Dublin Marathon

The race was founded in 1980 by a group led by Noel Carroll, who persuaded the Business Houses Athletic Association (BHAA) to take up the idea. In the first year, 2,100 took part, of whom 1,420 finished. Dick Hooper of Raheny club Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club claimed first place, in a time of 2:16:14. The women's winner was Carey May who finished in 2:42:11. That year's runner-up was Neil Cusack, who returned in 1981 to post a winning time of 2:13:59.

Jerry Kiernan's 1982 time of 2:13:45 was a long-standing men's course record. This was finally improved upon by Lezan Kipkosgei Kimutai over twenty years later in 2004, but Russian runner Aleksey Sokolov twice broke the record with consecutive wins in 2006/07, running 2:11:39 then 2:09:07 the next year. Moses Kangogo Kibet became the first man under 2:09 in Dublin with his win in 2:08:58. The current men's record is 2:08:06 set by Othmane El Goumri in 2019.^[1]

Moira O'Neill was the first woman under two hours and forty minutes with her win of2:37:06 in 1988 and home athlete Christine Kennedy improved this with a run of 2:35:56 three years later. Kenyan Ruth Kutol win in 2:27:22 in 2003 was the first sub-2:30 time and Russian Tatyana Aryasova broke this record in 2010 with her current women's record of 2:26:13.^[2]

The participation level of the race has followed an upward trend: by 1988 the number of participants had increased to 8,700 – up from the 4,000 the previous year. It was not until 2000 that the 1988 participation record was finally broken when 8,900 took part. An increasing number of people took part every year in the late 2000s, with 11,000 at the 2007 edition.^[3] Entry levels have since increased significantly year-on-year with 19,500 completing the 2016 event.^[4]

In 2001 the marathon became part of the Dublin Race Series, which includes pre-marathon events of 5 miles, 10 kilometres, 10 miles and half marathon distance over the preceding months, run in the Phoenix Park and Swords.

A competitor died while running in the 2006 marathon,^[5] and another in the 2013 marathon.^[6]

In October 2015, it was announced that from 2016 the marathon would be held on Sunday rather than the October bank holiday Monday to attract more overseas runners.^[7]

The 2020 and 2021 editions of the race were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all entries made valid for the following year and all registrants given the option of obtaining a full refund.^[8][9][10]

External image
Course map of full marathon in 2019[11]

The course is generally reasonably flat. It starts at Fitzwilliam Square in the city centre and concludes at Merrion Square. Exact routing varies, although in recent years^[when?] the race has proceeded in an anti-clockwise direction around the city,^{[further explanation needed]} including passing through the Phoenix Park before moving towards the southside suburbs.

The marathon is part of a race series that includes four other races: the Fingal 4 Mile, the South Dublin 10K, the Frank Duffy 10 Mile, and the Dublin Half Marathon.^[12][13]

The overall winner receives the Noel Carroll Memorial Trophy.^[14] Both winners also receive 12,000 EUR.^[15]

Key:

   Course record (in bold)

   Irish championship race

Ed.	Year	Men's winner	Time[a]	Women's winner	Time[a]	Rf.
1	1980	Dick Hooper (IRL)	2:16:14	Carey May (IRL)	2:42:11
2	1981	Neil Cusack (IRL)	2:13:58	Emily Dowling (IRL)	2:48:22
3	1982	Jerry Kiernan (IRL)	2:13:45	Debbie Mueller (USA)	2:40:57
4	1983	Ronny Agten (BEL)	2:14:19	Mary Purcell (IRL)	2:46:09
5	1984	Svend Erik Kristensen (DEN)	2:18:25	Ailish Smyth (IRL)	2:47:30
6	1985	Dick Hooper (IRL)	2:13:48	Julia Gates (GBR)	2:41:26
7	1986	Dick Hooper (IRL)	2:18:10	Maureen Hurst (GBR)	2:46:29
8	1987	Pavel Klimeš (TCH)	2:14:21	Carolyn Naisby (GBR)	2:42:08
9	1988	John Griffin (IRL)	2:16:02	Moira O'Neill (GBR)	2:37:06
10	1989	John Griffin (IRL)	2:16:44	Pauline Nolan (IRL)	2:44:32
11	1990	John Bolger (IRL)	2:17:17	Christine Kennedy (IRL)	2:41:27
12	1991	Tommy Hughes (IRE)	2:14:46	Christine Kennedy (IRL)	2:35:56
13	1992	Jerry Kiernan (IRL)	2:17:19	Karen Cornwall (GBR)	2:41:58
14	1993	John Treacy (IRL)	2:14:40	Cathy Shum (IRL)	2:38:14
15	1994	Steve Brace (GBR)	2:17:13	Linda Rushmere (GBR)	2:40:17
16	1995	William Musyoki (KEN)	2:16:57	Trudi Thomson (GBR)	2:38:23
17	1996	Joseph Kahugu (KEN)	2:17:42	Cathy Shum (IRL)	2:38:56
18	1997	Joshua Kipkemboi (KEN)	2:15:56	Carol Galea (MLT)	2:39:33
19	1998	Joshua Kipkemboi (KEN)	2:20:00	Teresa Duffy (IRL)	2:39:56
20	1999	John Mutai (KEN)	2:15:18	Esther Kiplagat (KEN)	2:34:24
21	2000	Simon Pride (GBR)	2:18:49	Sonia O'Sullivan (IRL)	2:35:42
22	2001	Zacharia Mpolokeng (RSA)	2:14:03	Debbie Robinson (GBR)	2:35:40
23	2002	Frederick Cherono (KEN)	2:14:25	Lidiya Vasilevskaya (RUS)	2:32:58
24	2003	Onesmus Kilonzo (KEN)	2:17:03	Ruth Kutol (KEN)	2:27:22
25	2004	Lezan Kimutai (KEN)	2:13:07	Yelena Burykina (RUS)	2:32:53
26	2005	Dmytro Osadchyy (UKR)	2:13:14	Zinaida Semenova (RUS)	2:32:53
27	2006	Aleksey Sokolov (RUS)	2:11:39	Alina Ivanova (RUS)	2:29:49
28	2007	Aleksey Sokolov (RUS)	2:09:07	Alina Ivanova (RUS)	2:29:20
29	2008	Andriy Naumov (UKR)	2:11:06	Larisa Zyuzko (RUS)	2:29:55
30	2009	Feyisa Lilesa (ETH)	2:09:11	Kateryna Stetsenko (UKR)	2:32:45
31	2010	Moses Kangogo (KEN)	2:08:58	Tatyana Aryasova (RUS)	2:26:13	[2]
32	2011	Geoffrey Ndungu (KEN)	2:08:33	Helalia Johannes (NAM)	2:30:33
33	2012	Geoffrey Ndungu (KEN)	2:11:09	Magdalene Mukunza (KEN)	2:30:46
34	2013	Sean Hehir (IRL)	2:18:19	Maria McCambridge (IRL)	2:38:51
35	2014	Eliud Too (KEN)	2:14:47	Esther Macharia (KEN)	2:34:15
36	2015	Alemu Gemechu (ETH)	2:14:02	Nataliya Lehonkova (UKR)	2:31:09
37	2016	Dereje Debele (ETH)	2:12:18	Helalia Johannes (NAM)	2:32:32
38	2017	Bernard Rotich (KEN)	2:15:53	Nataliya Lehonkova (UKR)	2:28:57
39	2018	Asefa Bekele (ETH)	2:13:24	Mesera Hussen (ETH)	2:33:49
40	2019	Othmane El Goumri (MAR)	2:08:06	Motu Gedefa (ETH)	2:27:48	[1]
	—	cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic				[8][9]
41	2022	Taoufik Allam (MAR)	2:11:30	Nigist Mulaneh (ETH)	2:28.32	[16]
42	2023	Kemal Husen (ETH)	2:06:52	Sorome Negash (ETH)	2:26:22	[17]

