Belfast Marathon
Mass sport event in Northern Ireland
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The Belfast City Marathon takes place in Belfast in Northern Ireland. The organisers describe it as the "largest mass sport participatory event in Northern Ireland" with between 15,000 and 18,000 participants taking part in several events.[3][4][5] These events, typically scheduled over the May bank holiday weekend, include marathon, wheelchair race, team relay and 8-mile walk events. The organisers also stage Northern Ireland's largest half marathon event, which takes place annually in September.[citation needed]
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| Belfast Marathon | |
|---|---|
Inflatable archway, outside Belfast City Hall, at the start of 2011 event | |
| Date | Early May |
| Location | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Event type | Marathon |
| Distance | 26.2 miles (42.2 km) |
| Primary sponsor | Moy Park |
| Established | 1982[1] |
| Course records | Men's: 2:13:41 (2012) Negewo ArarisaWomen's: 2:35:03 (2024)  Beatrice Jepkemei |
| Official site | Belfast Marathon |
| Participants | >5,700 (2021)[2] |
Marathon
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The Belfast City Marathon is an AIMS certified race.[6] The race traditionally starts at Stormont Estate at 9am and finishes in Ormeau Park.[7]
5,000 runners took part in the 2019 "full marathon".[3] Following this event, organisers apologised after it was noted that the course was 0.3 miles longer than the typical marathon standard.[8][9]
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland, with all registrants given the option of either running the race virtually or transferring their entry to 2021, 2022 or 2023.[10][11] The 2021 event was rescheduled from May to October 2021.[12][13]
Previously sponsored by Deep River Rock,[14] the 2022 event (scheduled for May 2022) was reported to be Mash Direct.[15]
Half marathon
First launched in 2013, the Belfast City Half Marathon is an extension of the May Marathon event.[citation needed] The race starts at Ormeau Park.[16]
Winners
| Year | Male Athlete | Country | Time | Female Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Gregory Hannon | Northern Ireland | 2:20:25 | Susan Boreham | Northern Ireland | 3:11:26 |
| 1983 | Paul Craig | Northern Ireland | 2:20:14 | Roma McConville | Northern Ireland | 2:58:07 |
| 1984 | Andy Daly |  Scotland | 2:18:01 | Theresa Kidd | Northern Ireland | 2:47:33 |
| 1985 | Marty Deane | Northern Ireland | 2:15:51 | Moira O'Boyle | Northern Ireland | 2:45:40 |
| 1986 | Marty Deane | Northern Ireland | 2:16:05 | Moira O'Neill | Northern Ireland | 2:43:26 |
| 1987 | Calum Bark | Scotland | 2:17:47 | Theresa Kidd | Northern Ireland | 2:48:28 |
| 1988 | Thomas Hughes | Northern Ireland | 2:19:00 | Theresa Kidd | Northern Ireland | 2:49:10 |
| 1989 | Ian Bloomfield |  England | 2:20:45 | Rosaleen Hayden |  Ireland | 2:58:31 |
| 1990 | Jerry Kiernan | Ireland | 2:18:58 | Eleanor Hill | Ireland | 2:50:07 |
| 1991 | Joel Kipchumba | Kenya | 2:18:56 | Brenda McNamara | Ireland | 2:55:25 |
| 1992 | Jerry Kiernan | Ireland | 2:20:52 | Catherine Smyth | Ireland | 2:42:41 |
| 1993 | Gerard McGrath | Ireland | 2:18:12 | Catherine Smyth | Ireland | 2:45:05 |
| 1994 | Terry Mitchell | Scotland | 2:20:24 | Catherine Smyth | Ireland | 2:44:42 |
| 1995 | John Ferrin | Northern Ireland | 2:18:42 | Patricia Griffin | Ireland | 2:53:10 |
| 1996 | Terry Mitchell | Scotland | 2:21:36 | Trudi Thomson | Scotland | 2:44:57 |
| 1997 | John Ferrin | Northern Ireland | 2:20:17 | Olive Nolan | Ireland | 2:55:10 |
| 1998 | Thomas Hughes | Northern Ireland | 2:23:33 | Jackie Newton | England | 2:57:25 |
| 1999 | Samuel Okemwa | Kenya | 2:20:58 | Barbara Brewer | Northern Ireland | 2:58:49 |
| 2000 | Wilson Cheruiyot | Kenya | 2:24:13 | Mary Jennings | Ireland | 3:02:31 |
| 2001 | Joseph Riri | Kenya | 2:26:00 | Debra Curley | England | 2:56:05 |
| 2002 | Simon Pride | Scotland | 2:22:21 | Trudi Thomson | Scotland | 2:49:39 |
| 2003 | Lezan Kimutai | Kenya | 2:17:09 | Trudi Thomson | Scotland | 2:45:48 |
| 2004 | Peter Edukan | Kenya | 2:23:51 | Julia Myatt | England | 2:52:52 |
| 2005 | Eric Kiplagat | Kenya | 2:22:20 | Lemma Urge |  Ethiopia | 2:41:33 |
| 2006 | Stephen Ndungu | Kenya | 2:16:51 | Joyce Kandie | Kenya | 2:43:11 |
| 2007 | John Mutai | Kenya | 2:16:24 | Desse Demelesh | Ethiopia | 2:46:45 |
| 2008 | John Mutai | Kenya | 2:16:31 | Marshet Jimma | Ethiopia | 2:39:22 |
| 2009 | John Mutai | Kenya | 2:17:35 | Joyce Kandie | Kenya | 2:47:44 |
| 2010 | Urga Negewo | Ethiopia | 2:16:53 | Sarah Stradling | England | 2:44:03 |
| 2011 | Jacob Chesire | Kenya | 2:14:56 | Vera Ovcharuk |  Ukraine | 2:46:04 |
| 2012 | Negewo Ararisa | Ethiopia | 2:13:41 | Alice Chelangat | Kenya | 2:39:02 |
| 2013 | Joel Kipsang | Kenya | 2:19:28 | Nataliya Lehonkova | Ukraine | 2:36:50 |
| 2014 | Freddy Sittuk | Kenya | 2:18:30 | Bayrush Shiferaw | Ethiopia | 2:41:20 |
| 2015 | Joel Kositany | Kenya | 2:19:36 | Berhan Gebremichael | Ethiopia | 2:40:57 |
| 2016 | Joel Kositany | Kenya | 2:17:39 | Berhan Gebremichael | Ethiopia | 2:48:26 |
| 2017 | Bernard Rotich | Kenya | 2:16:04 | Laura Graham |  United Kingdom | 2:41:47 |
| 2018 | Eric Koech | Kenya | 2:18:19 | Caroline Chepkwony | Kenya | 2:41:23 |
| 2019 | Joel Kositany | Kenya | 2:18:41 | Caroline Jepchirchir | Kenya | 2:36:39 |
| 2020 | cancelled as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland[11] | |||||
| 2021 | Mick Clohisey | Ireland |
2:20:42 | Fionnuala Ross | Ireland |
2:43:42 |
| 2022[17] | Paul Pollock | Ireland |
2:16:16 | Gladys Ganiel | Ireland |
2:43:49 |
| 2023[18] | Mohamed Oumaarir |  Morocco |
2:22:54 | Shewaye Woldemeskel | Ethiopia |
2:37:20 |
| 2024[19] | Mathew Kemboi | Kenya |
2:14:44 | Beatrice Jepkemei | Kenya |
2:35:03 |
| 2025[20] | Tilahun Nigussie | Ethiopia | 2:13:37 | Millicent Kibet | Kenya | 2:38:30 |
