FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marathon Breaks Entry Record Yet Again
The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon has broken its entry record for
the tenth successive year.
More than 18,000 people have signed up for the May Day extravaganza.
Some 3,300 runners have entered the main 26.2 mile race - that's 400 more
than took part in 2009, and just 300 shy of the all-time high entry back in
the early 80s. They will be joined by 11,000 relay runners, as well as
2,350 walkers and 1,500 fun runners - giving a grand total of 18,150
participants, 900 more than this time last year.
"The number of people taking up running and competing, particularly in road
racing events, is an all-time peak, and this is reflected in the continuing
phenomenal interest in the Marathon, year on year," commented Danny
O'Connor, Chairman of the event's organizing committee.
Proving that every cloud can have a silver lining, the Belfast event
benefitted from a last minute rush of entries at the end of last week, from
runners due to take part in other marathons but unable to do so because of
the recent grounding of flights. This included 60 runners from the
Republic who were due to compete in Boston, as well as others who were
unsure if they would make it over in time for this weekend's London
Marathon.
The entry list for this year's main marathon is led by the Irish husband
and wife team of Maria McCambridge and Gary Crossan. Former Olympian
McCambridge is hoping to beat her personal best time of 2:35:29, set in
Paris last year and four minutes inside the current Belfast women's record.
She'll receive plenty of support from husband Crossan, runner-up here in
2002: however, he is just returning from injury so beating his personal
best of 2:19 may be too much of a challenge.
Other top female names include Moldova's Natalie Cerches and Ethiopia's
Enatesh Tadese, both of whom have personal best times of around ten minutes
slower than McCambridge.
For the first time this year, the Marathon is introducing pacers, for those
seeking to finish the run in times of three hours, 3.5 hours, four hours
and 4.5 hours. Runners wishing to avail of the pacers can sign up at the
Marathon Expo, which takes place in the City Hall from Thursday 29 April
through to Sunday 2 May, alongside race registration and pack collection.
Check the Marathon website, www.belfastcitymarathon.com, for details of
opening times.
The 2010 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon takes place on May Day Bank
Holiday Monday, 3 May, starting at the City Hall at 9am and finishing at
Ormeau Park.
The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon is also sponsored by Aer Lingus,
Belfast City Council, Charles Hurst Renault, New Balance, Sport Northern
Ireland, Tayto, Translink and Up and Running. Media partners are the Daily
Mirror and U105. Official accommodation partner is Premier Inn.
The 2010 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon is organised by Belfast City
Marathon Ltd., in partnership with Athletics Northern Ireland, Belfast City
Council, the Department for Regional Development, Newtownabbey Borough
Council, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Sustrans and Translink.
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