Hughes makes it a treble

The 53-year-old added to his 1984 and 1985 Foyle Festival Marathon wins with a hugely impressive 2 hours, 30 minutes and 32 seconds, completing perhaps the most unusual treble in athletics history with an emphatic victory.

The Magherafelt hard man completely dominated Sunday’s race, going clear of local favourite Greg Roberts after the half way mark to win by almost five minutes.

A dejected Roberts clocked 2 hours, 35 minutes and 29 seconds in second place and Buncrana teacher Pauric McKinney was third on 2 hours, 38 minutes and 15 seconds as 1,300 runners provided an enthralling spectacle through the City and environs on an ideal day for distance running.

The female winner Jacqui Boyle of Dublin club Tallaght AC is a Derry native and she was absolutely delighted with her 3 hours, 14 minutes and 15 seconds clocking, punching the air in appreciation as she ran into a packed Guildhall Square to finish.

Second place went to Foyle Valley star Martina McMullan with 3 hours, 21 minutes and 57 seconds, another big performance, and Springwell Harrier Orla McGinnis wasn’t far behind on 3 hours, 22 minutes and 25 seconds to complete the top three.

The huge field was cheered throughout by crowds of spectators as the city turned out in style to embrace the major City of Culture event and afterwards both spectators and participants spoke in glowing terms of a brilliant and inspiring spectacle.

Crossing the iconic Peace Bridge and finishing in the historic Guildhall Square seem to have been the highlights but the support from all the communities the race passed through was the abiding memory for many.

Locals James Crampsey and Ryan Snodgrass had big runs for fourth and fifth, clocking times of 2 hours, 45 minutes and 13 seconds and 2 hours, 47 minutes and 13 seconds with Lifford AC’s Daniel Hannigan sixth on 2 hours, 48 minutes and 03 seconds.

Another Derry exile Dermot Logue, running in the colours of Tipperary club Coolquill AC was next and his 2 hours, 48 minutes and 20 seonds gave him the M35 age group prize.

Other local runners to win age graded awards were M40 Benny Mullan, 2 hours, 54 minutes and 12 seconds; M50 Gerry Duddy, 2 hours, 59 minutes and 08 seconds and the man who ran the first Foyle Festival Marathon in 1981, M65 Christy McMonagle with 3 hours, 26 minutes and 10 seonds. Hannah Shields ran 3 hours, 26 minutes and 28 seconds to claim the F45 age group prize and she travels this weekend for a 53 mile endurance race.

The most exciting finish of the day had to be the frenzied dash to the line of the top three wheelchair finishers. Paul Hannon, Jim Corbett and Carndonagh man Karol Doherty wheeled together most of the race, mindful perhaps of the several climbs on the course, especially up Fahan Street and into the Walled City itself at 25 miles.

However as they hit the blue carpet on the finish straight still together, they accelerated simultaneously and to the cheers of the massed spectators Paul Hannon just got the nose of his chair in front to take the win. A single second separated them Hannon and Corbett both getting 2 hours, 35 minutes and 48 seconds with the Carn man a second back.

A terrific event on a beautiful June day, the City embraced it wholeheartedly and the word is that the Walled City Marathon may not be just a one off.