Great Ireland Run facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Ireland Run |
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The Wellington Monument in Phoenix Park – the race venue
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| Date | Mid-April |
| Location | Dublin, Ireland |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | 10 km |
| Established | 2003 |
The Great Ireland Run is a big 10-kilometer (about 6.2 miles) running race held every year in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland. It usually happens in the middle of April. This event is part of a larger group of races called the Great Run series. A company called SPAR helps to pay for it. The race has two main parts: one for professional runners who want to win, and another for everyone else who just wants to have fun and finish the race.
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About the Great Ireland Run
The 10-kilometer race starts on a road called Chesterfield Avenue. Runners go around the park in a big circle, moving clockwise, and finish on Furze Road. There's also a shorter, fun race for kids aged 8 to 15, which is about 2.5 kilometers long. In 2010, more than 11,000 people took part in the races that day! The professional races in 2010 were also the official Irish 10K Championships.
Famous Runners and Records
Many famous runners have taken part in the Great Ireland Run. These include Paul Tergat, who once held the marathon world record, and Craig Mottram, a World Championship medalist. Some of Ireland's best athletes have also run, like Sonia O'Sullivan, a World Champion from 1995, and Catherina McKiernan, who was great at cross country races.
The fastest times ever run on this course belong to two athletes from Ethiopia. Kenenisa Bekele holds the men's record with a time of 27 minutes and 49 seconds, which he set in 2012. The women's record is held by Meselech Melkamu, who finished in 31 minutes and 41 seconds in 2006.
A Race Day Problem in 2023
The Great Ireland Run in 2023 had a problem. The race course for all the runners ended up being 1.5 kilometers shorter than the planned 10 kilometers. This happened because runners were accidentally sent the wrong way near the start of the race. The organizers, Athletics Ireland, later said sorry for what happened. They called it "unforeseen circumstances" that led to the shorter race distance.
Past Winners of the Race
Key: Course record Irish championship race
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m:s) | Women's winner | Time (m:s) |
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| 17th | 2022 |  Mick Clohisey (IRL) |
30:49 | Sinead O'Connor (IRL) |
34:20 |
| 16th | 2019 | Hiko Tonosa Haso (IRL) |
30:41 | Catherina Mullen (IRL) |
34:52 |
| 15th | 2018 |  Oliver Lockley (IOM) |
30:18 | Shona Heaslip (IRL) |
34:52 |
| 15th | 2017 | Mark Christie (IRL) |
29:30 |  Gemma Steel (GBR) |
34:15 |
| 14th | 2016 | Andy Maud (GBR) |
29:55 | Fionnuala McCormack (IRL) |
33:30 |
| 13th | 2015 |  Japhet Korir (KEN) |
28:15 | Gemma Steel (GBR) |
33:03 |
| 12th | 2014 | Japhet Korir (KEN) |
29:12 |  Iwona Lewandowska (POL) |
33:39 |
| 11th | 2013 |  Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) |
28:51 | Lauren Howarth (GBR) |
33:36 |
| 10th | 2012 | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) |
27:49 | Gemma Steel (GBR) |
32:06 |
| 9th | 2011 |  Jesús España (ESP) |
29:26 | Charlotte Purdue (GBR) |
32:42 |
| 8th | 2010 | Martin Fagan (IRL) |
29:17 | Freya Murray (GBR) |
32:30 |
| 7th | 2009 |  Rui Pedro Silva (POR) |
28:45 | Ana Dulce Félix (POR) |
32:18 |
| 6th | 2008 | Abraham Chebii (KEN) |
28:48 | Doris Changeywo (KEN) |
32:15 |
| 5th | 2007 | Abraham Chebii (KEN) |
28:47 |  Victoria Mitchell (AUS) |
33:06 |
| 4th | 2006 | Craig Mottram (AUS) |
28:51 | Meselech Melkamu (ETH) |
31:41 |
| 3rd | 2005 | Craig Mottram (AUS) |
28:35 |  Amy Rudolph (USA) |
32:16 |
| 2nd | 2004 | Craig Mottram (AUS) |
29:11 | Catherina McKiernan (IRL) |
33:39 |
| 1st | 2003 | Craig Mottram (AUS) |
28:36 | Sonia O'Sullivan (IRL) |
32:24 |
Race Statistics
Winners by Country
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Runners with Multiple Wins
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