Four people have registered to participate in the first-ever non-binary category as part of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon. A spokesperson for the race confirmed the news ahead of its 2023 edition, taking place on October 29.

The representative also explained that there will be prizes and medals designated to that category, similar to those for the master age groups for those aged over 35 and divided by increments of five years. In those race categories, first place receives €150, second place receives €125, and third place receives €100.

According to The Irish Times, the spokesperson said that the new non-binary group “will make a positive impact, allowing for (participants) to enter in a category that matches their identity”.

“Runners were given the opportunity in August to change their entry to the nonbinary category should they wish to do so. Following that process, four participants will run in the nonbinary category,” she added. 

The move was first announced in May this year, adding to the increasing list of marathons around the world that have already started introducing dedicated categories for non-binary people, including events in big cities such as New York, Chicago, Boston and London. The non-binary category in the Dublin Marathon was established following consultation with the running community, and particularly Dublin Front Runners. 

According to Dublin Marathon Race Director Jim Aughney, several members of the LGBTQ+-inclusive group “said they hadn’t run the event in the past because non-binary wasn’t included”.

“When we got that feedback from runners it was something we needed to add,” Augney commented at the time.

“During the discussions, we said we’ll see how many and what the time profile is for those [non-binary racers] as to whether we can actually do a tape finish for them or not…And we’ll sit down and consult with them when we get entries in with a view to improving on it year on year as the category grows.”

This year’s sold-out event on October 29 will have a reduced capacity of 22,500, compared to 25,000 in 2022, due to “infrastructure restrictions” around the course. John Treacy has been selected as the official race starter, marking the 30th anniversary of his 1993 Dublin Marathon win in a time of 2:14:40.