29 April 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Tomorrow is the closing date for general marathon entries, Thursday 30th of April. There is still time to submit a late entry (with small penalty) through May 8th.
The marathon is a major destination event, attracting participants from all over the world to Cork City. The 8,000 runners who took part last year represented 26 countries and the 32 counties of Ireland. Over 9,000 people are expected on the start line of the Half, Full and Relay Marathons.
This is a key event on the marathon calendar and it continues to reach out to people of all fitness levels, not just seasoned marathon runners. People can sign up for the full and half marathons or for any of the relay teams. Relays are a great way for friends or work colleagues to come together for fun or a charity fundraiser. With up to 5 people in each team, the most anyone would have to walk or run is 5.8 miles.
Jim O’Donovan, Race Director calls on people to sign up now. “Cork City Marathon is ‘the people’s marathon’ and we’re calling on everyone to be part of it.”
Previous years have seen some fabulous runners in fancy dress, from superheroes and princesses to monsters and movie characters, all are welcome. There is also a competitive side to the relay, with the Inter-Services Championship encouraging a friendly rivalry between uniformed teams. The Fire Service has been hard to beat over the past few years, winning the overall Championship and two personal Guinness World Record Awards. There is also a special ‘Youth Challenge’ relay for 16 to 18 year olds, so there truly is something for everyone.
