The lasting woman standing

ATHLETICS/Dublin City Marathon: Just 34 runners have finished all of the 24 Dublin City Marathons since the first in 1980. Ian O'Riordan talks to the only woman among the elite group

There has never been an easy explanation as to why anyone would want to run a marathon. For some it's the ultimate test of physical and mental limits. For others the sense of achievement in running 26.2 miles is incomparable. For most it's simply one less thing to do in life.

It's even harder to explain why anyone would want to run a marathon again. Around 10,500 runners will start the adidas Dublin marathon on Monday morning. Many of them will have covered the distance before, but normally the first words from all those that reach the finish are "never again". By its very nature the marathon doesn't immediately invite you back for seconds.

When the first Dublin marathon set off on the same bank holiday Monday in 1980, few if any of the 2,100 starters thought they'd come back for more. The 680 that dropped out almost certainly didn't. Since then many in fact did find a reason, but rarely in successive years, and only if mind and limb allowed it. All that gives some idea of what must be involved in trying to run every Dublin marathon, every year. And not just running it, finishing it.

Only 34 people are still around to tell that tale, and there's only one woman among them - Mary Nolan Hickey.

Back in 1980 she was already running competitively, firstly for the St Benedict's club in her native Arklow, which she'd joined at the age of 16, and later with the Civil Service club in Dublin. But her distance was mainly the 400 metres, a long way short of the 26.2 miles involved in marathon running. But something about an advertisement for the Dublin Marathon changed all that. Partly excited and partly daunted, Nolan Hickey made that her goal for later in the season.

"The training I did was just about adequate," she recalls. "I know the longest I'd done was one 18-mile run. I hadn't got any real advice either, so it was literally like stepping into a black hole after 18 miles.

"And the first one was perhaps the toughest. I remember people were getting massages all through the last six miles. In fact it was like a war zone. But looking back now I hadn't done enough training."

Despite the great uncertainty, she finished in a respectable three hours 38 minutes - good enough to be the 11th woman on the day. Yet most of her memories of that day are about trying to get to the finish line.

Somewhere in the final miles she found herself crossing one of the main streets, which by then had been reopened to traffic. The lights turned green, but there was no way she could get out of the way. She just waved her hands at the oncoming traffic as if to say get away from me.

At 21 miles the cramps in her calf muscles were so bad she was running on her heels. But already her marathon instincts had taken over, and she knew if she stopped running at all she'd be in trouble.

As suspected, however, her first words at the finish were "never again": "No, running Dublin again was never part of a plan. In fact 25 years ago I never imagined I'd still be running marathons. I know when I finished the first one I said that was enough of that."

But she'd caught the bug. Shortly afterwards she heard about the first London marathon and ended up running that in March of 1981. That summer she also competed in the first All-Ireland triathlon.

So not only did she run again in 1981, but she ran her best. Sitting in third up to 21 miles, she tired somewhat towards the finish but came home fourth-best woman in 2:58.

Within a few short years the Dublin Marathon had become part of her routine, a sort of habit like the way some people might hit the beach at the start of every summer. Nolan Hickey ran the Dublin Marathon to round off every autumn.

"Yeah, I found myself doing other races during the year, but always trying to get to Dublin. For a good few years I was competing quite well, finishing quite well up. Then it became something I wanted to do every year."

Yet the commitment involved in training for and completing a marathon is wide open to disruption. Anything can get in the way. Say illness, injury, or just simple staleness. Over the past 24 years Nolan Hickey rose above all of that and more.

In September of 1984 her 27-year-old brother died of cancer. That year's race was tough. Tougher still was the 1997 race, which followed the tragic death of her 20-year-old son just the August before.

"At that time running became a little bit of therapy. It was never meant to be that way. So I ran those years anyway, although I don't remember much about them. It was more about thinking of the people that can't run. By then the running to me was as good as any medication. You can get a lot out of your system on a long run."

Some years she'd run through injuries just to finish: but in all her marathons she's managed to break four hours except for one - the 1988 edition. Not that running outside four hours was a disappointment. She was actually six months pregnant with her youngest son, now aged 15.

"I remember when I got the news, I straight away counted up the months, and thought this might be difficult. By then only two women had done all the Dublin marathons, myself and Brigid McCabe from Mullingar. And I wanted to get down to the last woman standing."

A few years back McCabe indeed backed away, and so at the ripe age of 52 Nolan Hickey is ready for Dublin marathon number 25.

And she doesn't intend on stopping here.

"This year's training has been quite good, so what I'd like to do is get near the time I did my first year. All going well on the day it's possible, but of course anything can happen in the marathon."

Like the other 33 runners who've completed all the Dublin marathons to date, she'll be wearing a specially commissioned number - obviously with the digits 2 and 5. And she promises she'll be cheering on the others to continue their unique achievement, even if one of them happens to be her ex-husband.

The following runners have completed all 24 Dublin City Marathons

Tom Barry, Peter Behan, Michael Carolan, Gerry Carroll, Séamus Cawley, Paddy Craddock, Donal De Buitléir, Anthony Doyle, Séamus Dunne, Tony Ennis, Pearse Fahy, Dominic Gallagher, Harold Gordon, Billy Harper, Michael Hickey, Frederick Hickey, Martin Kelly, Séamus Kilcullen, Brendan Maguire, John McElhinny, Jackie McGowan, Eamonn McNamee, Stephen McNeill, Thomas Morgan, Mary Nolan Hickey, Jimmy O'Brien, Pat O'Loughlin, Ailbe Ó Murchu, Patrick Reilly, Padraic Smith, Frank Starrs, John Walshe, Donal Ward, Anthony Warren.

