Dublin Women's Mini Marathon

Dublin Women's Mini Marathon
Date First Monday of June
Location Dublin, Ireland
Event type Road
Distance 10km
Primary sponsor Vhi Healthcare
Established 1983
Course records  Sonia O'Sullivan (IRE) 31:28
Official site Dublin Women's Mini Marathon

The Dublin Women's Mini Marathon (currently known as the Vhi Women's Mini Marathon, for title sponsor Vhi Healthcare) is an annual 10km charity road race that occurs each June bank holiday weekend in Ireland[1] is the largest Women's event of its kind in the world.

In 1983,[2] the inaugural event had 9,000 women entering and the event reached a record attendance in 2014 with over 41,000 women taking part. The event has grown in popularity as women have taken more interest in their own health and fitness. In the 35 years from 1983 to 2018, 1 million women entered the event.

Hundreds of charities are also involved. In 2017, it is estimated that €9.3m was raised on the day for charities, bringing the total raised, since the race started, close to €210m. The women decide themselves which charity they will support and many local causes gain vital funds from the event. It is the largest one day charity event in the country. Similar events in the UK and US attract only half these figures.

History

A small group of enthusiastic male athletes gathered in the Mill House in Stillorgan in 1983.[3] They concluded that an all-women's race would be suitable for increasing female participation.[3] The Evening Press were named as sponsors and Dundrum as the host club.[3]

Several Irish women's distance runners have taken part in the race. Catherina McKiernan recorded her first of four wins in her autobiography, Running for My Life, saying: "I enjoyed every moment of it. The crowds were more incredible that I expected, and it was just something I always wanted to do."[3]

In recent years, charities have used online services such as Facebook, Twitter and podcasting to promote their involvement.[4]

Sponsorship

The race has had a large list of sponsors through its history. Vhi is the current title sponsor and intends to continue its association with the race until 2019.[5]

From the beginning a Dublin evening newspaper has promoted the race, acting as its media sponsor.[5] The Evening Herald took over this role from the Evening Press in 1996 when it went defunct in 1995.[5] As recently as 2001, it was known as the Tesco Ireland Evening Herald Women's Mini-Marathon.[6] For the 2003 race, the Herald and Nike were the only sponsors.[5] Other sponsors have included Elverys, Citroën and Newbridge Silverware.[5] Dublin Bus provides transport and the Order of Malta is also involved.[5]

Ballygowan became the race's official water sponsor in 2009.[5]

Preparation

A significant amount of preparation goes into the running of the mini-marathon. Since 2008, fifteen or sixteen members of Dublin City Council has spent the weeks in the build-up to the marathon testing water hydrants in the St Stephen's Green and Stillorgan Road areas to ensure they are working properly.[7] On the morning of the race, they begin a process of laying out cables and attaching them to the hydrants.[7] The cables also have to be covered and ramps have to be installed for the benefit of wheelchair users.[7] When the race is over, the crew have to take apart all their installations.[7]

There are three water stations located along the route.[7] The 400-metre stretch of road from Donnybrook Church water hydrant to the nearest water station is described as especially challenging to prepare.[7] Approximately 200,000 cups are laid out at the water stations and 2,500 crash barriers line the route.[2] 2,000 stewards and around 90 members of the Garda Síochána patrol the race.[2]

The 2015 VHI Women's Mini Marathon took place on 1 June 2015 with 37,000 women lining out for the race. It was won by Maria McCambridge in a time of 34 minutes and 3 seconds.[8]

Notable winners

Multiple time World Cross-Country silver medalist Catherina McKiernan won the event in 1998, 1999 and 2004. Sonia O'Sullivan won the event in 2000, months before she went on to win the silver in the Olympic 5000m.[6] O'Sullivan's time of 31m 23s set a record which has yet to be beaten in this race. Kenya's Magdaline Chemjor won the 2001 edition.

Recent years

2000

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Sonia O'Sullivan Ireland31:28Record time
2nd, silver medalist(s)Magdaline Chemjor Kenya?
3rd, bronze medalist(s)??

The 2000 mini-marathon was the 18th running of the event.

Sonia O'Sullivan won the race, in a record time of 31 minutes and 28 seconds.[6] Magdaline Chemjor from Kenya finished in second place.[6]

2001

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Magdaline Chemjor Kenya?
2nd, silver medalist(s)Sonia O'Sullivan Ireland33:26
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Valerie Vaughan Ireland?

The 2001 mini-marathon was the 19th running of the event and took place on 4 June. More than 31,000 females took part in the mini-marathon.[6]

Magdaline Chemjor from Kenya won the race.[6] Sonia O'Sullivan finished in second place inside 33 minutes and 26 seconds, later announcing her intention to not contest any track races that summer, including the World Championships in Canada.[6] She claimed that the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, at which she won a silver medal, had tired her "mentally and physically" and that she wanted "to take a good rest", having been "suffering from illness all too often" that year.[6] Valerie Vaughan finished in third place inside 34 minutes.[6]

2004

The 2004 mini-marathon was the 22nd running of the event.

It raised a total of €9 million for charity.[9]

2005

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Sonia O'Sullivan Ireland33:07
2nd, silver medalist(s)Pauline Curley Ireland?
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Annette Kealy Ireland?

The 2006 mini-marathon was the 23rd running of the event and took place on 6 June. Over 40,000 females took part in the race.[9]

Sonia O'Sullivan won the race inside 33 minutes and 7 seconds.[9] Pauline Curley from Tullamore finished in second place.[9] Annette Kealy from Malahide finished in third place.[9]

2006

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Pauline Curley Ireland35:04Second victory
2nd, silver medalist(s)Niamh O'Sullivan Ireland35:18
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Orla O'Mahony Ireland35:41

The 2006 mini-marathon was the 24th running of the event and took place on 5 June.

