Two of Ireland’s most celebrated middle distance runners Sonia O’Sullivan and Mark Carroll will face worthy challengers from eight countries as they seek to deliver a double Irish victory in the Great BUPA Ireland Run 2005 in the Phoenix Park, Dublin on Saturday next, 9th April at 10:45 am. There has been a huge surge in entries for the Run which has doubled in size since last year. It is now Ireland’s largest mixed 10km race. The campaign to encourage runners to register early has resulted in more than 5,500 entrants and late entries cannot be accepted on the day. Sonia O’Sullivan, winner of the inaugural event in 2003, will face a major challenge from current European Cross Country Champion Hayley Yelling from Great Britain, US 5000m double Olympian Amy Rudolph, last year’s runner up Elana Fadeeva from the Ukraine, Charlotte Dale (Great Britain) who was third in 2003, Jessica Augusto (Portugal), Spanish cross country champion Amaia Piedra, and Hafida Gadi of France. O’Sullivan will be supported in her Irish challenge by national cross country champion Jolene Byrne (Donore Harriers), 2004 Olympian Maria McCambridge (DSD) and Pauline Curley (Tullamore Harriers). In the men’s race, defending champion Craig Mottram of Australia will be going for three Great BUPA Ireland Run victories in a row. Mottram ran a very impressive 13:20 for 5km on the road last weekend in Carlsbad, USA where he finished second to Dejene Berhanu of Ethiopia. Mottram finished in eighth place in last year’s Olympic 5000m final. Saturday’s Run is Mark Carroll’s debut on the roads in Dublin. Carroll is the Irish record holder at 5000m and 10000m and is planning to run the 10000m at this summer’s World Championships in Helsinki. He is aiming to qualify for Helsinki at a track race in Stanford, California on May 1st. Mottram and Carroll will be challenged on Saturday by European Indoor 3000m silver medallist John Mayock of Great Britain, Ricardo Ribas (Portugal), Alexandr Sitovskiy and Ivan Babarika (Ukraine), Matt O’Dowd and Chris Davies (Great Britain). Additional Irish entrants include former national cross country champions Seamus Power (Kilmurray/Ibrickane) and Peter Matthews (DSD). Running alongside world-class elite athletes will be more than 5,500 occasional and fun runners. Celebrity runners taking part include drummer Caroline Corr and her husband Frank Woods, singer Ronan Keating, who will be aiming to beat last year’s very respectable race time of 50.27, and Dana Rosemary Scallon who has trained for the Run as part of her weight loss and keep fit schedule for RTE’s The Afternoon Show. Health Minister Sean Power TD, Olympic rower Sam Lynch, 2004 Eurovision entrant Chris Doran and DJ Ray Shah will also take part. Many participants are running for good causes including the Run’s two nominated charities: The Marie Keating Foundation and Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin. The Run will be started by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD. Welcoming the increased entrants to the Run, BUPA Ireland Director of Marketing, Sean Murray said: “Interest in the Run this year has been huge and we are very pleased to have over 5,000 entries. The Run mixes world-class international athletes with fun runners, joggers and walkers. Saturday will be a great day out in the Park for all the family - it is the perfect way to have fun and keep fit at the same time.” The Run will be preceded at 10:15 am by the Great BUPA Ireland Junior Run for children aged between 8 and 15 years over a distance of 2.5 km. This event has almost quadrupled in size and nearly 450 will take part. A one hour highlights programme of the Run will be shown on RTE Two from 6pm to 7pm on the day of the race and on Sunday 10th April on Channel 5.
