Optimism abounds as Dublin Marathon returns to the streets

By the time the next Dublin Marathon comes around in late October, it will have been three years since the race took place on the city's streets.

The Covid-19 pandemic wiped out the last two events, but absence has made public hearts grow even fonder for an occasion that has expanded steadily ever since just over 2,000 people took part in the first race back in 1980.

The entry number is capped at 25,000 these days, though Race Director Jim Aughney said they could easily fill another 10,000 slots if there was enough space.

Everyone who signed up to the 2020 edition had the option to either keep their spot until the race returns to the streets, or get a full refund. Very few took the refund. The Dublin Marathon - which today announced Irish Life as its new title sponsor - remains one of the hottest tickets in town.

"It's been a good couple of weeks for us," Aughney told RTÉ Sport. "With the restrictions that were there, you didn't know what planning would be required. It was great news to get restrictions lifted, and even better news for us to get Irish Life on board for the next three years.

"The marathon rolled over in terms of the entries we had from 2020 into 2021, and again into 2022. We offered refunds and a very, very limited number of people opted for the refund.

"We put those [refunded] spots up for lottery last week but the places are taken now. I'm sure we could sell many, many more places if we could build an extension to the streets in Dublin.

"We had permission for 25,000 in 2020 when we had to pull the plug. We had 35,000 applicants looking for those places, so there was great interest and there still continues to be great interest."

Lockdowns and tight restrictions over the last couple of years led to a swell of