Southside success at Dublin City Marathon

THREE participants in this year’s Dublin City Marathon did the Southside proud with their fantastic results.

The first double Irish winners since 1993 featured Sean Hehir from Clare, who is a member of Rathfarnham WSAF, and Maria McCambridge who is involved with Dundrum South Dublin.

And a Rathfarnham Girl Guide leader became the first Irish person to complete a marathon on crutches.

Hehir, a primary school teacher in Inchicore, who was the second Irishman home last year, ran a superb race to take the title.

Challenged all the way by marathon debutant Joe Sweeney of Dundrum South Dublin, there was little between the two until Mile 14, when Sweeney pulled into a narrow lead.

Hehir kept in touch and overtook Sweeney at Mile 19. From then on he maintained a comfortable gap going on to win in 2:18:19.

The women’s race was also a close contest between defending champion McCambridge and Leevale AC’s Claire McCarthy.

Like Sweeney, McCarthy pulled ahead at around Mile 18, but McCambridge pulled it back to win with 36 seconds to spare, with her husband Gary Crossan crossing the line less than a minute later.

McCambridge is the first male or female athlete to win every race in the Airtricity Dublin Race Series after winning the 5mile, 10k, 10 Mile, Half Marathon and now the Dublin Marathon this year.

To celebrate the first Irish double win in 20 years, Airtricity presented both winners with two years’ free energy and they also received a brand new Renault Fluence ZE electric car, courtesy of associate sponsors Renault.

Over 14,600 entered the Dublin Marathon, the 34th running of the event.

Meanwhile, a Rathfarnham Girl Guide leader has become the first Irish person to complete a marathon on crutches.

Liz O’Brien (22), who is also a talented musician, completed the marathon in just under eight hours 30 minutes.

Liz, who started training for the event in June, is thrilled with her achievement.

“My hands and wrists were really, really sore afterwards but I was just so glad to finish it,” she said. “I’m delighted to have achieved what I set out to do.”

A former Loreto Beaufort pupil, Liz was accompanied throughout the circuit by her father, John O’Brien.

She was also joined by cousins and a friend for stretches near Terenure and UCD who helped boost her morale when her energy levels were flagging.

“Around the third or fourth mile I wondered what I was doing but when I got to halfway I reckoned I was going to be OK,” Liz revealed.

“I was very grouchy around the 20-mile mark but I was never tempted to give up, I was absolutely adamant I was going to finish it no matter what.”

Liz, a former member of the National Youth Orchestra, has relied on crutches since she was struck down by a neurological disorder in January 2012.

Liz attributes her unshakeable confidence and determination to her involvement in the Irish Girl Guides since the age of five.

“It has been a tremendously positive experience for me and there’s no way I’d have had the confidence to enter the marathon if it wasn’t for my Guiding experiences,” she said.

Liz is using her achievement to raise funds for Rathfarnham Rangers and Down Syndrome Ireland.

To donate to Liz’s My Charity account, click the link below.