Press Release - Belfast City Marathon - 4/20/17

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

   Graham sets her sights on the Double at London and Belfast Marathons

  Entries open at BelfastCityMarathon.com (23rd April, final closing date)

Ireland's marathon champion Laura Graham confirmed at the weekend that she 
is again seriously considering repeating her spectacular double from a year 
ago when she competed in both the London and Belfast Marathons within an 8 
day period. The 31 year old Mourne Runners sensation is certainly in the 
sort of form where such a repeat performance in the next few days could be 
a distinct possibility.

Last April in London  Laura ran a huge personal best  where  in spite of  a 
misjudged pace she finished in 16th place in a time of 2 hrs 48 mins 3 
secs. Just over a week later she astonished the athletics fraternity by 
taking a close 2nd in the DeepRiver Rock Belfast Marathon in a time which 
was only 52 secs slower than her London race.  

Such an achievement points to the exciting potential of this former 
mountain runner who only took up marathons two years ago. In Belfast on 1st 
May she could be the first NI winner since Barbara Brewer's victory back in 
1999. Laura should certainly have little difficulty in coping with the 
current opposition which includes   last year's 3rd placer Radka Churanova 
of the Czech Republic who was timed in 2 .51.38.  

Other athletes of note include Kenya's Salome Jepkoech who has a PB of 2.38 
.27 from a number of years ago plus sub 3 hours runner Agnes Kiss of 
Hungary. However none of these athletes has the ability to come close to 
the talented Graham who ran another massive PB of 2 hrs 41 mins 54 secs to 
take the Irish title last October over the difficult Dublin course.

At the weekend Laura, who ran just 3 secs short of her 10k best time in the 
Titanic Race, confirmed she was targeting London with a view to further 
improving her marathon time. This could well ensure she gets close to next 
year's Brisbane Commonwealth Games qualification mark. Graham commented 
that she would be a lot more careful in London with her pacing judgement 
which went a little awry last year. 

Belfast Marathon organisers are pleased with current entries for next month 
which currently stand at 2,600 for the full marathon and 1,800 in the five 
person relay teams. Many of these teams will be raising funds for the 
official charity Mencap.

So what are you waiting for -join over 16,000 others at the starting line 
of the 36th Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon which takes place on Bank 
Holiday Monday 1st May 2017.

For more information or to enter one of our event, please log on to 
www.belfastcitymarathon.com or ring the Marathon Office on 028 9060 5933. 

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