]Mathew Kemboi  Kenya2:14:44Beatrice Jepkemei  Kenya2:35:03

References

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  1. ^ "Belfast City Marathon over the years". BBC News. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Belfast City Marathon: Race returns after Covid cancellations". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Belfast City Marathon 2019: Results, pictures and video as record crowd take on new 'longer' route". Belfasttelegraph. 5 May 2019. Around 18,000 took part in the full marathon, the wheelchair race, team relay, walk and fun run [..] With 5,000 taking part in the full marathon
  4. ^ "Belfast Marathon: Kilkeel's Laura Graham aims for repeat win after 2017 triumph". BBC Sport. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Clothes tell the story of the 36th Belfast marathon". Irishtimes.com. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon". aims-worldrunning.org. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Belfast City Marathon 2017: All you need to know". BBC. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Belfast Marathon: Organisers apologise after course is 0.3 miles too long". BBC Sport. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Runners in Belfast City Marathon run extra 0.3 miles after course mix-up". Thejournal.ie. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Belfast Marathon: Coronavirus pandemic forces organisers to cancel 2020 event". BBC Sport. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  11. ^ a b "2020 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon CANCELLED | Belfast Marathon News | General | news". Belfast City Marathon. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Belfast Marathon moved to September with virtual half race in May". irishnews.com. Irish News. 29 January 2021.
  13. ^ "39th Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon Rescheduled to 3rd October 2021". Belfast City Marathon. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Belfast City Marathon course was too long, organizers say". CNN. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Mash Direct Belfast City Marathon". belfastcity.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  16. ^ "The Moy Park Belfast City Half Marathon". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  17. ^ Belfast City Marathon. 2022. Belfast Marathon Results | results | Belfast City Marathon. [online] Available at: <https://belfastcitymarathon.com/results/2022#fullResults> [Accessed 13 October 2022].
  18. ^ Belfast City Marathon. 2023. Belfast Marathon Results | results | Belfast City Marathon. [online] Available at: <https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7192012> [Accessed 7 May 2024].
  19. ^ Belfast City Marathon. 2024. Belfast Marathon Results | results | Belfast City Marathon. [online] Available at: <https://my.raceresult.com/278719/results> [Accessed 7 May 2024].
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