Irish athletics legend Sonia O’Sullivan raced back to her home town to officially launch the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon, which will take place on Bank Holiday Monday, 7 June, 2010.
Back for a fourth consecutive year, the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon expects to raise over €3m of vital funds for charity and attract a record number of 10,000 entries in 2010, a 10% increase on last year. The official charity beneficiary for 2010 is the Irish Cancer Society - however, all those taking part are welcome to run, jog or walk for a charity of their choice.
The ‘marathon for everyone’ encourages individuals of all levels to get involved – from first timers to professional athletes, with the option of running the marathon as an individual or as part of a relay team made up of up to five people.
Speaking at the launch, Cork Lord Mayor Cllr Dara Murphy, who is already in training himself to run the relay event, said: 'Cork has a proud sporting history and the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon gives participants, and supporters lining the streets, an exhilarating opportunity to participate and enjoy one of Ireland’s great sport and community events.
'The event is going from strength to strength - year on year our entry numbers have grown by 15%, which is a real achievement and in particular, it’s a credit to our title sponsor Bord Gáis Energy’s fantastic commitment and support for the event. This year we want to hit our personal best of 10,000 entries and I’ll be out there myself running the relay hoping to achieve a personal record of my own!'
John Mullins, Chief Executive of Bord Gáis said: 'Bord Gáis Energy is delighted to be on board for the second year. Fundamentally, the marathon is a fantastic event that brings volunteers, charities and communities from all over the country together. It’s a massive boost for the economy in the area, it showcases the city looking its best in early summer – and the relay event allows colleagues, friends and runners of all abilities come together and take part for a good cause.'
Speaking at the launch, Bord Gáis Energy Ambassador Sonia O’Sullivan said: 'This will be the third year I will be back for the marathon and I’m really looking forward to seeing it go from strength to strength. The marathon stands up against any international event and hopefully we will see more and more athletes from at home and abroad travel to take part.'
More details and entry forms at www.corkcitymarathon.ie.
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