Belfast marathon road closures 2024: Pastor says forced road closure has cancelled his Sunday morning service
A Belfast pastor says his normal Sunday morning service has been cancelled this weekend as their road has been closed for the Belfast Marathon.
Pastor Jack McKee leads the New Life City Church which is located right on the peace line between the Shankill and Falls Road in west Belfast.
He says the marathon will run past the church's front doors on Sunday but will be met by "a rare sight" - its doors will be closed and the lights off.
"We are not anti-marathon nor anti-sports on Sunday, but we feel overlooked and totally sidelined," he said.
"We have always prided ourselves on the fact that our lights are on when others are off, and that our doors are open when others are closed.
"We have also stood against opposition that would have seen us shut down, but have always managed to rise above that opposition and have remained open to everyone within our community.
"However, this coming Sunday, the doors will be closed and the lights will be off, because the Marathon organisers have chosen to run the Marathon past our front doors and have marked our street for 'full closure'.
"And they’ve done so without consultation and without consideration, not only of New Life City Church, but of any church."
He confirms that he did have a "quite amicable" meeting with the marathon organisers but said that "nothing of substance was agreed". They are, however, holding an evening service at 7pm.
The marathon had been held on the May Bank Holiday Monday until 2019 when it was pulled back 24 hours, without consideration for their human rights to practise their religion “without hindrance”, he said.
A spokeswoman for the Belfast Marathon gave assurances they would consult Mr McKee fully after this year's race.
She said: "The Belfast City Marathon had an amicable meeting with Pastor McKee at New Life Church on Tuesday 9th April, and left feeling our respective positions were mutually understood, so we are disappointed at this news."
"Belfast City Marathon officials agreed to look at access routes for the church, and both parties agreed to revisit the problem after this year's marathon.”
Mr McKee said he would hold his service in the evening this year, she added.
The 26.2 mile challenge begins off at Stormont Estate, passes through North, South, East and West of the City, and finishes in Ormeau Park. As a result motorists can expect some disruption throughout the morning and early afternoon, although every attempt will be made to ensure that this is kept to a minimum.
Roads will start to close wholly or partially from around 6am until 4pm approximately. Once all runners have passed points on the route, reopening of the roads will be managed as quickly as possible.