'Make a decision and stop messing about!'

Derry City & Strabane District Council members have been urged to make a definitive decision on the future of the Waterside Half Marathon and ‘stop messing about’.

The Council released a statement this week stating that both the Derry Half Marathon and the Strabane Half Marathon COULD both potentially be held in 2024, a U-turn on the previous decision to host the events on alternating years, with Strabane prioritised next year and the Waterside Half Marathon returning in 2025.

The statement read: “Elected Members of its Business and Culture Committee have approved a number of measures that could allow both the Waterside Half Marathon and Strabane Lifford Half Marathon to both be hosted in 2024.

“The measures are aimed at increasing the revenue generated by both events by increasing their participation numbers and registration fees and securing additional event sponsors. If the measures are successful, the Strabane Lifford Half Marathon would take place on Sunday May 19th 2024 and the Waterside Half Marathon could be held in September.

“Registrations and sponsorship opportunities will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and further reports will be brought back to the Committee if necessary. The Committee also agreed that Officers would consult with local running clubs about the format of next year’s events.”

The change in stance has been welcomed by local runners eager to retain the Waterside Half Marathon as an annual event, with last month’s race its 40th edition.

City of Derry Spartan and local race organiser Noel McMonagle said it is the right decision.

“I’m delighted to be honest, and I’m delighted that the events team at the City Council have come up with a proposal that could get the two events running year on year,” he stated.

“The most important thing is that we’re going to have a Derry Half Marathon in 2024, which will delight a lot of the local runners and other interested parties.”

McMonagle remains vocal about the importance of the Waterside Half Marathon to the city, and remains adamant that to lose the event would be damaging to the community on a number of different levels.

“It’s so important in terms of the impact it has on the local community; the impact it has on people’s health, in terms of keeping fit and in terms of mental health issues where people can channel their energies into the positivity of finishing a Half Marathon and the training that goes into it,” he continued.

“There’s another knock-on effect of this in the city and the surrounding area; a lot of small charities like HURT, and Foyle Search & Rescue, and ourselves at the Foyle Hospice, we rely on the Half Marathon for bringing us in tens of thousands of pounds every year. If that disappears to every second year, that’s a big chunk out of those charities’ smaller budgets. It’s a nice race for people to get on board and get teams out together to run for all the different charities in the town. For me, taking that all on board, I think it’s great value for the rate payers to keep the Derry Half Marathon.”

Secure

While the news to alternate the Half Marathons shocked many recently, the idea that the same problems could arise in 12 months’ time is enough motivation for the local running community to continue to hammer home the value of the event to the city at large.

“That’s something that need to be ironed out now and they need to give this deal three or four years,” McMonagle insisted.

“You don’t want to be coming up to the week of the Half Marathon next year and be getting the same news again about alternating the Half-Marathons. We all know they’re under pressure on how they distribute the rate payers’ money, but you have to look for value for money as well, and value for money from the Half Marathon is a no-brainer.

“I think there has to be a long-term decision made this year and stop the messing about. Either you’re going to do one thing and stick to it, or do the other, and if there is an alternative needed, an alternative will step up.”