Belfast Marathon

Summary

The Belfast City Marathon takes place in Belfast in Northern Ireland. The organisers describe it as the "largest mass sport participatory event in Northern Ireland" with between 15,000 and 18,000 participants taking part in several events.[3][4][5] These events, typically scheduled over the May bank holiday weekend, include marathon, wheelchair race, team relay and 8-mile walk events. The organisers also stage Northern Ireland's largest half marathon event, which takes place annually in September.[citation needed]

Belfast Marathon
Inflatable archway, outside Belfast City Hall, at the start of 2011 event
LocationBelfast, Northern Ireland
Event typeMarathon
Distance26.2 miles (42.2 km)
Primary sponsorMash Direct
Established1982[1]
Course recordsMen's: 2:13:41 (2012)
Ethiopia Negewo Ararisa
Women's: 2:36:50 (2013)
Ukraine Nataliya Lehonkova
Official siteBelfast Marathon
Participants>5,700 (2021)[2]

Marathon edit

 
Participants in 2013 event

The Belfast City Marathon is an AIMS certified race.[6] The race traditionally starts at Stormont Estate at 9am and finishes in Ormeau Park.[7]

5,000 runners took part in the 2019 "full marathon".[3] Following this event, organisers apologised after it was noted that the course was 0.3 miles longer than the typical marathon standard.[8][9]

The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland, with all registrants given the option of either running the race virtually or transferring their entry to 2021, 2022 or 2023.[10][11] The 2021 event was rescheduled from May to October 2021.[12][13]

Previously sponsored by Deep River Rock,[14] the 2022 event (scheduled for May 2022) was reported to be Mash Direct.[15]

Half marathon edit

First launched in 2013, the Belfast City Half Marathon is an extension of the May Marathon event.[citation needed] The race starts at Ormeau Park.[16]

