Oumaarir and Woldemeskel Set to Defend titles in Belfast

Among those will be the 2023 winners’ Morocco’s Mohamed Oumaarir and Kenya’s Shewaye Woldemeskel who will bid to defend their respective Male and Female titles.

Oumaarir, who ran a time of 2:22.54 to win the Male title in 2023, will lead a strong continent of International and local athletes, including former GB Steeplechaser, and Adam Bowden, who finished 2^nd in last year’s event.

The International men will be joined by Bahrain’s Aweke Ayalew Yimer who competed in the World Half Marathon Championships in 2018, finishing in 11^th place in a time of 1:01.19 and more recently completed the 2019 Frankfurt Marathon in a time of 2:07.12.

Joining the International contingent will be Kenyan duo Mathew Kiplimo Kemboi who finished 4^th in November’s Istanbul Marathon in a time of 2:13.48 and Moses Kilmulwo Tuyange, who gained a time of 2:12.43 in March finishing 15^th in the Barcelona Marathon.

Also taking to the field, will be GB’s Michael Young, who recently ran a time of 2:24.33 in December at the Valencia Marathon and William Strangeway, who finished 3^rd in the Murcia Coasta Calida Marathon in February 2023 in a time of 2:20.32. Welshman, Dan Nash, who claimed 1^st place in the Great Welsh Marathon in March in a time of 2:27.19 will also be taking to the start line.

The local field will be led by Annadale Strider’s Eskander Turki, who won the 2023 Moy Park Belfast City Half Marathon in a time of 1:09.10, in a tightly fought battle and clubmate, Ed McGIinley, fresh from a win at the Larne 10 Miler. Also racing will be St Malachy’s Conor Gallagher, who claimed silver in the 2022 event in a time of 2:24.09.

Marking her third time competing in Belfast, Kenya’s Shewaye Woldemeskel will be joined by NI Commonwealth Games athlete, Gladys Ganiel, who finished 2^nd in last year’s event in as time of 2:41.20, following a win in 2022.

Morocco’s Hanane Qallouj, who is no stranger to the Emerald Isle, finishing 6^th at the Dublin Marathon in October in a time of 2:37.20 and fellow countrywomen, Laila Aziza Selsouli who finished 8^th in the Marrakesh Half in 1:15.16 will join Kenya’s Beatrice Jepkemei, who recently ran 2:30.41 to finish 4^th in the Linz Marathon, as they battle for the top spots in the Women’s event.

Also racing will be Malta’s Josann Atturd Pulis and Ethiopia’s Zewudinesh Hurisa Degefa, who competed in the 2019 Marathon d’Annecy, to finish in 7^th place in a time of 2:50.40.

After securing World Athletics Road Race Label status for the first time in 2023, the Moy Park Belfast City Marathon is once again included in the calendar of fixtures for 2024 and continues to be the only Marathon in Ireland listed. Organisers are delighted to see Belfast amongst major cities like Berlin, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney and Toronto.

This year’s Moy Park Belfast City Marathon runners will be joined by 12,500 Team Relay runners and another 1,200 participants in the 8 Mile Walk, securing its place as Northern Ireland’s biggest mass sport participatory event.

For more information visit belfastcitymarathon.com and stay in touch Facebook / @MarathonBelfast Twitter / @marathonbcm Instagram / @belfastcitymarathon

The Moy Park Belfast City Marathon and Half Marathon is sponsored by Moy Park, Northern Ireland Electricity Networks, 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.