Only male winners of the wheelchair division have been recorded, with the exceptions of 2002, 2004 and 2005.^[18]

Year	Men's winner	Time[a]	Women's winner	Time[a]	Rf.
1981	Michael Cunningham (IRL)	2:44:15	none		[18]
1982	Gerry O'Rourke (IRL)	2:32:44			[18]
1983	Gerry O'Rourke (IRL)	2:24:52			[18]
1984	Gerry O'Rourke (IRL)	2:28:07			[18]
1985	Gerry O'Rourke (IRL)	2:21:02			[18]
1986	Gerry O'Rourke (IRL)	2:22:55			[18]
1987	Gerry O'Rourke (IRL)	2:23:01			[18]
1988	Andy Hynes (ENG)	2:12:57			[18]
1989	Chris Hallam (WAL)	2:04:50			[18]
1990	Gerry O'Rourke (IRL)	2:05:58			[18]
1991	Chris Hallam (WAL)	1:53:20			[18]
1992	Chris Madden (ENG)	1:53:50			[18]
1993	Chris Hallam (WAL)	1:59:28			[18]
1994	Richie Powell (WAL)	2:11:27			[18]
1995	Roy Guerin (IRL)	2:05:47			[18]
1996	John Fulham (IRL)	2:11:52			[18]
1997	D Kavanagh (ENG)	2:00:16			[18]
1998	John Fulham (IRL)	2:04:10			[18]
1999	John Fulham (IRL)	1:59:06			[18]
2000	Derek Connolly (IRL)	2:57:12			[18]
2001	Kenny Herriot (SCO)	2:55:00			[18][19]
2002	Kenny Herriot (SCO)	1:52:48	Emer Patten (IRL)	3:35:15	[18][19]
2003	Kenny Herriot (SCO)	1:45:20	none		[18][19]
2004	none		Emer Patten (IRL)	3:27.47	[18]
2005	John Glynn (IRL)	2:14:08	Patrice Dockery (IRL)	2:34:29	[18]
2006	Richie Powell (WAL)	1:55:10	none		[18]
2007	Richie Powell (WAL)	1:59:03			[18]
2008	Paul Hannan (NIR)	2:22:06			[18]
2009	Richie Powell (WAL)	2:09:28			[18]
2010	Paul Hannan (NIR)	2:20:38			[18]
2011	Paul Hannan (NIR)	2:13:58			[18]
2012	Luke Jones (WAL)	2:03:29			[18]
2013	Paul Hannan (NIR)	2:34:48			[18]
2014	Patrick Monahan (IRL)	1:52:43			[18]
2015	Patrick Monahan (IRL)	1:43:05			[18]
2016	Patrick Monahan (IRL)	1:39:18			[18]
2017	Patrick Monahan (IRL)	1:49:55			[18]
2018	Johnboy Smith (ENG)	1:36:12			[18]
2019	Patrick Monaghan (IRL)	1:39:50			[18]
—	cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic				[8][9]
2022	Patrick Monaghan (IRL)	1:37.31	none		[1]
2023	Patrick Monaghan (IRL)	1:41:04	none		[20]

• Women's Mini Marathon, a 10K run in Dublin

List of winners

• Heyworth, Malcolm et al. (2010-11-18). Dublin Marathon. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2011-11-01.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dublin Marathon.

• Official website Archived 1 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• 2012 Route Map Archived 16 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine
• Race profile at Marathon Info