Irish runner Fionnuala McCormack took to Boston to compete in the prestigious Boston Marathon on Monday, 15th April. McCormack put out a stellar performance, running a new personal best time of 2:30:38, almost a minute quicker than her previous time of 2:31:22 in Rio 2016. McCormack finished in 11th place and crossed the line as the best placed European. Unfortunately this was one place shy of automatic Olympic qualification however her exceptional time means she's likely to be ranked high enough when the cut-off for Tokyo takes place.
The Boston Marathon was McCormack’s first marathon since taking part in the marathon event in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she finished 20th overall with a time of 2:31:22. With such great form over the past few weeks, it will surely set the talented runner up well for the Tokyo Olympics. A good year under her belt in the lead up, will give her great confidence as we move towards Olympic year.
Recently becoming a mother, Fionnuala McCormack has come back stronger than ever, with top 20 finishes in both the Boston Marathon and the World Cross Country Championships. An incredible athlete, an incredible woman!
McCormack of Kilcoole Athletic Club, had a change of pace for the marathon, having just come off the back of competing in the World Cross Country Championships. Fionnuala McCormack competed in Aarhus, Denmark, flying the Irish flag with fellow Olympian Sara Treacy. McCormack was first home in 18th place, with Sara Treacy finishing in 73rd place. A challenging event for both athletes who put out a brave performance over the 10.5km course.
The world championship course was modified this year for “entertainment value” as the world athletics organisation attempts to draw more interest to the sport. It has been debated whether turning it into more of a spectacle is appropriate or too distracting for the highly tuned athletes who are there to compete at elite level. As ever we are faced with challenges in sport and the organisation, though questioned in all their decisions, are attempting to give athletes the spotlight and support they deserve. See the video below which goes through the course layout.
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