Tears of joy, celebratory punches of the air, and emotional reunions with loved ones — you see it all at the finish line of the Cork City Marathon.
The gruelling 26.2-mile course attracts all sorts, often people with a deeply personal story to share; from elite athletes to casual joggers with a point to prove, and those driven by memories, causes, hopes, and dreams.
Among the thousands to cross the finish line was Jane Hughes from Co Laois, who ran with a photo of her late father Thomas Landy, taken on her wedding day in 2016.
He died of cancer, aged 61, in 2022.
“I am running for the Irish Cancer Society today and raised just over €6,000 in memory of him,” Jane said.
“He was with me all the way today – any time I thought I was going to give up, he was with me, and kept me going for sure. And loads of people commented on the picture – people are so good and the generosity of pure strangers is unreal.”
She had never run a marathon before but is now hoping to do it all again.
Her mother Margaret was beaming with pride, as she waited at the finish line to greet her.
“I am absolutely so excited and thrilled and proud of her. It is amazing and very emotional,” she said.
Jane’s husband was also running among more than 11,000 participants who did either the full marathon, half marathon, or 10km.
Thousands of supporters lined the route, many carrying homemade placards.
One athlete, Katie O’Callaghan from Mallow, crossed the end line carrying the Palestinian flag, which had been passed to her by her family near the finish.
She travelled from the UK to take part.
The overall winner of the marathon was Chris Jeuken from Clare, who completed the course in a time of 2 hours and 18 minutes.
He said: “It is nice to get the win under the belt. I was six months injured so this is the first big race back. Last year, I was fifth so I was happy just to get this one under the belt.”
His win in the Limerick half marathon was three weeks ago.
He said the Berlin marathon in September is his next aim. His time was his official personal best.
He was greeted at the finish line by his girlfriend Olivia Gurnett, who had taken part in the 10km section of the event. Both are members of Derg AC in Killaloe in Clare.
Second-placed Michael Fox from Armagh AC said it was his second time taking part in the Cork marathon, which he described as a great course.
“The atmosphere is unreal – I love coming down,” he said.
Evelyn Twomey from Dublin was the winner of the women’s race and said she had done her first marathon two years ago in Cork.
She said she had a close tie to Cork because her father is from Ballyvourney.
Having run the course in 2 hours and 54 minutes, she said: “I did a couple since and Cork is just unrivalled. It is just unbelievable. This is my fifth one now and I have kind of got the bug.”
Her sister Eimear also did her first marathon on Sunday and Evelyn said: “She is the real hero today.”
The winner of the wheelchair section was John McCarthy from Dunmanway.
He has been doing marathons for over a decade and previously played wheelchair rugby internationally.
He also competed internationally in track and field events.
“The marathons are just for fun,” said John.
He has done Boston and London marathons already this year and is planning for Berlin in September, Dublin in October and Oita in Japan in November.
“The Oita one is completely a wheelchair race and I have done that about four or five times now. I am hoping to do the Tokyo marathon in March next year to complete the six majors. The other majors are London, Berlin, Chicago, Boston and New York,” he said.
He has been in a wheelchair since 1992 when he was injured in a diving accident in Dunmanway and took up sport after the accident.
Half marathon winner Jake O’Regan was travelling back to his native Kilkee after the event, to celebrate a friend’s birthday.
His win emulates his success in the half marathon in Cork in 2022.
The female half marathon winner Niamh Allen is a native of Blackrock and the race started just outside her childhood home. The Leevale athlete’s nine-month-old daughter Lily was waiting in the crowd to be reunited with Niamh.
“She is my little mascot,” she joked.
She finished third overall in the half marathon and said she was delighted to be returning after nearly two years.
Fearghal Curtin won the men’s 10k in 29:46 while Hannah Steeds won the women’s event in 34:51.
Meanwhile, Keith Espey from Minane Bridge was in tears when he crossed the line hand-in-hand with his five-year-old son Robert who joined him a couple of hundred metres from the end.
He said: “He helped me get over it and I am delighted. It was unbelievable.” He had done the Cork marathon twice before and described this year’s as a big achievement.
It was a proud father-daughter moment for Togher AC’s Denis O’Brien from Bishopstown when he finished with the support of his daughter Rosie.
He said: “This is my first marathon in 14 years. I was playing football with the ‘Barrs and took a step back this year and focused on the running.” Gearoid O’Flynn from Ballincollig was met by his wife Aideen Coleman who had the honour of placing his finisher’s medal around his neck, as she did with hundreds of other competitors.
She said she was delighted to be there to greet him, describing it as a “full circle” moment.
“I was here cheering him on eight years ago with a massive baby bump and we had our first baby three weeks later.” Race Director Eamon Hayes praised the scale and spirit of this year’s event, saying: “To the thousands of runners, joggers, walkers and wheelchair users who took to the streets of Cork City – thank you.
“Whether you were chasing a personal best, running for a special cause or challenging yourself to cross the finish line, your determination and spirit were truly inspiring.” He also thanked the people of Cork for their support of the event, by lining the route which he said created “the unforgettable atmosphere that makes this event so special”.
He added: “One of the most powerful aspects of the Cork City Marathon is the incredible generosity it inspires. Thousands of participants used the event to raise vital funds for causes close to their hearts as the ethos of the marathon is it’s #YourRaceTheirHope.
“A staggering amount has already been donated, and more is coming in every day, so it will be our most successful year to date for fundraising. This is community spirit in action, and it is deeply humbling.
“We were honoured to have such strong representation from community groups this year, including 1,200 Sanctuary Runners, United by Miles, and Back 2 Boston – each bringing people together through sport and friendship. Our Inclusive Mile event also brought added meaning to the day, showing that this marathon truly is for everyone.” Up to 1,000 volunteers were involved in ensuring the event ran smoothly. The organisers said the full and half marathons and 10k event sold out months in advance.
- Chris Jeuken, 2:18
- Michael Fox, 2.24
- Stephen McAuley, 2:25
- Evelyn Twomey, 2:54
- Andrea Aza Villamor, 2:58
- Yuliya Tarasova, 3:01
- Jake O Regan, 1:06
- David Mansfield, 1:08
- Peter Brandon Somba, 1:10
- Niamh Allen, 1:10
- Aisling Ryan, 1:19
- Pamela Kirk, 1:22
- Fearghal Curtin, 29:46
- David McCarthy, 31:14
- Gavin O’Rourke, 31:23
- Hannah Steeds, 34:51
- Lizzie Lee, 35:30
- Niamh Moore: 36:31
