Fourth for Colin Griffin in Belfast Marathon

Colin Griffin put up one of his best performances as a runner when taking fourth position and the honour of being the first Irish runner to finish in the Mash Direct Belfast City Marathon run over a challenging Course from Stormont to Ormeau Park on Sunday last.  

The Ballinamore AC runner clocked 2:26.41 which was his second best time ever over the distance.

Over 4,000 runners set off in the full marathon from Stormont while events such as relays brought thousands more out on the streets on Sunday morning. A large number of spectators lined the route to cheer the runners on to the finish point in Ormeau Park.

From the beginning the race and previous winner Barnard Rotich who had previously run close to 2:10.00 set the pace and he was joined by Mohamed Oumaarir of Morocco. At around the ten mile mark Welshman Adam Bowden who had been trailing closed up with the two leaders. 

The three remained together away ahead of the field until around twenty three miles when the Moroccan began his charge and dropped the other two. Bowden kept reasonably close but the Kenyan dropped further back and clung on for third position.

Colin battled with Gary O’Hanlon of Dundalk for the first ten miles but the Louth runner then dropped back leaving Colin to run the remainder of the race on his own.   

The Womens' Marathon, which was won by Patricia Griffin in 1995, went to Shewaye Wolde of Ethiopia.