10°
Around 10 degrees Celsius at the start with a light 7mph south-south-westerly wind
1998 Ballot results
The datasheet
TCS London Marathon 1998 ballot: 18th edition, 29,972 finishers
The 1998 Flora London Marathon is the day Catherina McKiernan ran 2:26:26 to become the first Irish runner to win the London Marathon.
Edition
18th edition
Applications not published by race organiser
Field size
29,972
Total finishers
Race day
Apr 26
1998
Good-for-age
M2:52 W3:38
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 1998 notable
The 1998 Flora London Marathon belongs to Catherina McKiernan, who became the first Irish runner to win the race. The 28-year-old from County Cavan trailed by more than a minute at halfway, then passed the leaders just after 20 miles and ran clear to win in 2:26:26, 28 seconds ahead of Liz McColgan of Great Britain in 2:26:54, with Joyce Chepchumba of Kenya third in 2:27:22. In the men's race Abel Anton of Spain waited until Birdcage Walk before sprinting clear to win in 2:07:57, ahead of Abdelkader El Mouaziz in 2:08:07 and Antonio Pinto in 2:08:13. Conditions were cool, around 10 degrees Celsius at the start with a light south-south-westerly wind.
Year over year
Applications over time
Applications · 2011 → 2026
164K170K167K170K173K247K254K386K414K578K840K1.13M
'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'24'25'26
Qualifying
Good-for-age standards
View full age-group standards
| Age group | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:52:00 | 3:38:00 |
| 35-39 | 2:52:00 | 3:38:00 |
| 40-44 | 2:57:00 | 3:43:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:02:00 | 3:46:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:07:00 | 3:53:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:12:00 | 3:58:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:34:00 | 4:23:00 |
| 65-69 | 3:52:00 | 4:53:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:52:00 | 5:53:00 |
| 75-79 | 5:07:00 | 6:13:00 |
| 80-84 | 5:27:00 | 6:38:00 |
| 85-89 | 6:10:00 | 7:10:00 |
| 90+ | 7:20:00 | 7:45:00 |
FAQ
Questions about the 1998 ballot
Why is the 1998 London Marathon remembered?
Catherina McKiernan ran 2:26:26 to become the first Irish runner to win the London Marathon, passing Liz McColgan and the rest of the field after 20 miles.
Who won the 1998 London Marathon?
Catherina McKiernan of Ireland won the women's race in 2:26:26, ahead of Liz McColgan of Great Britain in 2:26:54. Abel Anton of Spain won the men's race in 2:07:57, with Abdelkader El Mouaziz second in 2:08:07.
How big was the 1998 London Marathon?
Around 96,000 people applied, 42,228 had their applications accepted, 30,663 started and 29,972 finished. The application total was reported only as a round figure, so no exact applications count is recorded here.
When was the 1998 London Marathon held?
Sunday 26 April 1998. It was the 18th running of the race, held under Flora sponsorship.
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