The Great Ireland Run is an annual 10-kilometre road running competition which is held in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland in mid-April.[1] It is part of the Great Run series of athletics competitions. It is sponsored by SPAR and features both an elite race and a popular race.[2]

Great Ireland Run
The Wellington Monument in Phoenix Park – the race venue
DateMid-April
LocationDublin, Ireland
Event typeRoad
Distance10 km
Established2003
Official sitewww.greatirelandrun.ie

The 10 km race course begins at Chesterfield Avenue and loops around in a clock-wise circuit to finish on Furze Road.[3] A 2.5 km fun run for 8–15-year-old runners is also featured on the programme of events.[4] Over 11,000 people took part in the day's events in 2010.[5] The elite races in 2010 also doubled up as the Irish 10K Championships.[6]

Past participants have included former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat,[7] and World Championship medalist Craig Mottram, as well as some of Ireland's foremost athletes such as 1995 World Champion Sonia O'Sullivan and cross country specialist Catherina McKiernan. The course record holders are both Ethiopian – Kenenisa Bekele with his 27:49-minute run in 2012 and Meselech Melkamu with her record of 31:41 set in 2006.[8]

The 2023 edition was marred in farce and controversy when the course for all participants ended 1.5km shorter than the 10km distance. This was due to poor planning arising from competitors being directed the wrong way near the start of the route, and no fail-safe to remedy such a situation once it occurred. Athletics Ireland issued a statement "apologising for the unforeseen circumstances" which led to the course distance running short.[9]

Past winners

edit

Key:   Course record   Irish championship race

Edition Year Men's winner Time (m:s) Women's winner Time (m:s)
17th 2022[10]   Mick Clohisey (IRL) 30:49   Sinead O'Connor (IRL) 34:20
16th 2019[11]   Hiko Tonosa Haso (IRL) 30:41   Catherina Mullen (IRL) 34:52
15th 2018   Oliver Lockley (IOM) 30:18   Shona Heaslip (IRL) 34:52
15th 2017   Mark Christie (IRL) 29:30   Gemma Steel (GBR) 34:15
14th 2016   Andy Maud (GBR) 29:55   Fionnuala McCormack (IRL) 33:30
13th 2015   Japhet Korir (KEN) 28:15   Gemma Steel (GBR) 33:03
12th 2014   Japhet Korir (KEN) 29:12   Iwona Lewandowska (POL) 33:39
11th 2013   Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 28:51   Lauren Howarth (GBR) 33:36
10th 2012   Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 27:49   Gemma Steel (GBR) 32:06
9th 2011   Jesús España (ESP) 29:26   Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 32:42
8th 2010   Martin Fagan (IRL) 29:17   Freya Murray (GBR) 32:30
7th 2009   Rui Pedro Silva (POR) 28:45   Ana Dulce Félix (POR) 32:18
6th 2008   Abraham Chebii (KEN) 28:48   Doris Changeywo (KEN) 32:15
5th 2007   Abraham Chebii (KEN) 28:47   Victoria Mitchell (AUS) 33:06
4th 2006   Craig Mottram (AUS) 28:51   Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 31:41
3rd 2005   Craig Mottram (AUS) 28:35   Amy Rudolph (USA) 32:16
2nd 2004   Craig Mottram (AUS) 29:11   Catherina McKiernan (IRL) 33:39
1st 2003   Craig Mottram (AUS) 28:36   Sonia O'Sullivan (IRL) 32:24

Statistics

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Race History. Great Ireland Run. Retrieved on 25 April 2010.
  2. ^ Fagan and Murray nab 10Km victories in Dublin. IAAF (19 April 2010). Retrieved on 25 April 2010.
  3. ^ Great Ireland Run Course Map Archived 15 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Great Ireland Run. Retrieved on 25 April 2010.
  4. ^ Junior Great Ireland Run Archived 20 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Great Ireland Run. Retrieved on 25 April 2010.
  5. ^ Great day for a run as 11,000 take over park . The Irish Independent (19 April 2010). Retrieved on 25 April 2010.
  6. ^ SPAR Great Ireland Run Archived 21 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Athletics Ireland (18 April 2010). Retrieved on 25 April 2010.
  7. ^ Cullen comes second in Dublin run . BBC Sport (5 April 2009). Retrieved on 25 April 2010.
  8. ^ Martin, David (15 April 2012). Bekele sparkles with 27:49 10km in Dublin. IAAF. Retrieved on 21 April 2012.
  9. ^ O'Riordan, Ian (16 April 2023). "Great Ireland Run: Athletics Ireland apologises as Phoenix Park 10k accidentally becomes an 8.5k". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ "MyrunresultsWeb". www.myrunresults.com. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  11. ^ "MyrunresultsWeb". www.myrunresults.com. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
List of winners