from the AAI Marathon Mission today announced their 2012 Qualifying Standards for new aspirants. For the women the bar has been raised higher on two of the standards, the 10 Miles and Half Marathon while the Marathon mark of 2.45.00 has been left unchanged for the 3rd year in a row
For 2012 both the 10 Mile and Half Marathon marks have been lowered by 30 seconds each to 59.00 and 78.30 respectively.
30 Athletes by virtue of running at least one of the qualifying standards in 2011 have been offered places in the 2012 squad. Not all are interested in pursuing a Marathon career. A more likely starting group will be 24 with anyone outside of that 24 who achieves a 2012 qualifying time being offered a place.
2011 was a year of significant progress with 14 women running under 79.00 for the Half Marathon. In the Marathon itself 7 women ran sub 2.45 portraying the growing depth. In the previous 4 years no more than 3 women in any given year had gone under 2.45.
Linda Byrne’s 2.36.21 in Dublin recently is presently leading the Olympic charge. Having achieved the Qualifying time of 2.37.00 Linda is choosing to take her chances with the selectors and as the only woman qualifier so far is in pole position.
The wolverines are baying though and many of those known to fancy their Olympic chances will go to the line over the next four months. Gladys Ganiel and Ava Hutchinson are booked into Houston on January 14th. Maria McCambridge is toying between Seville(Feb 19th) and Barcelona(March 17th) while the likelihood is that Caitriona Jennings, Lorraine Manning, Annette Kealy, Lizzie Lee, Breege Connolly, Rosemary Ryan and Barbara Sanchez will go to the line in Rotterdam on April 15th.
2011 saw a stronger Marathon male pool emerge too with 5 athletes going sub 2.20. The fact that Mark Kenneally and Sean Connolly achieved the mark twice meant that there were seven sub 2.20 runs in 2011 compared to a total of two sub 2.20’s in the previous 4 years combined.
Kenneally too is banking on his 2.13.55 being good enough to get him to London Olympics next year. Connolly returns to Rotterdam for the second year running in April with sub 2.15 on his mind. Thomas Frazer is undecided between Rotterdam and Boston while such as Alan O’Shea, Gary Thornton and Martin Fagan have yet to declare their hand on where next they will chase their Olympic dream.
Only the Half Marathon Qualifying time on the men’s side has been adjusted, reducing to 66.30 for 2012 aspirants.
In the meantime Marathon Mission will continue in its quest to nurture an environment for Irish Marathoners that will lead to Irish Runners qualifying for and competing with distinction in Major Championships and being competitive on an annual basis in the Dublin Marathon in the year’s ahead.
Marathon Mission Qualifying Times 2012
10 Miles Half Marathon Marathon
Men 50.00 66.30 2.24.00
Women 59.00 78.30 2.45.00