1980 After less than a year of planning, the first Dublin marathon attracts 2,100 starters - thanks primarily to the promotional work of sponsors Radio 2. The 24-year-old national marathon champion Dick Hooper of Raheny wins in 2:16:14, some four minutes clear of Neil Cusack. Carey May is the first woman home, in 2:42:11, with just 1,420 finishing.

1981 The entries shoot up to over 8,000, and Neil Cusack comes out on top with a world-class 2:13:58. The former Boston marathon winner is three minutes clear of Belfast's Greg Hannon. Emily Dowling wins the women's title in 2:48:22.

1982 With a record entry of 11,076, the race has already hit its peak. Jerry Kiernan makes his debut and storms off to win in a time of 2:13:45, still the course record. America's Debbie Muller becomes the first overseas winner of the women's title.

1983 Another large entry and 8,688 finishers, the first of which is Belgium's Roney Agten in a time of 2:19:16. Mary Purcell ensures one of the titles stays at home by winning the women's race in 2:46:09.

1984 Dubbed the first EEC marathon, the entry list remains high with the 7,365 finishers about 96 per cent of the starters. Denmark's Svend Kristensen denies Dick Hooper a second title, winning in 2:18:25. Again the women come to the rescue, with Ailish Smyth moving from third to first in the closing miles.

1985 A new course and ideal conditions. Dick Hooper wins in 2:13:47 to collect the Nissan Micra car. The women's title goes to England's Julie Gates in 2:41:24.

1986 Dick Hooper, carrying an injury, wins his third title in 2:18:10. Best of the women is England's Maureen Hurst.

1987 There are less than 4,000 finishers for the first time since 1980. Little-known Czech twins Pavel and Petr Klimes fill the first two places, with Dick Hooper third. The third successive English winner of the women's race is Carolyn Naisby.

1988 With the Dublin Millennium celebrations as a backdrop, the entries are up to almost 9,000. Kerry triumphs when John Griffin wins in 2:16:02. Northern Ireland's Moira O'Neill is the surprise women's winner with a course record of 2:37:06.

1989 The event is by now in a period of decline, having lost Radio 2 as title sponsor. Just over 3,000 finish. John Griffin becomes the second man to win successive titles, clocking 2:16:44, while Dublin's Pauline Nolan takes the women's title ahead of Liz Bullen - the twin sister of John Treacy.

1990 The Dublin-born John Bolger, at this point a Canadian international, wins in 2:17:17, while Christine Kennedy is best of the women in 2:41:27. 2,806 finish.

1991 In what doubles as the trial for the the Barcelona Olympics, Tommy Hughes takes the title North for the first time (2:14:46), ahead of Jerry Kiernan. Christine Kennedy retains her title in 2:35:56 - 2,751 finishing.

1992 Yet further decline in the numbers, the 2,414 finishers being the worst show since 1980. Jerry Kiernan repeats his win of 10 years before in 2:17:19, while Karen Cornwall of England takes the women's race in 2:41:58.

1993 John Treacy runs his last marathon nine years after winning the silver medal at the Los Angeles Olympics and wins in style, clocking 2:14:40. Ireland also provides the women's winner in Cathy Shum, her time 2:38:14.

1994 Steve Brace becomes the first overseas winner in seven years when clocking 2:17:13. England's Linda Rushmere is best of the women in 2:40:17. The total of 2,713 finishers is just six up on the previous year.

1995 For the first time the race provides a category for walkers, but still only 2,700 finish. Best of them is Kenya's first winner in Dublin, William Musyoki, who clocks 2:16:57. Scotland's Trudi Thomson wins the women's race in 2:38:23.

1996 By now the Kenyans are an unbeatable force in world marathons, and Joseph Kahugu is duly the best in Dublin, leading home three Africans in 2:17:42. Cathy Shum collects her second Nissan Micra in four years by winning in 2:38:56.

1997 With a new sponsor in 98FM, the entries rise again, helped by the first of the large US contingents that have since become an annual feature. Kenyan Joshua Kipkemboi wins in 2:15:56. Carol Galea of Malta wins the women's race by a startling seven minutes, clocking 2:39:33.

1998 5,000 finish, although the race is practically an action replay of 1997, Kipkemboi winning again in 2:20:00. But Belfast's Teresa Duffy is the star of the show, beating Carol Galea and clocking 2:39:56 in her marathon debut.

1999 Numbers are repeating those of the early years, and John Mutai of Kenya finally gets a Dublin win in 2:15:18. Gerry Healy is the best local finisher in several years when taking second, while Kenya make it a double with Esther Kiplagat best of the women in a course record of 2:34:24.

2000 The event is now celebrating its 21st birthday, and the number of finishers rises to 7,171. Despite driving wind and rain, Sonia O'Sullivan makes a surprise debut and wins in 2:35:42. And Scotland's Simon Pride storms home in 2:18:49.

2001 New sponsors adidas come on board. South Africa's Zacharia Mpolokeng wins a blanket finish by four seconds in 2:14:03. Best of the women is England's Debbie Robinson in her best of 2:35:40, with 6,155 finishing on the day.

2002 Another new course and Frederick Cherono the fifth Kenyan winner in 2:14:25, thus collecting a15,000. Again the women's course record is lowered, with Russia's Lidia Vasselevskaia clocking 2:32:58

2003 Kenya's Onesmus Kilonzo wins in the slow time of 2:17:03. This time the women's course record is smashed by Kenya's Ruth Kutol, who runs a brilliant 2:27:22.

2004 With 10,500 set to start on Monday, the 25th edition is on course to produce a record number of finishers.