Choosing a different route for their honeymoon, Polish long-distance runner Pawel Kosek and his wife Vera just recently married, decided to participate in the Cork city marathon. Pawel celebrates another victory in this race, after having previously won first place in 2023.
The 32-year-old Pawel announced his happiness in English, before switching to his native language and employing his associate, Monika Geirat, to translate. He expressed his satisfaction in finishing the race with a time of 2:23:54, showing an improvement of almost four minutes from his previous win in 2023.
“Indeed, it almost feels like our honeymoon,” Pawel joyfully shared while Vera revealed that they exchanged vows in Poland on May 25th. Barely more than a week after their wedding, she competed in her inaugural 10km race in Cork and was pleased with her performance.
This is the first time Vera has visited Cork, but Pawel is no stranger to running on ‘Leeside’. He competed in the Cork marathon for the first time in 2018, finishing fifth, then fourth in 2019. By 2022, he secured second place confirm his first win the following year.
Upon reflecting on this year’s competition, Pawel admitted it was challenging. He faced strong opposition, and the race became particularly strenuous after the 39km mark, with Irish runner David Mansfield being a constant presence. Despite the competition, he enjoys the race route and applauds the organisation and supportive crowds, which make him consider participating again next year.
Ending the race in second place was David Mansfield of the Clonmel AC, duplicating his second-place ranking from 2017. Meanwhile, Tudor Moldovan from Clonliffe Harriers secured the third position, repeating his achievement from the previous year, and gaining a spot on the podium.
After returning from a hip injury, Mansfield was satisfied with his performance, with his wife Ailish and their two sons, Harry (7) and Ollie (5), being the first to congratulate him on Patrick Street post-race. Despite hoping to improve on his 2017 performance, the challenging conditions and intense heat thwarted those plans. He congratulated Pawel Kosek, the eventual winner, acknowledging his superior performance in the decisive final miles.
Moldovan, a Romania-born Dublin resident of about a decade, expressed similar pleasure with his third-place finish, despite rising temperatures as the marathon began at 8.15am on Patrick Street, going via the city’s suburbs before ending on the same street. Trimming over four minutes off his previous year’s time to finish in 2:25:21, his joy was evident as he held his 10-month-old son, Avery, for the victory photos. He acknowledged the stiff competition and ever-changing pace, describing the situation as a delightful war.
In the women’s race, native Aoife Cooke secured first place, received a tremendous welcome from her home city. The Eagle AC runner, who had been a pacer the previous year, won with a time of 2:56:33. Despite this being far from her personal best of 2:28:36 which qualified her for the Tokyo Olympics, she finished over four minutes ahead of her closest competitor at Leeside.
Cooke, a native from Tower near Blarney, last year ran in the race which he described the atmosphere as astounding. Despite a lack of training for long runs due to recuperating from a calf strain, he decided at the last moment to participate in this year’s race.
He admitted the race was challenging especially with the scorching heat and steep climbs around Farranlea Road and Model Farm Road in the last two to three miles. However, the warmth of the crowd that greeted him as he neared the finish line on Patrick Street was nothing short of sensational.
The runners-up was Yulia Tarasova from Ukraine, who finished with a time of 3:00:57. Despite her second-place finish, Tarasova wasn’t discouraged as she reflected on her journey that started two years ago when she, Dmitry (10), and Jaroslav (6), her two sons, were forced to abandon their Ukrainian residence because of Russian indefensible attacks.
She frequently checks the news first thing in the morning to stay informed about the situation back home while confessing her deep concern for her husband, Alexander, who was left behind. The disturbing nature of the ongoing conflict weighs heavily on her mind, arousing hopes for the war’s imminent conclusion.
Her transition to Ireland and subsequent return to running was not immediate. Tarasova admitted her physical state had deteriorated significantly upon moving and the constant distressing news from home made her anxious. However, to relieve stress, she found solace in marathons, having already won races in places like Tralee and Limerick.
Running has a positive effect on her mental health, although the training is demanding. Currently residing in Tralee for over a year, she enjoys the town’s closeness to nature and works part-time in a local hotel. She also trains with the Clonliffe Harriers in Dublin.
“My pair of lads thoroughly enjoy residing in Ireland – the place is agreeable and I am profoundly appreciative of all that’s been offered to us. The Irish folk are rather cordial, providing us with unwavering support and kindness since our arrival. Not to mention, we feel secure in this friendly environment.”
Taking the stand alongside Cooke and Tarasova in Cork was Andrea Aza Villamor, a Spaniard, who resides in Ballincollig and holds the profession of an electrical engineer. The lady hails from Asturias and this was her second attempt at the marathon in Cork.
“I am not associated with any running club,” she confessed, “and yet this was my second participation at the Cork city marathon – my last year’s placement was in the 20s. This year proved to be quite challenging due to the intense heat. It was especially gruelling around the 21/22 km mark, hence coming third this year is splendid.”