Despite the annual complaints of disruption, the race has earned its place on the streets of the capital
is now acknowledged as one of the best mass long-distance athletics events in Europe. This weekend that growing reputation is likely to be further enhanced when more than 22,000 take to the streets of the city in the hope of achieving a personal ambition – whether it is to run a personal best, compete at an elite level, or simply just complete the gruelling 26.2 mile distance.
The early Dublin marathon runners may have been seen as outliers. But the unique appeal of the race quickly grew, helped by the popularity of mass participation marathons in big cities such as New York and London. The jogging and running boom of the 1980s quickly turned the Dublin marathon into something recreational athletes could aim to complete on the streets of their own capital. This was reflected in the growing number of entries – from 2,100 in 1980 to 8,700 in 1988. While those numbers plateaued in the 1990s, the upward trend continued into the 2000s and entries have now reached record levels.
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