A rock ‘n' roll performance from Mark Christie

Eoghan Wallace

Mullingar Harrier Mark Christie was the inaugural winner of the Dublin Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon on Monday.

What sets this half marathon apart from others is that every mile runners are greeted by a live band. Acts that runners enjoyed along the way included Future Phantoms and Jupiter Forest. At the finish line they were treated to a free performance from Delorentos.

Runners set off from St Stephen’s Green at 8.30am and enjoyed a scenic tour of the city centre, passing many famous landmarks along the way to the Phoenix Park before finishing on Earlsfort Terrace.

Mark was happy with the performance he put in over the 13.1 miles, particularly as it was his first half marathon. “I was happy to win it to be honest. That was my main objective. I haven’t run more than 12k before.”

This win in the half marathon bodes well for Mark, who is considering a move away from the track. “It’s something I’ll definitely do, if I do decide to move up to the full marathon. It was like a test.”

He enjoyed the race, adding that the rock ‘n’ roll aspect introduced a really unique atmosphere. “Yeah, it was very different. The crowd that run it have a lot of them in the States. It keeps thing interesting.”

The musical acts at every mile also proved useful as Mark knew exactly when each mile had been completed. He enjoyed the experience and laid back atmosphere that comes with road races.

“People can relate to it a bit more. Anyone can enter the race, everybody has the chance to win it,” explains Mark.

“They can compare themselves with the athletes. The atmosphere is very different, it’s quite laid back. Afterwards everyone has a chit chat, it’s very social. The track is very much business, it’s very clinical.” 

1. Mark Christie (1:06:09)
2. Sean Gearóid Hehir (1:06:41)
3. Gary O’Hanlon (1:07:33)