Athletics NewsDetails were announced yesterday of the 2004 adidas Dublin Marathon, the 25th running of the event. The race will take place, as usual, on the October Bank Holiday Monday. Exactly seven months ahead of the start date, the organisers revealed several extra incentives to run the 26.2-mile distance, including the adidas countdown race series.

The first race in 1980, the brainchild of the late Noel Carroll, recorded just 1,420 finishers, but Dublin soon became one of the fastest-growing marathons in the world.

Two years later there were a record 11,076 entries, one of whom, Jerry Kiernan, set the long-standing course record of two hours, 13 minutes, 45 seconds. Numbers dwindled in the 1990s but in recent years participation figures have been rising steadily.

"Our realistic target is get over 10,000 runners this year," said race director Jim Aughney. "And this is the year we can truly put Dublin back up there with the leading city marathons in the world."

The adidas countdown races start on July 4th with the Irish Runner five-mile, then the Frank Duffy 10-mile on August 21st, and finally the BHAA half-marathon will be run on September 18th. All the countdown events will take place in the Phoenix Park.

Paul Moloney, marketing manager with adidas, challenged anyone with a pair of running shoes to consider the event: "If you have ever had the slightest inkling in the back of your mind that one day you might run a marathon then this would be the ideal year, the 25th running of Dublin."

Another major addition to this year's event is the inclusion of the Eamonn Coghlan fund-raising team, which normally runs the New York marathon a week later but has now committed to Dublin.

The former world 5,000-metre champion hopes to sign up a minimum of 1,000 runners in the fund-raising efforts for Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.

Details of all other related events and entries can be found on the official website: www.adidasdublinmarathon.ie.

Meanwhile, Dublin's Citywest Hotel will be the venue, next Wednesday evening, for the celebration of another 25th anniversary, John Treacy's second World Cross Country title in Limerick, 1979. The question-and-answer session with Treacy is open to the public, and free tickets can be requested by email and collected on the night.

The email address is editor@irishrunner.ie.