Sports news release New Irish record-holder Martin Fagan prepares for Great Ireland Run at altitude in USA After his stunning Irish half-marathon record run in Holland last weekend, Martin Fagan from Mullingar has returned to his training base in the USA. He will undertake a final two weeks of preparation at an altitude of 7,000 feet in Arizona before returning to Dublin for the Great Ireland Run on Sunday April 5th where he faces a star-studded field led by former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat of Kenya, Brazilian champion, Gladson Silva Barbosa, Andrew Carlson of the USA, Pablo Villalobos of Spain and British Olympian Tom Lancashire.
Fagan is bidding to become the first Irish male winner of the Run. With his 60 min 57 seconds run in The Hague, Fagan overtook the 21 year old previous record of 61:00 set by John Treacy in 1988.
National cross-country champion Keith Kelly has been forced to withdraw from the Run and the World Cross Country Championships in Jordan later this month due to a serious knee injury that doctors have told him not to run on for at least three months.
The Great Ireland Run is the country’s largest mixed 10km race and 10,000 runners are expected in 2009. Entries are open through www.greatirelandrun.org or 1890 930139.
Further details:
Andy Caine, Elite Athlete Manager, Great Ireland Run: +44 751 5050527
Roy Dooney, The Media Group: 01 2301815 / 087 2414165
