Donegal Half-Marathon set to draw as much as 500 entries

These participating within the Kernan’s-sponsored occasion which has a 9.20 am begin can accumulate their quantity and goody baggage on the Aura Leisure Centre between 2 pm and 6 pm on Saturday.

“To ensure the occasion runs as easily as potential, we’re asking all those that dwell domestically or close by to gather their quantity on Saturday afternoon. For these not from the realm or who’re travelling on race day, they’ll accumulate their quantity on Sunday between 8 am and eight.45 am,” he added.

“The 2023 Donegal Half Marathon was launched in February and the organising committee have been working away quietly behind the scenes since pulling the assorted elements of the occasion collectively. As regular, there was an important buy-in from the neighborhood and varied teams and organisations who all play their very own very important and distinctive half.”

Given final week’s affirmation that the 2022 Dublin Half Marathon winner, Yared Derese, will probably be competing on Sunday, a brand new course report is on the playing cards. The 38-year-old Ethiopian runner, who’s a member of Carrick Aces AC in Monaghan, took the nationwide half marathon title final yr when clocking 1:03:44. The course report for the Donegal Half of 1:09:51 was posted by Freddy Keron Sittuk in 2015.

The Donegal Half Marathon was not too long ago confirmed as a Donegal Athletics Board championship occasion and given this new dimension, golf equipment are fielding groups within the varied classes which has boosted the numbers participating.

Organisers devised a brand new flatter and sooner route in 2022 and the identical route will probably be used once more this yr. The 2 predominant modifications are the elimination of the climb up Port Highway and the massive loop of the course being carried out the alternative method.

The mixture of those two modifications has resulted in a brand new begin line in the beginning of the Conwal straight situated a brief distance previous the doorway of Ballymacool City Park – one mile from the Aura Leisure Centre the place the race will probably be headquartered.

For a 3rd successive yr, the Donegal Half Marathon will undertake one of many key signature factors alongside the Wild Atlantic Approach in Donegal. For 2023, the centrepiece of the finisher’s medal will include a raised picture of Malin Head, the county’s most northerly level and a predominant signature level alongside the Wild Atlantic Approach.

The general winner of the Donegal Half Marathon will probably be offered with the Dessie Larkin Perpetual Protect. The late Dessie Larkin, who died all of a sudden on March 18th 2019, was one of many predominant driving forces behind the Donegal Half Marathon and Marathon first held in Letterkenny in 2014.

The Donegal Half Marathon is a really a lot a collaborative effort, with the committee getting nice help and help from Donegal Sports activities Partnership, Donegal County Council, Letterkenny CDP, Donegal Volunteer Centre, Fáilte Eire, Optum, Century Cinemas and Watson Rent.

To enter the 2023 Donegal Half Marathon, observe the hyperlink under:

The kids’s races on the morning of the half marathon, that are sponsored by Century Cinemas, have grown in reputation and these will probably be run once more this yr. The races will get underway at 10 am.

To register a toddler for the youngsters’s races, observe the hyperlink under: