Martin Fagan (Mullingar Harriers) will be looking to compete well against some of the best distance runners in the world in Sunday’s 30th BUPA Great North Run in Newcastle, England.Fagan will be looking to put in a strong performance in the iconic half-marathon event which will have upwards of 54,000 runners taking part from all over the world.
Fagan will have competition enough on Sunday to potentially improve on his Irish Record for the distance of 60.57, set last year.
He will be joined by a ten strong squad of Irish athletes from the Dublin Marathon funded ‘Marathon Mission’ group.
The athletes travelling over for the high-class competition and team-building exercise are: Barry Minnock (Rathfarnam/WSAF), Greg Roberts (City of Derry), Brian McMahon (Clonliffe Harriers), Gary Thornton (Galway City Harriers), Joe McAllister (St Malachy’s), Maria McCambridge (Letterkenny A.C.), Barbara Sanchez (Raheny Shamrock), Caitriona Jennings (Rathfarnam/WSAF), Breege Connolly (North Belfast Harriers) and Gladys Ganiel O’Neil (Abbey A.C.).
Jim Aughney, Dublin Marathon Race Director, said: ‘The race will have real quality in depth and bring our Marathon Mission athletes on before the Dublin Marathon in October’ . AAI’s Teresa McDaid, who will be travelling along with Dublin Marathon Coach Dick Hooper for the event, commented: ‘The benefits of travelling as a group are important in search for individual PBs’.
It is hoped the trip to the Great North will assist in furthering the spirit and aims of the Marathon Mission; to improve the standards of Irish distance running; the marathon in particular.
The race will be shown live on BBC television on Sunday morning.
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