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Great Ireland Run facts for kids

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Great Ireland Run
Ireland - Dublin - Phoenix Park - Wellington Monument 2.jpg
The Wellington Monument in Phoenix Park – the race venue
Date Mid-April
Location Dublin, Ireland
Event type Road
Distance 10 km
Established 2003

The Great Ireland Run is an annual 10-kilometre road running competition which is held in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland in mid-April. It is part of the Great Run series of athletics competitions. It is sponsored by SPAR and features both an elite race and a popular race.

The 10 km race course begins at Chesterfield Avenue and loops around in a clock-wise circuit to finish on Furze Road. A 2.5 km fun run for 8–15-year-old runners is also featured on the programme of events. Over 11,000 people took part in the day's events in 2010. The elite races in 2010 also doubled up as the Irish 10K Championships.

Past participants have included former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat, and World Championship medalist Craig Mottram, as well as some of Ireland's foremost athletes such as 1995 World Champion Sonia O'Sullivan and cross country specialist Catherina McKiernan. The course record holders are both Ethiopian – Kenenisa Bekele with his 27:49-minute run in 2012 and Meselech Melkamu with her record of 31:41 set in 2006.

The 2023 edition was marred in farce and controversy when the course for all participants ended 1.5km shorter than the 10km distance. This was due to poor planning arising from competitors being directed the wrong way near the start of the route, and no fail-safe to remedy such a situation once it occurred. Athletics Ireland issued a statement "apologising for the unforeseen circumstances" which led to the course distance running short.

Past winners

Key:       Course record       Irish championship race

Edition Year Men's winner Time (m:s) Women's winner Time (m:s)
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

Statistics

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