ATHLETICS DUBLIN MARATHON:DESPITE THE difficult economic conditions the Dublin Marathon is on the verge of securing a new title sponsor – well in advance of the 32nd staging of the race on October 31st.
Details of the 2011 event were announced in Dublin yesterday, including the launch of a new Lord Mayor’s Medal, and entries are now being accepted via the marathon website.
Former title sponsors Adidas and Lifestyle Sports ended their association with the Dublin race following the conclusion of last year’s race.
Adidas had been sponsors for 10 years, and Lifestyle Sports for the past three years, and with Asics already signed up to replace Adidas as official apparel sponsor, race director Jim Aughney said a replacement title sponsor would be announced in the coming months.
“We have had very positive conversations with a number of interested parties,” he said, “and are confident that we will have a new partner on board in the coming months who will help us achieve our vision for Dublin going forward.”
The IAAF recently added Dublin to the official list of qualifying marathons for next year’s London Olympic 2012:
“This will no doubt impact on the elite field,” added Aughney, “and again raise the standard of marathon runners coming to Dublin, especially as the two new course records achieved in 2010 demonstrated that fast times can be run here.
“This is a huge boost for Dublin and will add an extra competitive edge this year. We have also been working with the Marathon Mission team over the last year to improve long-distance running in Ireland.
“Again, Dublin will now be the objective for our top long-distance runners.”
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Gerry Breen, used the 2011 marathon launch to announce details of the new Lord Mayor’s Medal, a specially-commissioned medal that will be presented each year to individuals who overcome incredible odds to take part in Dublin.
The inaugural winner was Martin Codyre, the 35-year-old from Bray who was left paralysed from the chest down following a freak accident just a year prior to entering the 2009 race.
He still finished the race, with the aid of his brother Brian and friend Conor Galvin, in four hours 48 minutes, and has since gone on to achieve a world record by becoming the first complete quadriplegic to finish a 1.9km swim, a 90km alpine bike ride and a half marathon within eight hours at the Swiss Ironman triathlon.
Codyre said taking part in the Dublin marathon had proven to be a watershed moment for him in his recovery from his accident.
The Lord Mayor also called on the businesses and citizens of the city to embrace the economic opportunity offered by the Dublin Marathon, and put their full support behind the event:
“Marathons are used by capital cities across the world to showcase their city and drive tourism revenue.
“I think that now, more than ever, there is a real need for us to use this event to showcase the best of our city and our country to the world.”
For further information or to register see www.dublinmarathon.ie.
