PICTURE GALLERY: Sunshine and smiles at Belfast Marathon
BELFAST city centre was a sea of smiling faces as the thousands of runners and walkers packed around City Hall for the start of the annual marathon.
Now in its 29th year, the colourful event has been attracting an increasing number of entrants year-on-year for the race itself, as well as the walk, team relay and fun run.
There was a carnival atmosphere in the city a full hour before the race got underway at 9am with every age and ability representing every conceivable charity.
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Many were dressed as superheroes or cartoon characters for the occasion adding to the sense of fun.
Annalisa Flanagan from Dromore, Co Down was taking part in the nine-mile walk with a group hoping to raise 10,000 for a charity building chalets for orphans in Zambia.
"My sister Nicki Moyo lives in Zambia and over the last few years we have raised almost 70,000.
"We really want another ten to build the last few chalets and we will carry on raising money for the Oasis Village Trust to keep the chalets running," she said.
A mother and daughter team from Lurgan were also raising much-needed funds for a charity close to their hearts.
Rita McIlroy, whose mum suffers from a lung condition, was there with daughter Eileen and Ryan Thompson in aid of the British Lung Foundation and said it was a fun way of raising the cash.
"We are doing the nine-mile walk but it's great to be able to enjoy the event and raise the money too."
More than 18,000 people signed up for this years marathon events with over 3,000 going the whole 26.2 miles and 11,000 taking part in team relays.
The elite athletes formed the front row of the starting line up and left the line to rapturous applause from the crowds.
Urga Negewo from Ethiopia won the elite race in a time of 2hrs 16 mins 56 seconds ahead of Belfast-based Kenyan athlete John Mutai. The Kenyan was denied his fourth successive win when the eventual winner out-sprinted him on the approach to the finish in Ormeau Park.
But Urga alsmot never made it to Belfast, having got lost in Heathrow airport at the weekend.
Malcolm Anderson of Running Across Borders, who helped organise his trip, said he began to worry when the connecting flight to Belfast failed to deliver the 24-year-old runner.
"I got a call at 8.30pm saying that Urga, who speaks Amarhic and absolutely no English, had been found wandering around Heathrow after the flight had left," said Mr Anderson.
"I rang a friend in London who went to the airport but couldn't find Urga. I re-booked his flight to Belfast for the next afternoon and hoped we would have him safely on board by then."
Urga did eventually come across a Heathrow security guard, originally from Ethiopia, who assisted him in boarding the rearranged flight.
As Mr Anderson explained, this was Urga's first time in the UK but the prolonged journey hasn't put him off coming back.
"Urga is more than happy with his experience in Belfast as this is his first marathon win in a great race atmosphere."
Sarah Stradling from England won the women's race and Ballymena's Darrell Erwin triumphed in the wheelchair race.
Marathon organising committee chairman Danny O'Connor praised the efforts of everyone involved saying the event had been a "tremendous success" in almost perfect conditions.
Tributes have also been paid to spectators, participants, volunteer marshals and motorists by the PSNI for the success of yesterday's Belfast marathon.
But a protest by a prisoner support group hit a sour note with some, including an English visitor who travelled to Belfast especially for the event.
Supporters of dissident republican inmates gathered on the Falls Road and held up placards as athletes ran by.
Speaking to the News Letter afterwards, the visitor said: "It was disappointing that while there was a smile on everyone else's face, these people were holding up political placards."
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Weather for Belfast
Saturday 04 February 2012
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