Irish Team Place Seventh In Marathon Cup At The European Athletics Championships

The Irish men's marathon team matched the women by finishing seventh in the Marathon Team Cup on the final day of the European Athletics Championships in Zurich. The team of Sean Hehir (Rathfarnham WSAF), Kevin Seaward (St Malachy's AC) and Thomas Frazier (St Malachy's AC) had a combined time of 7:01.02 to finish seventh.

Hehir led the way for the Irish as he ran a remarkable race to place 20th in a time of 2.17.59, the time was less than 30 seconds outside his personal best of 2.17.35 set in 2012. The time is even more remarkable considering the tough nature of the course and the searing heat that the all the athletes had to deal with on the day.

Hehir said "I am delighted with that; I have been away training at altitude for this, a big thanks to everyone who supported me on this. Paul Pollock showed last year you don't have to be the quickest in the field to do well. There was so much Irish support out there on the course; it was like running the Dublin Marathon! I am delighted."

Hehir really did motor through the field passing the halfway point in 68 minutes in 32nd place. From there it just got better and better as he moved inside the top thirty and as high as 19th at the 40k point reached in 2.11.01.

It was very close at the finish with Hehir locked in a battle with four other athletes coming down the last 800m. He showed great reserve to finish twentieth in his debut at this level of competition.
Both Seaward and Frazier worked together in the early part of the race reaching halfway in a little over 70 minutes both running outside the top fifty at the point. Seaward upped his effort level throughout the second half of the race as he stormed through to finish in 28th place in a time of 2.20.30.

Frazier was also passing people over the second half of the race as he finished in 35th place in a time of 2.22.33. It is testament to all three men that they finished so strongly with many others wilting along the streets of Zurich.

Seaward said "I ran the first half of the race a bit more conservative, once we had sussed the hill out! I was happy with that, my splits were fairly even and we survived!"
The championships conclude this afternoon with Paul Robinson and Ciaran O'Lionaird going in the Final of the 1500m at 14.05 followed by the men's 4x400m team in their final at 14.42.