A NEW COURSE record has been set at this year’s Dublin Marathon after Kemal Husen took first place in the men’s race in a time of 2:06.52.

The Ethiopian runner was a little under four minutes clear of Uganda’s Geofrey Kusuro (2:10.45) in second place while an Irish athlete took bronze.

Stephen Scullion of Clonliffe Harriers AC came home in 2:11.51, claiming the national title in the process.

Irish champion Stephen Scullion celebrates finishing third in the men’s race. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Scullion, who finished second in the 2019 race, was pleased to return to the podium. “That was a really good day’s work, I’m really happy with it. When you’ve put in the work in the training you know that when it gets tough, it’s going to be ok.”

For Husen, in what was only his second ever marathon, the 20-year-old knocked over one minute off his personal best from earlier this year. “I’m so happy. I didn’t expect to run this time,” he beamed.

Ryan Creech of Leevale was the second Irishman home (2:14:08), with Seattle-based Ryan Forsyth of Newcastle and District AC taking national bronze (2:14:43) in his marathon debut.

Patrick Monahan from Kildare wins the wheelchair race. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Kildare’s Parick Monahan was the winner of the wheelchair race for the seventh time, while African competitors dominated the women’s race.

Sorome Negash of Ethiopia was the first woman across the line in 2:26.22, with Joan Kipyatich of Kenya in 2:27.04.

Negash’s compatriot Genet Habela Abdurkadir finished in 2:27.49 for third spot. Ann Marie McGlynn of Letterkenny A.C. secured the Irish title with a time of 2:34.13, enough to be fifth overall.

Irish champion Ann-Marie McGlynn celebrates. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

“I had written on my hand ‘today is my day’ and I believed it all week,” the 43-year-old said.

“I knew I had a job to do regardless of who was in the race. Myself and Emmet (Dunleavy, coach) had a plan and it never changed. We done it.”

Amente Sorome Negash celebrates winning the women’s race. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

At the start line, Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithí de Róiste presented the Lord Mayor’s Medal to Rita Casey after she received more than 40 nominations from family and friends ahead of her fifth Dublin Marathon.

The mother of three, and member of An Garda Síochána, is battling stage four cancer and was competing in aid of Mayo/Roscommon Hospice who have supported her following her secondary cancer diagnosis in May 2021.

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