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The Woodie’s DIY National Half Marathon Championships takes place this bank holiday Monday, 5th of August in Dublin’s City Centre. ©Athletics Ireland
Athletics Ireland – Record Numbers for National Half Marathon Champs
The Woodie’s DIY National Half Marathon Championships takes place this bank holiday Monday, 5th of August in Dublin’s City Centre. The race is being run in conjunction with the Rock n Roll Half Marathon series with over 6,000 entrants expected to take to the streets of the capital. The 2013 national half marathon championships have a record number of participants with over 700 athletes set to toe the line.
With defending champions Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders AC) and Maria McCambridge (Dundrum South Dublin AC) due to represent Ireland in two weeks time at the World Championships in Moscow, new champions are guaranteed come Monday for the 2013 edition.
Mark Christie (Mullingar Harriers AC) will start as favourite to take the men’s title as he continues his remarkable comeback from injury. Christie under the watchful eye of his coach Jerry Kiernan has been building up the mileage all summer in an attempt to win the national half marathon title. Christie recently looked superb in winning the national 5,000m title at the Woodie’s DIY National Senior Championships in Morton Stadium last weekend. Christie demolished the opposition to win the title in a time of 14:07.18.
Sean Hehir of Rathfarnham WSAF is the bronze medallist from last year and he is back to improve on that position. The Clare man is another of those coming back from injury; however he will be confident of a big performance after victory in the Clare 10k back in June. Clonliffe duo of Gary O’Hanlon and Stephen Scullion spearhead a strong challenge from the North Dublin club. Scullion is the 2013 national 10k champion and impressed recently by winning the Fingal 10k which is part of the Dublin marathon series.
The Marathon Mission- a joint project by the Dublin Marathon and Athletics Ireland- aimed at reviving Ireland’s proud history in the classic event- has been a great success and many of the leading Irish contenders in Monday’s race will have benefited from this innovative programme.
North Belfast harrier duo of Breege Connolly and Gladys Ganiel O’Neill are two of these athletes and both will be confident of big performances come Monday. European and World Cross Country representative Lizzie Lee (Leevale AC) leads a strong team from the Cork Club. Lee took to the roads in June and won the Cork Half Marathon and Dunshaughlin 10k titles. An interesting entrant is steeplechase specialist Michelle Finn (Leevale AC). Finn has represented Ireland at the World University Games this year in Kazan, Russia and will test her endurance against the road specialist in the battle for the title.
The race starts at 8.30am in the Stephens Green area, with the leading participants expected back across the finish line a little after 9.30am.
Athletics Ireland
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