20,000 runners line up for Dublin City Marathon
20,000 runners are lining up this morning for the 39th Dublin City Marathon.
International elite distance runners will be competing against Ireland's top athletes - and this year marks a special celebration of female runners.
Nationalist, labour activist and feminist Constance Markievicz appears on the finishers medal tor this 39th Dublin City Marathon as it celebrates female participation and a boost in the number of women runners from just 70 in 1980 to 7,000 today.
This year marks a celebration of female runners with Constance Markievicz appearing on the @sseairtricity #DublinMarathon finishers medal. It's fantastic to see that female participation has grown from 70 in 1980 to 7,000 in 2018 - looking forward to meeting all our new faces! pic.twitter.com/BCOFHk6N3o
— Irish Life Dublin Marathon (@dublinmarathon) October 28, 2018
Race Director Jim Aughney says the marathon has grown 10-fold over the past 4 decades and he pays special mention to Mary Hickey - the 65-year-old RNLI 'lap of the map' runner who ran around the entire coast of Ireland earlier this year.... and has competed in every Dublin city marathon since the start.
International elite distance athletes are lining up to compete against Ireland's top athletes - with the race also serving as Athletics Ireland's National Championships with Olympians Lizzie Lee, Caitriona Jennings, Mick Clohisey and current national champion Gary O'Hanlon set to start.
It also incorporates the European Police Championships with 155 athletes from 22 countries represented - including Ireland.
The Marathon starts at Fitzwilliam Street Upper at 8:55am and will finish in Merrion Square North up to 5pm - with road closures posted on sseairtricitydublinmarathon.ie.
