Ciobanu defends his title in style

IRISH MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIP:THERE APPEARED to be some confusion yesterday as to who exactly had won the Irish marathon championship – the race now incorporated into the Dublin Marathon. Understandable, perhaps, given the first Irish man home, Sergiu Ciobanu, is actually from Moldova, and the first Irish woman home, Barbara Sanchez, is actually French, with Spanish parents.

It’s actually quite simple: If you live in Ireland, and run for an Irish club, you’re entitled to compete for the national title – and in that regard both Ciobanu, representing Clonliffe Harriers, and Sanchez, representing Raheny Shamrocks, were more than worthy winners. In fact they’re very much the product of an Irish-based marathon training system, with Sanchez actually coached by former three-time Dublin Marathon winner Dick Hooper, while Ciobanu does all his training in the hills around Cahir in Tipperary.

It should be pointed out too that Ciobanu was actually the defending national marathon champion, and if he won the honour last year, was every bit as entitled to it this year. And as first Irish man home in a personal best of 2:19.33 – and the 12th best overall finisher – Ciobanu was also the first sub-2.20 Irish winner since 1999, when Gerry Healy ran 2:18.06.

“It’s fantastic to retain my title,” said the 27-year-old Ciobanu, who came to Ireland in 2006 seeking employment and has been here ever since. There’s a sort of Rocky Balboa feel to his story too in that as well as training in difficult conditions, he works in AIBP meat factory in Cahir, usually boning or trimming meat for up to eight hours a day. But his employers agreed to give him two months off to allow him train full-time for the Dublin race.

Incredibly, it was Ciobanu’s fifth marathon win in Ireland this year, having already triumphed in Connemara, Cork, Roscommon, and Longford. If that doesn’t prove he’s the best marathon runner in Ireland then it’s hard to know what would.

“I was aiming for a faster time, to be honest. I came through the first half in 68 minutes, so I was aiming to break 2:18, for sure. But I’m still delighted to break 2:20. The conditions were excellent. It was a little chilly at the start.”

Ciobanu was surrounded by Irish-born runners early on, with Cork’s Alan O’Shea setting the early pace. But after five miles Ciobanu set off to defend his title, and never looked back.

Chasing him home were Joe McAlister from Belfast and Greg Roberts from Derry, and although McAlister had to stop for a bathroom visit in the final few miles, he won the battle for second in 2:21.04 – a personal best – with Roberts the third Irish finisher just behind in 2:21.20.

Sanchez’s victory in the women’s national division is remarkable on several levels; it’s just 12 months since she gave birth to her first child, Benjamin, and like Ciobanu, she works full-time, for the Barclay chemical company in Blanchardstown. She also set a personal best of 2:39.40, and credited so much of that to Hooper’s coaching and the work of the Dublin Marathon Mission, which was set up last year with the very intention of improving marathon standards in Ireland.

“It actually was my easiest marathon, and that’s all because of Dick Hooper,” said the 29-year-old from Bordeaux, a former triathlon specialists in France, who came to Ireland in 2005 to finish off her masters degree.

“Dick is very flexible, because I’m a swimmer and cycling too I need to do some cross training, different sports. And it’s working.”

Sanchez was third best Irish woman in Dublin two years, and only ran her first marathon in 2006. But after clocking 2:46.28 in Hamburg in April, Dublin became a real target – despite trying to juggle the training with work and motherhood. In fact her baby son was ill over the weekend, so she decided, late on, to stay with the other elite athletes in the Conrad Hotel – where she got her best night’s sleep in months.

Former champion Pauline Curley was second best Irish women in 2:44.00, with Lorraine Manning taking national bronze in 2:46.16.