'A fitting tribute': Family donates cups to Cork City Marathon in memory of runner who died climbing Mt Kilimanjaro

THE family of a runner who died while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro last December has donated two cups to Cork City Marathon.

The new cups that will be awarded to the male and female winners of the 10km race have been donated by the family of James O’Connor and dedicated to his memory.

James, an avid runner, passed away due to altitude sickness at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on his 40th birthday.

He was a dedicated and much-loved family man who worked as a chef at the family-run Tony’s Bistro on Cork’s North Main St.

He completed many marathons and was always excited to participate in his home city of Cork, training regularly with his friends and inspiring others to take up running and to have a healthy, active lifestyle.

To celebrate his life and his passion for running, James’ wife Grace and children, 16-year-old Christopher, 12-year-old Lilly, and eight-year-old James wanted to do something special.

They have kindly donated the James O’Connor Perpetual Cups, which will be presented to the winners of the Cork City Marathon 10k from this year onwards.

As another way to honour his memory, James’ wife Grace and son Christopher, along with many more family members and friends, are training to partake in the marathon, half-marathon, and 10k race in Cork this year.

“We are really moved by the generosity of the O’Connor family, especially as it is such a short time since their devastating loss of James,” said race director Eamon Hayes.

“It is a fitting tribute to his passion for running and his place both in the Cork running and wider community, and we are delighted that this year’s 10k participants will be the first to be awarded these cups.

“We hope it will provide an added incentive to all those training for the event and we know that it will be deeply appreciated by the athletes who receive the cups on June 2.”

Management of this year’s Cork City Marathon is back under the jurisdiction of Cork City Council and expert partners, with significant input from the running community.

The main organising committee features 14 runners, with many others providing insights to ensure the success of the 2024 event.

This experienced team aims to ensure an enjoyable event for participants with minimum disruption to the city.

The World Athletics-certified Cork City Marathon will kick off on June 2 at 8.15am for the full marathon, 10.15am for the half marathon, and 8.45am for the 10k race, assembly for which will commence at 8.15am at Merchant’s Quay.

Anyone wishing to register for the marathon, half marathon, or 10k, and who wants more information on this year’s event, is advised to visit the website and follow @corkcitymarathon on social media.