Every marathon journey is ultimately about reaching the finish, and for the first Irish man and woman to make it home in Sunday’s Dublin Marathon that journey also had a very different beginning.
They were greeted on Mount Street with the same ecstatic yells as the outright winners, Hiko Tonosa crossing the finish line in third place overall, his 2:09:42 the fastest marathon ever run by an Irishman, before Ann-Marie McGlynn defended her women’s national title in 2:34:05, good enough for sixth place overall.
Tonosa has unquestionably come a long way from the small Rastafarian town of Shashamane in the highlands of Ethiopia. About 4,000 miles, roughly – also bravely journeying through some lonely and terrifying intervals of his life; the murder and oppression of his native Oromo people; the peril of chasing a professional running career in Japan; the fear of being an asylum seeker in Dublin; the unknown of being almost two years in direct provision.
An Irish citizen since 2020, the 29-year-old Tonosa has already won a series of national titles on the track and the road, but this one felt special for many reasons, Dublin being his hometown since 2017.
Improved structure for domestic game means Fiji more potent than ever
Lara Gillespie climbing the cycling ranks and finding that extra gear despite adversity
Wembley a happy hunting ground for Irish teams – just not football ones . . .
Dual in Tipp’s crown: Love of both codes makes Loughmore double trouble
“When we got to UCD [around 21 miles], I said ‘I’m still here, now I have to work hard’, but I’m very happy with that,” he said. “And all the Irish support out there behind me, cheering me and helping me.
“Everywhere, every station, every place, oh my God everyone was calling for me. That’s why I ran very well today.”
After his first arrival in Ireland, Tonosa soon fell under the coaching guidance of Eddie McDonagh, at Dundrum South Dublin; although no longer working directly with his most recent coach Feidhlim Kelly, the two remain close friends.
In the race for the runner-up places in the men’s national championship, Ryan Creech from Leevale held on in ninth place overall, running 2:13:49, and clear just of William Maunsell from Clonmel AC, who clocked 2:14:23, good enough for 10th overall. Creech also led Leevale to the team race.
By her own admission, McGlynn’s best marathon running days are likely coming to an end, which made her defence of her national title even sweeter – slightly faster than she ran last year too, but immeasurably more difficult.
“I’m a crier, I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I really wanted that today,” she said. “Look, I’m 45 in February, I’m ready to take a little stop to the side, and let all them young ones come through. It is getting tiring, mentally and physically. But there aren’t many 44-year-olds doing what I did today, so I’m going to enjoy this one.
“And I wanted that. I had company up to halfway, did not know what was going to happen, but I didn’t panic. Then I was holding back tears at 24 miles, my hamstrings were pinging on me, I had a wee mantra written on my hand, and I kept saying it. And I’m ready to enjoy this one more than I did last year, soak it all up.
“I knew I always had the hunger, although it was harder today than last year.”
Now coached by Emmett Dunleavy, McGlynn enjoyed a similar day of days last year, winning her first national marathon title after coming so close in her previous two attempts, in 2022, and 2019.
A sort of early running prodigy in her native Tullamore, McGlynn (née Larkin) won her first underage title at age 13, before starting in UCD at age 18. Just two months after that, her coach at UCD, Dublin Marathon co-founder Noel Carroll, died suddenly at age 56.
She drifted away from elite running around age 23, then came back at age 32, inspired by her youngest son Alfie, who endured a near-fatal illness shortly after his birth in 2012. She also has a 14-year-old daughter Lexie, the family now resident in Strabane.
“Up here I was strong” she said, pointing to her head, “but my legs were testing me, testing me ... But the crowd, they were all saying ‘Again Ann-Marie!’ The support out there was outstanding.
“And someone shouted at me coming up Roebuck, ‘Noel Carroll is watching you’, and I really believe he is. I know he will be proud. And well done to the Dublin Marathon as well, the race organiser Jim Aughney, I love crossing that line and falling into his arms because he does so much for Irish athletics, for Irish marathons, he’s always there, hugely supportive, and they deserve great the praise as well.”
The wheelchair race was won by Sean Frame of Great Britain in a time of 1.45.31.
2024 Dublin Marathon
Overall men
1 M Kemei (Kenya) 2:08:47
2 A Desalew (Ethiopia) 2:09:24
3 H Tonosa (Dundrum South Dublin AC) 2:09:42
Overall women
1 A Nega (Ethiopia) 2:24:13,
2 S Negash (Ethiopia) 2:24:45,
3 G Dukale (Ethiopia) 2:28:29 National
Irish men
1 H Tonosa (Dundrum South Dublin AC) 2:09:42
2 R Creech (Leevale AC) 2:13:48,
3 W Maunsell (Clonmel AC) 2:14:22
Irish women
1 AM McGlynn (Letterkenny AC) 2:34:05
2 A Kilgallon (Sligo AC) 2:35:56
3 G Lynch (Dundrum South Dublin AC) 2:36:09
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
