Lizzie Lee back to defend her Echo Mini Marathon crown this Sunday

Although 2023 winner Lizzie Lee is amongst the entries for Sunday’s Echo Mini-Marathon, there could still be a new name this time on the winner’s trophy.

Twelve months ago the Leevale athlete notched up her third victory in 10 years when crossing the line in 17:19 for the 5km, the first time the event was held over this shorter distance.

Lee has been out of competitive action for most of the year but Hannah Steeds, second to her Leevale colleague 12 months ago, could go one better on this occasion.

Steeds had a number of local wins on the road and also went on to claim overall victory in the prestigious Peugeot Race Series. 

This included the national 5km championship where she took the silver medal in a personal best of 16:48.

CONSISTENT

Another Leevale runner rarely out of the top three is Michelle Kenny. Recent winner of the Amazon 5km, a couple of weeks before she had returned from the World Masters in Gothenburg with an F45 gold medal in the 8km cross-country, along with a silver team medal.

Someone who could cause a surprise is Holly Carroll of the Blarney-Inniscarra club. 

Although concentrating on the track during the summer where she set a 1500m best of 4:26.71, the 20-year-old made a rare appearance on the road to win the long-established John Buckley Sports 5km in 16:38.

If former winner Michelle Finn turns out, the rest could be fighting for the minor positions. 

After her 10th national steeplechase title in July, the twice Olympian showed her flat speed with a personal best of 15:37.88 for 5000m the following month.

Her sister, Carol, recently set a course record over four miles at Rathcormac when defeating Kenny and is another whose name seldom appears outside the top three around the county.

Of course this event always throws up a surprise from outside of Cork such as last year when Tralee native Amy Pollmann-Daamen from the Riocht club finished third.

“The Echo Mini-Marathon is the flagship race in the Cork Athletics calendar, and it gives all involved enormous satisfaction to be part of this event which is now such an integral part of the athletics year in Cork every September,” stated Race Director John Quigley.

“Unfortunately, with all the works being carried out on the Marina, we won't be able to use the traditional Marina/Blackrock route this year. The good news is we hope to be back to normal for 2025.

“We will be taking entries in City Hall (Millennium Hall) on Saturday from 2pm to 6pm and on Sunday in City Hall (Concert Hall) from 10am, €25 for adults and €15 for U16s.” 

This year's race starts at 1pm on Kennedy Quay and goes down the Marina, around the Blackrock end of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and up Monahan Rd to finish outside Kennedy Park.