Antrim Coast Half Marathon

Antrim Coast Half Marathon is an annual international half marathon competition which is contested every August in Larne, Northern Ireland. It is one of two half marathons within UK & Ireland which carries World Athletics 'Elite' Label Road Race status.[1] The race was founded by former Olympic athlete James McIlroy and his wife Ruth McIlroy. In 2023, Ross Lazaroo-Hood and Sitki Gelman became shareholders.

Cyclists along the Antrim Coast
Antrim coast

Ethiopian runners have been successful in the competition, accounting for winning both the 2021 and 2022 men's and women's editions. The women's course record of 1 hr 04 min 22 sec was set by Yalemzerf Yehualaw in 2022, which is the current UK & Ireland All comers record for the half marathon distance.[2] Yehualaw broke the world record in 2021 in a time of 1 hr 03 min 44 sec becoming the first women in history to break the 1 hr 04-minute barrier, only for the time to be unratified due to the course measurement being 54 metres short[3]

The men's course record of 59 min 04 sec was set by Jemal Yimer in 2022, which is the current UK & Ireland All comers record for the half-marathon distance.[2]

The Elite and Mass race start on the Antrim Coast Road, which was designed and built by designer William Bald completed in 1842.

History

First held in 2020, the inaugural event was a UK & Ireland domestic only race due to travel restrictions during the Covid pandemic. The Men's 2020 event was won by Sir Mo Farah in a time of 1 hr 00 min 27 sec,[4] with 3 UK men running under 1 hr 01 minutes for the first time ever, making it the fastest domestic half marathon in the UK.[5]

The 2020 Women’s event was won by Lily Partridge in a time of time of 1 hr 11 min 36 sec, with 4 women running under 1 hr 13 minutes.[5] The event has delivered fast times mainly due to the course elevation being just inside the legal tolerance with a decrease of – 19 metres over the course distance of 13.1 miles.

The race begins on the Antrim Coast road, running into Larne harbour and town before moving back onto the Antrim Coast road, running out to the turning point at Ballygally village before returning on the Coast road and finishing at the Chaime Memorial Tower.

The event also hosts a children's race named Condor Executive Kid's mile and Condor Executive Street Mile for adults. The five times Olympian and former European Champion Jo Pavey and six-time World Cross Country Silver medallist and European Champion Catherina McKiernan have acted as ambassadors for the children's race.[6]

Winners
Year Men Time Women Time
2020  Mo Farah (GBR) 1:00:27  Lily Partridge (GBR) 1:11:36
2021  Jemal Yimer Mekonnen (ETH) 1:00:30  Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 1:03:44
2022  Jemal Yimer Mekonnen (ETH) 59:04  Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 1:04:22
2023  Daniel Mateiko (KEN) 58:36  Mestawut Fikir (ETH) 1:06:44

References
  1. "World Athletics Label Road Races | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  2. "Yehualaw and Yimer run UK all-comers' records in Larne | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  3. "Antrim Coast world record not ratified". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/58356332#:~:text=Stephen%20Scullion%20%28left%29%20set%20a%20Northern%20Ireland%20half,Olympian%20will%20compete%20again%20around%20Larne%20on%20Sunday
  5. "Antrim Coast Half Marathon wins for Mo Farah and Lily Partridge". AW. 2020-09-12. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  6. Russell, Keers (10 March 2023). "Clearer Water Antrim Coast Half Marathon: 2023 races officially launched". Northern Ireland World.
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