‘She is what courage is all about’ – Colin Farrell pushes friend Emma Fogarty across Dublin Marathon finish line as more than 22,000 runners take part

As well as reaching the 42 kilometre mark, the Hollywood actor, along with Ms Fogarty, hit a major milestone, raising over €700,000 for Debra Ireland.

The charity supports those living with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a severe and painful skin condition that means sufferers have a life expectancy of 30 to 35 years.

Ms Fogarty is the longest person alive with EB, and joined the Oscar nominee for the final 4km stretch, with each final kilometre representing a decade of her odds-defying life.

Ms Fogarty, pushed by Farrell, was in her wheelchair and was bandaged tightly due to her ‘butterfly skin’ condition, EB, which causes severe blisters as well as open wounds.

The great friends, who met 16 years ago when Farrell had dinner with the biggest donor to Debra Ireland, were cheered along the final stretch or ‘purple mile’ to the end line.

After crossing the finish line at four hours and six minutes through his home city, Farrell said: “I have known Emma for many years and she epitomises bravery, she is what courage and pure determination are all about.”

The 48-year-old Castleknock native said the run was “nothing compared to the pain she is forced to endure every single day, even though she doesn’t show it”.

“It was an honour to see her waiting for me with 4km to go, each of those representing a decade of her life, and to do the final stretch together. I’ll never forget it,” he said.

Galvanised by the support, the pair are now aiming to hit the €1million mark, after €470,000 was donated by Late Late Show viewers last week, with all funds going to EB services.

Ms Fogarty described the day as a “dream come true” and thanked Farrell for being the “most supportive, generous and loyal friend”.

“He has always shown his compassion and empathy for people living with EB and is true champion in my eyes.

“Running a marathon is never easy but once he committed to it there was no going back, he is a man of his word,” Ms Fogarty said.

Aside from Farrell, who recently starred as Gotham City’s The Penguin, others embracing the spirit of fancy dress ahead of Halloween, namely from the superhero universe, were seen on the city streets, most notably three people, dressed in Spider-Man, Ironman and Batman costumes.

Singlets of all different colours lined and lit up Leeson Street from 8am as over 22,000 people descended on Dublin from all across the island of Ireland and the world, took part in the marathon.

Banners, bunting and streetside signs buoyed on family and friends, as four waves, consisting of wheelchair users, men, woman and staggered times set off in 20 minute intervals in a bid to reach the finish line in less than seven hours.

The marathon was a lifelong bucket list item for many participants, who passed through the quays, the North Circular Road, Phoenix Park and down to Kimmage and through Templeogue Road as part of the course.

In the final leg, coming back through Stillorgan and Ballsbridge, the race ended in a mixture of tears, smiles and photo finishes on a purple-clad Mount Street Upper.

The elite athletes were first to scoop the silverware in the city’s 43rd marathon.

Kenyan athlete, Moses Kemei was crowned the Irish Life Dublin Marathon winner with a personal best time of 2:08.47. Hiko Tonosa, who runs with Dundrum South Dublin AC shattered the Irish record, claiming the national title in 2:09:42, coming third.

In the women’s category, Asmirach Nega, coolly breezed past her opposition, coming first in a course record time of 2:24.13.

The Irish women’s national title went to Ann-Marie McGlynn of Letterkenny AC in a time of 2:34.05.

“It’s hard to come back as defending champion, your card is marked, everyone is coming for you and it was mine to lose, but I wasn’t losing that today. I was taking that cup home,” she said after crossing the finish line.

Scotsman Sean Frame took the wheelchair title with 1:45.14.

Aside from the attention grabbing feat of Farrell and Ms Fogarty, Collete O’Hagan (six hours, 51 minutes) was one of many who stole the show, with the 75-year-old finishing her 1,000 marathon.

The Dundalk woman, who has now run a millennium of marathons, has come full circle, having run her very first one in Dublin in 1990 at 41 years of age.

Ms O’Hagan, whose public support from the sidelines equated that of Farrell’s through signs and well wishes, averages 100 marathons per year, running her 900th in 2023.

She was joined in a similar vein by two other senior runners, one in their 60s and another in their 70s, who have run all 43 consecutive Dublin City marathons, since 1980.

Martin Kelly (62), from Griffith Avenue, who crossed the Dublin Marathon finish line at 3.42.27, has run every single marathon in his home city since the age of 18.

Mary Nolan Hickey (72) who also holds the same accolade, clocked in at 3.42.27.

The Wicklow woman has run every single marathon held in Dublin, with her best time being two hours and 57 minutes, while heavily pregnant.

Running out of pure “passion”, she first made headlines in 2018 after running a 1,509-mile-long ‘Lap of the Map’ around Ireland’s entire coastline to raise funds for the RNLI.

Also a part of the marathon’s collective story, was a running group made up of asylum seekers and locals who were took on the course in a “celebration of people”.

The 100-strong group ran as part of the Sanctuary Runners team in the Irish capital, with a quarter of them seeking international protection in Ireland, with many of them having slept rough, in tents or in communal living in the lead up to this year’s event.

Ahead of the race, the group said this will be the highest number of international protection applicants to have ever taken part in a full marathon anywhere in the world.

Irish comedian, Rory O’Connor (four hours, 47 minutes) as well as Kilkenny All-Ireland hurling winner Jackie Tyrrell (three hours, 55 minutes) formed part of the celebrity contingent who crossed the finish line.

A siege of tricolours were hoisted high into the air at the finish line by contestants as they shared loving embraces with waiting family members, showing off their new Irish Life Dublin Marathon medal.

The piece of silverware was crafted by Myla Sirvyte, a student at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin and features a rotating bottom disc that symbolises the runners’ journey through the city’s iconic landmarks.

These include: Stephen’s Green archway, Georgian buildings on Merrion Square, St Patrick’s Cathedral, the James Joyce bridge, Kilmainham Gaol, the Phoenix Monument and Áras an Uachtaráin.

After picking up his medal, Hiko Tonosa, who broke the Irish record, said he was “so happy” and hoisting the tricolour added: “This is the one country that saved my life.”

He grew up in Ethiopia and first came to Ireland in 2017 for races, but while in Dublin he learned his friend had been killed as part of the persecution of the Oromo people and decided to seek asylum in Ireland.

“Thanks to all the Irish behind me, helping me. I was thinking to get the Irish flag around 1km to go, I couldn’t find it, but I know I can hold this flag. This is the one (country) that saved my life, so I need to hold this,” he said.