Cllr. Dessie Larkin said he would take part in feeder events at a possible Letterkenny Marathon, but his “football knees” wouldn’t manage a full race.
The Fianna Fail councillor proposed a motion last night at Letterkenny Town Council’s monthly meeting to stage a marathon in Letterkenny in 2014.
Cllr. Larkin said he would definitely like to take part in other smaller events that might go along with the marathon, like a 5k or 10k.
There were over 2,000 participants in Derry’s Walled City Marathon, because it was so close by, a large number of runners were from Donegal.
The tourist attraction and facilities are already present in Letterkenny, Cllr. Larkin stated. The expertise of Letterkenny Athletic Club could help with the planning, and the town’s hotels are of a high standard to cope with the crowds.
Cllr. Gerry McMonagle recognised the importance of sponsorship for a possible marathon. He said that the logistics that need to be worked out may take longer than a year. Such a race would involve a year-long commitment for participants also, he said. A half-marathon could be a more achievable event.
Cllr. Jimmy Kavanagh said there may be an opportunity to involve The Friends of Letterkenny General Hospital, as the recent flooding disaster had national coverage.
Cllr. Larkin told Donegal Daily that he believes that this could be Letterkenny’s iconic event, the enthusiasm for running is prevalent in the town at the moment.
The area has some of the most beautiful scenery for such an event, such as Glenveagh Castle or Gartan Lake. It would be most apt for it to end at the Danny McDaid athletics track, because of his Olymipc success in running, Cllr. Larkin said.
He acknowledged that it would be a top priority not to interfere with the Rockhill 10K. The organisers of the 10K would be vital in providing expertise on how to plan such an event.
The national marathon calendar would need to be looked at to see if there is a suitable date that Letterkenny could cater for.
By Rachel McLaughlin
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