Nataliya Lehonkova looking to become Three Time Winner at the 2022 Irish Life Dublin Marathon

Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Previous (two time) winner Nataliya Lehonkova of Ukraine will head the

elite women's field at the 2022 Irish Life Dublin Marathon. In 2017 she set

a personal best (PB) of 2:28.58 to win the Dublin Marathon, having also won

in 2015. Lehonkova who has been training in Austria after fleeing the war

and will be looking to become a three-time winner when she toes the line on

Sunday, 30th October.

The 39-year-old will face competition from a strong line-up of athletes,

including Nigist Muluneh of Ethiopia, who has shown good form this year,

running a personal best (PB) of 2:29.37 in Madrid in April. This will be

Muluneh's first time running the Dublin Marathon. Also in the field is

fellow Ethiopian, Hawi Alemu Negeri, who has the fastest PB in the field

with 2:27.56 and ran 2:28.03 this year at the Riyadh Marathon (Saudi Arabia)

in March.

Ireland's Ann-Marie McGlynn will be vying not only to take the national

marathon title but also to be in the mix with the top international elite

athletes. At the 2019 Dublin Marathon, she placed ninth overall in 2:32.54,

finishing second in the National Championships behind Aoife Cooke.

Irish International Marathon runner Ann-Maire McGlynn Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

McGlynn will be joined by Gladys Ganiel (North Belfast Harrier), who won

the 2022 Belfast Marathon. Ganiel also placed third in the 2019 and 2021

National Marathon Championships. Kate Purcell (Raheny AC) is also one to

watch; she won the Irish Life Dublin Race Series 10 mile and is an avid

mountain runner, having helped Ireland win team bronze at the 2013 World

Mountain Running Championships. The Irish Life Dublin Marathon will be her

second-ever marathon. 23-year-old, Courtney McGuire (Clonmel AC) will make

her marathon debut after finishing second at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon,

running 73.54.

The men's elite field includes some top-class Ethiopian athletes, with

Birhanu Teshome having the fastest PB in the field with 2:08.16. He has been

in form in 2022, placing 4th in both the Lagos and Lens Marathon this year,

running a season's best in the latter of 2:13:29. His teammate Ashenafi Boja

set a PB of 2:12.35 at the Madrid marathon this year improving on his

previous best by six minutes while Ketema Bekele Negasa is the former World

50K record holder. They will be joined by Morrocco's Taoufik Allum of

Morocco and Ashenafi Boja of Kenya, who will make his marathon debut.

Peter Somba of Kenya, who runs with Dunboyne AC, will be one to watch; he

won three of the four Irish Life Dublin Race Series, including the Dublin

Half Marathon in the Phoenix Park in August, setting a personal best of

67.37. Somba will be joined by Irish Olympic Marathon runner Mick Clohisey

(Raheny AC), who is also back racing again after a bout of plantar

fasciitis. The Dubliner finished second in the Irish Life Race Series 10k in

31:06 behind Peter Somba in June.

Peter Somba of Kenya who runs with Dunboyne AC Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Other athletes confirmed to race are Sergiu Ciobanu (Conliffe AC), previous

national marathon champion Sean Hehir (MSB AC) and Martin Hoare of Celbridge

AC, who finished third in the Irish Life Half Dublin Marathon in 1:08.44 as

well as David Mansfield (Clonmel AC) who set a PB of 2:16.08 in Seville this

year.

In the wheelchair race, Ireland’s Patrick Monaghan who was the winner of

Dublin in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 will compete against Samuel Kolek

(GB) who was fourth in 2019.

There will be over €100,000 in prize money on offer, national titles in

senior men and women, master categories and team prizes.

Athlete Tracker Link https://track.rtrt.me/e/TDL-DUBLINM-2022