ETHIOPIA’S DEREJE DEBELE Tulu has stormed to victory in the 2016 SSE Airtricity Dublin City Marathon in a time of 2:12:17.
Tulu finished ahead of his compatriots Dereje Urgecha Beyecha and Asefa Legese to complete an Ethiopian treble.
Namibia’s Helalia Johannes claimed the ladies title in a time of 2:32:31, finishing incredibly just one second ahead of Ethiopia’s Ehite Gebireyes, who led for most of the closing stages. Kenya’s Violet Jelagat finished third.
Sergiu Ciobanu, who was controversially omitted from Ireland’s three-man marathon team for the Rio Olympics, claimed the men’s National Championship in a time of 2:17:38.
Despite the 33-year-old running the third fastest time of the Irish qualifiers, Paul Pollock was chosen ahead of the Moldovan-born athlete for this summer’s Olympic Games.
Newry’s Laura Graham was the fastest Irish woman, clocking a time of 2:41:53 to finish in 10th.
It was Ireland’s Patrick Monahan, who was the first to cross the line however, with the Kildare man successfully retaining his men’s wheelchair race title in a time of 1:39:18
The Dublin Marathon is the fourth largest of its type in Europe, with up to 20,00o people taking part including 5,700 international entrants.
The race has been moved from its traditional spot of the October Bank Holiday Monday to a Sunday, in order to attract as many participants as possible, with the number of people taking part increasing by 25% compared to last year’s race.
The marathon began at 9am this morning on Fitzwilliam Square, but a parked motorbike was left in the middle of the road at the start of the race, with security quickly forced to corden off the venhicle to prevent any major accidents in one of the most congesited areas of the course.
The 26.2 mile route took the the runners down the quays, into the Phoenix Park, through Terenure and Stillorgan before finishing at Merrion Square.
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