If you’re the sporty type and include exercise as a part of your daily routine, the Dublin City marathon is the ideal adventure were you can keep that heartbeat going strong and get down to some serious sightseeing at the same time. Dublin’s most famous take part in this yearly event, from footballers and models to DJs and celebrity chefs. The marathon is run through the historic Georgian streets of Dublin and spans just over 26 miles of architectural splendour from Fitzwilliam Square East to Phoenix Park and back again through Inchicore, to Milltown, and finally finishing on Merrion Square where Oscar Wilde and William Butler Yeats used to live. If you’re not Irish, you’ll feel more than welcome with over half of the runners coming from overseas, with many of them being veterans making a return to ‘The Friendly Marathon’. Traffic in the city is halted for the day so as to accommodate the participants who will run, walk and wheel the circuit with many of them raising money for charity.
In the past few years, a three race series was introduced as part of a training programme for the actual marathon, with a 5 mile race in July, a 10 mile race in August, and a half-marathon in September. These races have since become hugely popular in their own right, and have seen a rapid growth in people taking part. Since the first race in 1980, there has been a steady increase in the number of runners. If you’ve never taken part in a marathon, you’ll need to get some training as the last 8 miles will take all the willpower and strength you can muster. However, once you’re one of the thousands to be cheered at the finish line, you’ll feel a unique sense of achievement and solidarity that may well prompt you into becoming a regular Dublin City Marathon participant.