Pauline Curley from County Offaly won the race inside 35 minutes and 4 seconds.[10][11] It was her second victory in this race.[12] Niamh O'Sullivan from County Kerry finished in second place in a time of 35 minutes and 18 seconds.[12] Orla O'Mahony from Raheny finished in third place in a time of 35 minutes and 41 seconds.[12]

2007

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Marie Davenport Ireland33:14
2nd, silver medalist(s)Rosemary Ryan Ireland?
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Pauline Curley Ireland?

The 2007 mini-marathon was the 25th running of the event and took place on 4 June.

Debutant Marie Davenport from County Clare won the race inside 33 minutes and 14 seconds, later declaring her interest in representing Ireland at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[10] Rosemary Ryan from Limerick finished in second place.[10] The 2006 winner, Pauline Curley, finished in third place.[10]

A total of €14 million was raised for charity.[5]

2008

RankAthleteCountryResult
1st, gold medalist(s)Annette Kealy Ireland
2nd, silver medalist(s)Pauline Curley Ireland
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Siobhan O'Doherty Ireland

The 2008 mini-marathon was the 26th running of the event, which was won by Annette Kealy.

RTÉ television editor Mary Butler, from Dún Laoghaire, took part via her wheelchair after sustaining a chipped ankle bone day earlier.[2] She was pushed along by newsreader Eileen Dunne and news editor Pat Brennan.[2]

A total of €14 million was raised for charity.[5]

2009

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Rosemary Ryan Ireland34:36
2nd, silver medalist(s)Pauline Curley Ireland35:41
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Annette Kealy Ireland36:04
4Siobhan O'Doherty Ireland36:27

The 2009 mini-marathon was the 27th running of the event and took place on 1 June. It was part of a weekend of events taking place in the country which included the Cork City Marathon and the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway.[1][13][14] 40,374 females took part in the event, the sixth consecutive year that the 40,000 barrier was broken.[5][11] A record-breaking 280 charities registered to take part.[4]

Spectators included Desperate Housewives actress Dana Delany, whilst participants included RTÉ personalities Síle and Gráinne Seoige, model Glenda Gilson and former Xposé presenter Lorraine Keane.[15] 85-year-old Maureen Armstrong from Thurles, County Tipperary, was the race's oldest competitor.[15]

Rosemary Ryan from Limerick was the winner in a time of 34 minutes and 36 seconds, completing the race over one minute quicker than the 2008 winner.[11] Pauline Curley from County Offaly finished in second place, one minute behind Ryan.[11] Annette Kealy from Raheny finished in third place.[11] Siobhan O'Doherty from County Tipperary finished in fourth place.[11]

A total of €15 million was expected to be raised for charity.[5]

2010

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Linda Byrne Ireland34:29
2nd, silver medalist(s)Maria McCambridge Ireland34:31
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Teresa McGloin Ireland34:36

2011

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Caitriona Jennings Ireland35:28
2nd, silver medalist(s)Siobhan O'Doherty Ireland35:31
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Aoife Talty Ireland35:54

2012

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Linda Byrne Ireland33:30
2nd, silver medalist(s)Siobhan O'Doherty Ireland35:09
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Barbara Cleary Ireland35:11
4Fiona Roche Ireland35:18

2013

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Siobhan O'Doherty Ireland34:20
2nd, silver medalist(s)Fiona Roche Ireland34:43
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Maria McCambridge Ireland35:00

2014

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Barbara Cleary Ireland34:07
2nd, silver medalist(s)Maria McCambridge Ireland34:29
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Catherina McKiernan Ireland34:38

2015

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Maria McCambridge Ireland34:03
2nd, silver medalist(s)Ann Marie McGlynn Ireland34:42
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Catherina McKiernan Ireland34:46

2016

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Siobhan O'Doherty Ireland34:30
2nd, silver medalist(s)Natasha Adams Ireland34:33
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Sarah Mulligan Ireland35:28

2017

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Ann Marie McGlynn Ireland33:55
2nd, silver medalist(s)Laura Shaughnessy Ireland34:27
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Catherina Mullen Ireland34:54

2018

RankAthleteCountryResultNotes
1st, gold medalist(s)Lizzie Lee Ireland34:18
2nd, silver medalist(s)Laura Shaughnessy Ireland34:30
3rd, bronze medalist(s)Siobhan O'Doherty Ireland34:54

Television coverage

Setanta Sports have broadcast race highlights each year since 2005.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Bank holiday bursting with range of events". The Irish Times. 30 May 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Granny goes distance to keep marathon spirit alive, alive-o". Irish Independent. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "It's the June Bank Holiday and here come the girls". The Irish Times. 30 May 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  4. 1 2 "Fundraisers set the pace". Evening Herald. 2 June 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Huge numbers again for Mini Marathon". Evening Herald. 2 June 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "O'Sullivan won't run in World Championships". RTÉ. 4 June 2001. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "No need to be thirsty". Evening Herald. 27 May 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  8. ↑ "37,000 women brave the weather for the VHI Women's Mini Marathon in Dublin". evoke.ie. 1 June 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sonia wins mini-marathon". RTÉ. 6 June 2006. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Davenport wins Mini-Marathon". RTÉ. 4 June 2007. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ryan claims Women's Mini Marathon". RTÉ. 1 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 "Curley wins second mini-marathon". RTÉ. 5 June 2006. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  13. ↑ "Sunshine likely for holiday weekend of marathons, music and festivals". The Irish Times. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  14. ↑ "Tall ships, short breaths, long stems". The Irish Times. 29 May 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  15. 1 2 "Ladies prove they can take the heat". Irish Independent. 2 June 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
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