Perpetual Cup to honour Dublin Marathon legend Mary Nolan Hickey

A new Perpetual Cup honouring one of Ireland’s most inspiring athletes, Mary Nolan Hickey, will be presented for the first time this year to the winner of the Women’s Elite race at the Irish Life Dublin Marathon on Sunday, October 26.

Mary Nolan Hickey is a true pioneer of Irish women’s marathon running.

She has competed in every Dublin Marathon since its inaugural race in 1980; 43 in total, plus two virtual editions in 2020 and 2021.

“Back in 1980, women out running on their own were viewed like aliens,” Mary recalls.

“We got a lot of stick, to be honest. In some towns you’d have fellas howling at you, but it never stopped me, because I’d been running track and cross-country for 12 years beforehand.”

She entered her first marathon after seeing an advertisement in the RTÉ Guide, joining just 40 women among the 2,100 runners at the start line in 1980.

“My longest run beforehand was 18 miles,” she says.

“When I got that far, I was terrified to see what would happen next. My calf seized up a bit, but I kept going and finished in 3:38, which wasn’t too slow.

“It was an awesome experience, even though I immediately said, ‘never again!’”

Yet that ‘never again’ turned into a 45-year commitment;

“The only real constant in my life has been getting to the start line of the Dublin Marathon every year,” she says.

“In challenging personal times when everything else felt unsettled, the marathon was always there.”

Mary has broken barriers throughout her career, including completing the 1988 Dublin Marathon while six months pregnant.

“I knew my body very well,” she says. “I even knocked on doors along the way to use the loo! I was ready to stop if anything felt wrong, but it all went well.”

She notes how far the event has come: “It’s so different now, so much better.

“The Irish Life Dublin Marathon even lets you defer your entry if you are pregnant.

“There are so many more women running now.

2It’s improving all the time, and organisers are doing everything they can to encourage and support more women to be on the start-line, it’s wonderful to see.”

Mary’s story is one of courage, compassion, and perseverance from breaking the three-hour barrier in Dublin, to pushing her late ex-husband Tony in a wheelchair in 2017 so he could complete his final marathon, to overcoming serious injury and personal loss along the way.

The Mary Nolan Hickey Perpetual Cup will ensure her remarkable contribution to Irish athletics and the Dublin Marathon is celebrated for generations.

It will be presented each year to the first woman across the finish line, symbolising the endurance, strength, and determination that Mary has displayed for 45 consecutive years.

“The marathon has been a huge part of my life.

“It’s an honour to have a trophy in my name and to see the marathon from another angle this year… sometimes, you’ve got to know when to walk away.”