The Great Ireland Run is an annual 10-kilometre road running competition which is held in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland, in mid-April.Race History. Great Ireland Run. Retrieved on 25 April 2010. 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.Fagan and Murray nab 10Km victories in Dublin. IAAF (19 April 2010). Retrieved on 25 April 2010.
The 10 km race course begins at Chesterfield Avenue and loops around in a clock-wise circuit to finish on Furze Road.Great Ireland Run Course Map . Great Ireland Run. Retrieved on 25 April 2010. A 2.5 km fun run for 8–15-year-old runners is also featured on the programme of events.Junior Great Ireland Run . Great Ireland Run. Retrieved on 25 April 2010. Over 11,000 people took part in the day's events in 2010.Great day for a run as 11,000 take over park . The Irish Independent (19 April 2010). Retrieved on 25 April 2010. The elite races in 2010 also doubled up as the Irish 10K Championships.SPAR Great Ireland Run . Athletics Ireland (18 April 2010). Retrieved on 25 April 2010.
Past participants have included former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat,Cullen comes second in Dublin run . BBC Sport (5 April 2009). Retrieved on 25 April 2010. 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.Martin, David (15 April 2012). Bekele sparkles with 27:49 10km in Dublin. IAAF. Retrieved on 21 April 2012.
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:
EditionYearMen's winnerTime (m:s)Women's winnerTime (m:s)20th202533:2438:3119th202431:1034:4418th202326:0929:1217th202230:4934:2016th201930:4134:5215th201830:1834:5215th201729:3034:1514th201629:5533:3013th201528:1533:0312th201429:1233:3911th201328:5133:36 10th 2012 27:49 32:06 9th 2011 29:26 32:42 8th 2010 29:17 32:30 7th 2009 28:45 32:18 6th 2008 28:48 32:15 5th 2007 28:47 33:06 4th 2006 28:51 31:41 3rd 2005 28:35 32:16 2nd 2004 29:11 33:39 1st 2003 28:36 32:24
Statistics
Winners by country CountryMen's raceWomen's raceTotal 4 1 5 4 1 5 1 4 5 1 3 4 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1
Multiple winners AthleteCountryWinsYearsKenenisa Bekele22012–2013Craig Mottram42003–2006Abraham Chebii22007, 2008Japhet Korir22014, 2015Gemma Steel32012, 2015, 2017
References
List of winners Race History. Great Ireland Run. Retrieved on 2010-04-25.