Winners edit

Year Male Athlete Country Time Female Athlete Country Time
1982 Gregory Hannon   Northern Ireland 2:20:25 Susan Boreham   Northern Ireland 3:11:26
1983 Paul Craig   Northern Ireland 2:20:14 Roma McConville   Northern Ireland 2:58:07
1984 Andy Daly   Scotland 2:18:01 Theresa Kidd   Northern Ireland 2:47:33
1985 Marty Deane   Northern Ireland 2:15:51 Moira O'Boyle   Northern Ireland 2:45:40
1986 Marty Deane   Northern Ireland 2:16:05 Moira O'Neill   Northern Ireland 2:43:26
1987 Calum Bark   Scotland 2:17:47 Theresa Kidd   Northern Ireland 2:48:28
1988 Thomas Hughes   Northern Ireland 2:19:00 Theresa Kidd   Northern Ireland 2:49:10
1989 Ian Bloomfield   England 2:20:45 Rosaleen Hayden   Ireland 2:58:31
1990 Jerry Kiernan   Ireland 2:18:58 Eleanor Hill   Ireland 2:50:07
1991 Joel Kipchumba   Kenya 2:18:56 Brenda McNamara   Ireland 2:55:25
1992 Jerry Kiernan   Ireland 2:20:52 Catherine Smyth   Ireland 2:42:41
1993 Gerard McGrath   Ireland 2:18:12 Catherine Smyth   Ireland 2:45:05
1994 Terry Mitchell   Scotland 2:20:24 Catherine Smyth   Ireland 2:44:42
1995 John Ferrin   Northern Ireland 2:18:42 Patricia Griffin   Ireland 2:53:10
1996 Terry Mitchell   Scotland 2:21:36 Trudi Thomson   Scotland 2:44:57
1997 John Ferrin   Northern Ireland 2:20:17 Olive Nolan   Ireland 2:55:10
1998 Thomas Hughes   Northern Ireland 2:23:33 Jackie Newton   England 2:57:25
1999 Samuel Okemwa   Kenya 2:20:58 Barbara Brewer   Northern Ireland 2:58:49
2000 Wilson Cheruiyot   Kenya 2:24:13 Mary Jennings   Ireland 3:02:31
2001 Joseph Riri   Kenya 2:26:00 Debra Curley   England 2:56:05
2002 Simon Pride   Scotland 2:22:21 Trudi Thomson   Scotland 2:49:39
2003 Lezan Kimutai   Kenya 2:17:09 Trudi Thomson   Scotland 2:45:48
2004 Peter Edukan   Kenya 2:23:51 Julia Myatt   England 2:52:52
2005 Eric Kiplagat   Kenya 2:22:20 Lemma Urge   Ethiopia 2:41:33
2006 Stephen Ndungu   Kenya 2:16:51 Joyce Kandie   Kenya 2:43:11
2007 John Mutai   Kenya 2:16:24 Desse Demelesh   Ethiopia 2:46:45
2008 John Mutai   Kenya 2:16:31 Marshet Jimma   Ethiopia 2:39:22
2009 John Mutai   Kenya 2:17:35 Joyce Kandie   Kenya 2:47:44
2010 Urga Negewo   Ethiopia 2:16:53 Sarah Stradling   England 2:44:03
2011 Jacob Chesire   Kenya 2:14:56 Vera Ovcharuk   Ukraine 2:46:04
2012 Negewo Ararisa   Ethiopia 2:13:41 Alice Chelangat   Kenya 2:39:02
2013 Joel Kipsang   Kenya 2:19:28 Nataliya Lehonkova   Ukraine 2:36:50
2014 Freddy Sittuk   Kenya 2:18:30 Bayrush Shiferaw   Ethiopia 2:41:20
2015 Joel Kositany   Kenya 2:19:36 Berhan Gebremichael   Ethiopia 2:40:57
2016 Joel Kositany   Kenya 2:17:39 Berhan Gebremichael   Ethiopia 2:48:26
2017 Bernard Rotich   Kenya 2:16:04 Laura Graham   United Kingdom 2:41:47
2018 Eric Koech   Kenya 2:18:19 Caroline Chepkwony   Kenya 2:41:23
2019 Joel Kositany   Kenya 2:17:09 Caroline Jepchirchir   Kenya 2:34:55
2020 cancelled as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland[11]
2021 Mick Clohisey   Ireland 2:20:42 Fionnuala Ross   Ireland 2:43:42
2022[17] Paul Pollock   Northern Ireland 2:16:16 Gladys Ganiel   Northern Ireland 2:43:49

References edit

  1. ^ "Belfast City Marathon over the years". BBC News. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Belfast City Marathon: Race returns after Covid cancellations". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Belfast City Marathon 2019: Results, pictures and video as record crowd take on new 'longer' route". Belfasttelegraph. 5 May 2019. Around 18,000 took part in the full marathon, the wheelchair race, team relay, walk and fun run [..] With 5,000 taking part in the full marathon
  4. ^ "Belfast Marathon: Kilkeel's Laura Graham aims for repeat win after 2017 triumph". BBC Sport. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Clothes tell the story of the 36th Belfast marathon". Irishtimes.com. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon". aims-worldrunning.org. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Belfast City Marathon 2017: All you need to know". BBC. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Belfast Marathon: Organisers apologise after course is 0.3 miles too long". BBC Sport. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Runners in Belfast City Marathon run extra 0.3 miles after course mix-up". Thejournal.ie. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Belfast Marathon: Coronavirus pandemic forces organisers to cancel 2020 event". BBC Sport. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  11. ^ a b "2020 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon CANCELLED | Belfast Marathon News | General | news". Belfast City Marathon. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Belfast Marathon moved to September with virtual half race in May". irishnews.com. Irish News. 29 January 2021.
  13. ^ "39th Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon Rescheduled to 3rd October 2021". Belfast City Marathon. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Belfast City Marathon course was too long, organizers say". CNN. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Mash Direct Belfast City Marathon". belfastcity.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  16. ^ "The Moy Park Belfast City Half Marathon". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  17. ^ Belfast City Marathon. 2022. Belfast Marathon Results | results | Belfast City Marathon. [online] Available at: <https://belfastcitymarathon.com/results/2022#fullResults> [Accessed 13 October 2022].

External links edit

  • Official website