Group of asylum seekers to run Dublin Marathon in ‘celebration of people’

A running group made up of asylum seekers and locals taking on the Dublin Marathon hope to break a record on Sunday as they complete the course in a “celebration of people”.

A group of 100 people will run as part of the Sanctuary Runners team in the Irish capital, with a quarter of them seeking international protection in Ireland.

The group believes this will be the highest number of international protection applicants to have ever taken part in a full marathon worldwide.

Graham Clifford, founder of Sanctuary Runners, said the record attempt is “the celebration of people who just happen to be from all over the world”.

“Some of these people would have spent time living in tents because there was an accommodation shortage,” the 47-year-old, from Kerry in Ireland, told the PA news agency.

“They live in situations where they share communal wash facilities with many others. They share rooms with many others. They have very little money in their pocket, so going out and buying fancy running gear or gel or whatever isn’t something they can do.

“So to get to the start line is an amazing achievement.”

Among the group of 25 running the race are Thobekile Ncube, 41, and Thembi Tshuma, 37 – both are from Zimbabwe and are living in an accommodation centre in Fermoy, Cork, with their respective daughters.

Ms Tshuma, who is doing cleaning and security work, told PA: “Sanctuary Runners means the world to me. If it wasn’t for Sanctuary Runners I don’t know where I’d be.

“Running has transformed me from being in a dark situation to one now where I feel I have so much power to think and make the right decisions.

“What a wonderful team we will have in Dublin. People from all over the world, together as one.

“Many people talk about solidarity, but I feel this is it in action. I just can’t wait to run with all my friends from Ireland and across the world.”

Sanctuary Runners currently has 42 groups across Ireland, with more than 20,000 people having taken part in its activities since its launch in January 2018.

The group focuses on community integration, using running, jogging, walking and swimming to bring together the local community and those who have come from other countries.

Mr Clifford said: “We’re all on this one WhatsApp group, 100 of us. So about 75 of us are Irish, and about 25 are from all over the world.

“It’s just an amazing dynamic to have such an eclectic team.

“This will be a celebration of people. Not legal status, not nationality, not ethnicity or skin colour, but a celebration of people who just happen to be from all over the world.”