SOME 14,000 people are expected to take part in the Dublin City Marathon on Monday, which for the first time in 20 years will be covered live on television.
Weather is expected to be showery, though mostly dry for the event, and a mild 17 degrees.
The race starts from Fitzwilliam Street Upper, with wheelchair athletes setting off at 9.45am, elite athletes from 9.50am and then waved starts of participants from 10am.
Among those racing will be former Saw Doctors drummer, Johnny Donnelly, who will run his last marathon fulfilling a promise to compete in a marathon every month for four years.
He has raised €500,000 for the Irish charity Seachange which works in Rwanda. Having run more than 2,000 miles and worn out 160 pairs of runners, he said it was “the most demanding” task he had ever undertaken and the sight of the finishing line on Monday “can’t come soon enough”.
Last year’s winner, Kenyan Moses Kangogo Kibet, returns to put his 2010 title and course record of two hours, eight minutes and 58 seconds on the line.
In the elite women’s category Shuru Diriba Dulume of Ethiopia, who ran the Dubai Marathon in 2009 in two hours, 28 minutes and 26 seconds, takes part against Halalia Johannes of Namibia who came second in Dublin in 2009, who ran in two hours, 33 minutes and 26 seconds.
The Irish elite field is strengthened by the presence of a number of Marathon Mission candidates. This team was set up earlier this year to improve the times being run by Irish runners. Leading the Irish entry is Tallaght’s Seán Connolly, who should be followed closely by Andrew Ledwith.
The Irish women’s race promises to be one of the most competitive yet with three athletes from Dundrum, Dublin – Ava Hutchinson, Linda Byrne and Maria McCambridge – expected to finish in about two hours, 37 minutes.
RTÉ’s television coverage, and live streaming on RTÉ.ie, will run from 9.15am until 1.35pm.
There will be traffic diversions across the city. Among the most affected will be around the Rock Road, Merrion Square, Nassau Street and St Stephen’s Green.
