When Killian Mooney made his bold move for home just four miles into the inaugural Dublin City Half Marathon, two things crossed his mind. This could be a runaway success, or the whole thing could fall flat.
As things transpired, Mooney’s outright victory in 65 minutes and 40 seconds mirrored the entire event. Just under 12,000 runners rose with similar enthusiasm to the 13.1 miles, staged under brilliant blue skies on Sunday morning and cementing the new date in Dublin’s sporting calendar.
The potential for growth was evident. The event already made headlines in January when all 12,500 entries sold out in 90 minutes, the online registration system crashing such was the sprint to gain a starting place.
That just under 12,000 made the start line further reflected that interest, none the worse it seemed for the hour’s less sleep, as other big city half marathons can have a race day fall off around 20 per cent.
Mooney, two days shy of his 30th birthday, described his victory as the biggest of his career. He’d gone out similarly hard in his previous two races, only to die by the end. Not this time: despite the strong wind down Clontarf seafront on the run in, the Dundrum South Dublin athlete enjoyed a winning margin of just under a minute and a half ahead of Kevin Kelly from St Coca’s AC in Co Kildare, second in 67:02, with Michael Fox from Armagh AC third in 67:24.
“I only decided on this four weeks ago, and was lucky to secure an elite entry,” said Mooney, competing in only his third half marathon, having rung a best of 64:43 in Naples last month. “I love running in the city. It’s a beautiful course, and it was just too good of an opportunity to miss.”
He trained twice daily, before and after his job in a bank in Dún Laoghaire. He also credited his coach Donal Hennigan at Dundrum for getting his running career back on track: “I’ve been running since primary school, but I’m only back training consistently over the last two or three years.
“My last two races, I went off stupidly fast, so I sat in for the first three miles, then found myself naturally at the front, and the atmosphere really was amazing the whole way.”
Also 29, Kelly was beaming after his second place. “The last 12 months have been really difficult, I wasn’t even running this time a year ago, I just got mentally burned out,” he said.
“But since November I’ve been getting back, and haven’t missed a day of running this year.”
A former US scholarship athlete at Drake University in Iowa, he ran a 3:57.86 mile in 2021 and is coached by Irish running legend Mark Carroll. He also combines his training with his PE teaching in Prosperous in Co Kildare.
Nichola Sheridan from Bohermeen AC in Co Meath was the first woman home in 78:00, likewise delighted with her effort given her sister’s hen party was Saturday night.
The 28-year-old finished over three and a half minutes clear of Noreen Brouder from Sportsworld AC, second in 81:42, with Edel Gaffney from Trim AC third 1:23:31.
“Initially I was hoping for a personal best, but after my sister’s hen last night I just went out to race it,” said Sheridan, a primary school teacher in Laytown. “David Carrie took over my coaching three years ago, I went from 1:25 to 1:16, and the next big aim will be the Dublin Marathon in October.”
Organised by the same team behind the Dublin Marathon, there wasn’t any push to attract overseas runners this year, allowing the home-based runners to shine around the northside route, adding to the carnival atmosphere around the finish line on Guild Street, next to Spencer Dock.
“From the iconic start in O’Connell, there was a real buzz from early morning, excited runners to get going,” said race director Jim Aughney. “And by all reports the support out on the course was phenomenal. So it couldn’t have gone any better, really.”
Multiple Dublin Marathon winner Patrick Monaghan added another wheelchair title to his name, winning in 50:59, with Jade Hall from the UK winning the women’s wheelchair division in 57:07. With an overall prize pot of €13,500, Mooney and Sheridan each got €2,500 for their winning efforts.
Irish half marathon record-holder Efren Gidey was not among the starters, instead opening his track season in California, and was rewarded with another Irish record in the 10,000m. The 24-year-old clocked a time of 27:26.95 at The Ten meeting on Saturday, knocking 13 seconds off the previous national record that had been held by Alistair Cragg since 2007. Gidey finished 12th in a race won by Ishmael Kipkurui of Kenya in 26:50.21.
Rhasidat Adeleke also had a winning start to her outdoor season race on Saturday at the Texas Relays in Austin. She was part of the professional 4x400m relay with some of her training partners who took the win in 3:35:20. Adeleke ran the anchor with a split time of 50.78 seconds.
