Nostalgia: Cork City Marathon hits the streets again

THOUSANDS of runners are expected to descend upon the city tomorrow for the annual Cork City Marathon.

Participants will be spread across three events — the full marathon, half marathon, and the inaugural 10k race.

The full marathon and 10k will begin on Patrick Street, while the half marathon will start from Monahan Road, and all runners will finish on Patrick Street.

Organisers of the highly anticipated event said they have seen an increased interest in the 2023 races, with registration last week up 20% on 2022.

Cork City Marathon race director Eamon Hayes said he is thrilled with the level of interest this year.

“Seeing this event go from strength to strength is a real testament to how many people are getting out there and being active around Cork and further afield,” Mr Hayes said.

The Cork City Marathon was revived by Cork City Council in 2007 after a break of 21 years.

It reflected a growing interest or a rekindling of interest in road-running that had peaked in the mid-1980s but had waned in the intervening years.

One of the innovations in the Cork City Marathon was the inclusion of a team relay challenge, with teams of between two and five members combining to cover the 26.2 mile distance.

This event has been removed for 2023 due to a decline in demand, however, the 10k race has been added this year which offers the option of entering as an individual or as part of a team.

Rewinding 25 years before the city council recommenced the marathon, there was much excitement in Cork ahead of the inaugural sporting event in 1982, as one Echo article highlighted.

“On Easter Monday, the big local attraction is the Adidas Cork City Marathon which will be run over a course embracing the city and suburbs,” we said.

“The popularity of marathon running can be seen by the great success of the Dublin City Marathon in recent years.

“Monday will be the first time that a Cork City marathon will be held.

“The organising committee has been hard at work on the venture for months past and it is certain that it will attract thousands of spectators onto the streets and roads to witness the big cavalcade of hundreds of runners,” the article from April 7 stated.