25 May 2023
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Finishers of this year’s events will receive wooden medals
Cork City Marathon Race Director Eamon Hayes with the new wooden Medals, which are said to be better for the environment
The organisers of Cork City Marathon today announced that registrations for their events are already up 20% on last year’s figure. Time is running out for anyone still considering taking part, as ticket sales will close at midnight next Tuesday, May 30th for one of the country’s most popular long distance running fixtures.
On Sunday, June 4th, the participants will be spread across three events – the full marathon, half marathon and the event’s inaugural 10k race. The full marathon and 10k will begin on St Patrick’s Street while the half marathon runners will start their course from Monahan Road, and all runners will have the opportunity to soak up the special experience of crossing the finish line on St Patrick’s Street.
Cork City Marathon Race Director Eamon Hayes is thrilled with the level of interest: “Seeing this event go from strength to strength is a real testament to how many people are getting out there and being active around Cork and further afield. Running is such an accessible activity and we’re really keen to promote the benefits of exercise for physical and mental health”.
“We’re also delighted at the uptake of registrations for our first ever 10k run. It’s offering more people the chance to get involved than ever before and seeing that race get underway will be a big moment for the runners and ourselves as the organising team”.
Meanwhile, Eamon and his colleagues have also announced that the finishers of this year’s events will receive wooden medals commemorating their achievements at the Cork City Marathon for the first time. Race Project Manager Julie Sebode from Davis Events Agency says it’s part of their overall drive to improve sustainability: “We’re working with an Irish company to provide these special mementos that are more environmentally friendly. Each event’s medal has a particular design and they look brilliant. We’re really proud to join other Irish events which have led the way on this switch away from metal and I’m sure they will be proudly worn by everyone who crosses the finish line on the day.”
Mary Walsh, Cork City Council’s Environmental Awareness Officer commented “I think that this is a great initiative and is a real step forward in the delivery of a greener and more sustainable marathon. The Marathon has always led by example and been innovative in terms of environmental sustainability and I would like to congratulate the marathon organisers Cork City Council and Davis Events on continuing this progress and further greening the event.”
The change to wooden medals is part of a range of measures taken to reduce Cork City Marathon’s impact on the environment, including putting tickets, the race programme, all maps and forms online to save paper, as well as giving participants the opportunity to have a tree planted in their name rather than receiving a t-shirt to remember the occasion. Official water partner Ishka Irish Spring Water is also providing bottles of water that are 100% recyclable, including their caps and labels.
There are just a few days left for people to sign up and take part in the Cork City Marathon. Registration details, FAQs, tips and advice can all be found on https://www.corkcitymarathon.