Belfast City Marathon support British Milers Club and Lagan Valley AC Meet
05 June 2024
Seventy years ago, on the 6th May 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man in the World to run under 4 minutes for the one mile. Seven decades later the ability to run four laps of a track in under a minute per lap is a feat achieved by fewer men than have reached the summit of Everest. Locally only 14 men from Northern Ireland can call themselves a member of the sub four club and only two of those have been achieved this century.
Mark Kirk British Milers Club & ANI Endurance Coordinator, Emer Melville Marketing and Events Intern Belfast City Marathon, Calum Morgan Irish U23 Champion, Brynja Brynjarsdottir City of Lisburn and Icelandic International.
To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Roger Bannister’s momentous breakthrough the World renowned British Milers Club and Lagan Valley Athletics Club are promoting a major Track and Field meeting at the Mary Peters Track on Saturday 15th June starting at noon. Thanks to invaluable support from the Belfast City Marathon the meeting has attracted an entry of over 350 athletes representing not only every corner of the British Isles and Ireland but also four European countries as well as Australia, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA.
Joint meeting Director Mark Kirk, himself one of the local Sub 4 Club members, expressed his delight not only at the number of entries but also at the quality contained in every event.
Fourteen times National Greek Champion Irini Vasiliou will face strong opposition in the 800m from French woman Cindy Boudier and the UK’s number 1 under 17 athlete Shiakira King. Former Irish Champion Harry Purcell in the men’s 800m comes up against Trinidad and Tobago’s Nicholas Landau while the Women’s 3000 metres features five of the top young stars in Northern Ireland against one of England’s top juniors Grace Richardson.
The featured event is the Mens one mile in which sees a loaded field including John Travers, Max Wharton and Thomas Moran all of whom have broken 4 minutes not to mention at least half a dozen others who are well capable of joining the elite Club.
The meeting, which will be the biggest International Track and Field event held in Northern Ireland for many years will also provide competition for sprinters and field event competitors including perhaps the best in depth Irish 400 metres women race seen at the Mary Peters Track.
Belfast City Marathon are proud supporters of the event, and wish all those taking part the very best of luck. For those with an appetite for longer distance, entries are now open for the 2025 Belfast City Marathon (Sunday 4th May) and Belfast City Half Marathon (Sunday 21st September). You can secure your spot at the start line now at www.belfastcitymarathon.com
The Moy Park Belfast City Marathon and Half Marathon is sponsored by Moy Park, Northern Ireland Electricity Newtworks, Belfast Live, Daily Mirror, Cool FM, Downtown, Downtown Country, Translink, Better, Tayto, Belfast City Council, Deep RiverRock, Athletics NI, Charles Hurst, Linwoods Health Foods and Mac in a Sac. The official charity partner is Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.
