- 25 members of this year’s 70-strong Sanctuary Runner team will be people seeking international protection or refugee status
- The highest number of international protection applicants to have ever taken part in a full marathon worldwide
- Sanctuary Runners inviting registered marathon entrants to take part wearing their blue running top in a display of solidarity
Sanctuary Runners, the solidarity-through-sport movement, will create a world record on October 27th when an unprecedented number of international protection applicants will take part in the Irish Life Dublin Marathon.
Included in a team of 70-Sanctuary Runners will be 25 people who are currently seeking international protection in Ireland.
While refugees and asylum seekers have taken part in marathons across the world over the years, including in Dublin, never has such a large team of people with that legal status run the full 42 kilometres in a single international marathon event.
Living in Direct Provision centres and emergency accommodation in Dublin, Louth and Cork the team will include runners from Botswana, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, Yemen, Ukraine, Colombia, Ethiopia, Algeria, Somalia and South Africa.
The participants have been training for months to be ready for the marathon despite the obvious difficulties and uncertainties of taking part in such a testing race while living in Direct Provision.
Michael Darragh Macauley, CEO of Sanctuary Runners, explained why such a large team, and representation from the community of people seeking international protection, is so vitally important.
“For Sanctuary Runners to have so many people seeking international protection running the Irish Life Dublin Marathon is an unbelievable achievement. I know from speaking to so many of them that Sanctuary Runners has been a real light in what can often be dark times. We are so proud of all of our runners taking part.”
And he paid tribute to the organisers of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon for supporting the organisation this year – and in preceding years.
He said: “Irish Life Dublin Marathon has been big supporters of Sanctuary Runners, they get what we are trying to do. They know Dublin is the sum of its parts and nowhere is that seen more than in the city’s Marathon every year.”
A spokesperson for the Irish Life Dublin Marathon said:
“The organisers of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon allocate a specific number of entries each year to organisations and individuals who positively impact communities. The inclusion programme acknowledges and supports those who may otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in the marathon. For the third year in a row, Sanctuary Runners has been one of the recipients of this initiative, a reflection of the positive collaboration.”
Sanctuary Runners, established in Cork, in 2018 has 40 groups across Ireland and use running, jogging, walking, and even open sea-swimming, to bring everyone together including those who are new to the country and especially refugees and those seeking international protection.
The organisation, which focuses on community integration, is inviting registered marathon entrants to run in this October’s marathon in the blue Sanctuary Runner top which they can provide free-of-charge. There is no fundraising involved.
“By wearing the Sanctuary Runner top you are showing your solidarity with all people – including those seeking international protection. That’s more important now than ever before,” explained Macauley.
To request a Sanctuary Runner top and run the marathon wearing it please email info@Sanctuaryrunners.ie by Wednesday, October 15th. Those requesting a top must already have registered for this year’s Irish Life Dublin Marathon.
Sanctuary Runners will also provide colourful and noisy cheering stations along the 42-kilometre route for this year’s marathon.
