Catherine Whoriskey creates Waterside Half Marathon history!

Catherine Whoriskey has reflected on just how far she has come, on her way to creating Waterside Half Marathon history as the first ever female to win the event five times.

The local mum of two raced into Ebrington Square to a rapturous reception before crossing the finish line in a time of 1:18:56 to seal her record-breaking win, taking her out on her own ahead of four-time winners Moira O’Neill and Anne-Marie McGlynn.

The City of Derry Spartan was a clear winner again, finishing ahead of Road Runners’ Elaine Harvey, 1:22:02 in second place and third-placed Keep Er Lits’ Elaine McGuckin, 1:25:50.

“It’s amazing, absolutely amazing for me, to win it for a fifth time,” she said afterwards. “The crowd was a lot bigger this year and coming up into Ebrington was electric. This was the pinnacle of my running, to get that atmosphere, to come in and to cross the line first, I’ll not get to do that forever. I’m coming near 40 and I’m embracing it every time I get to finish first, so it was just electric.”

Not one for the limelight, Catherine admits she spent the days leading up to the race trying to focus on her preparations only, and not the prospect of creating Waterside Half Marathon history.

“I wasn’t aware until people were tagging me on Facebook. I duked in and duked out again,” she laughed. “When I focus on the win or the outcome, the nerves come in and the fear comes in, so I just kept trying to focus on the process, what I was doing each day to get to the start line; what I was going to do on the morning of the race and to get through the race to get to the finish line, so I tried not to think about the outcome too much.”

Catherine has now won the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2023 Waterside Half Marathons, and she admitted that she spent some of the run reflecting on years gone by.

“I’ve had quite a journey with the Half Marathon,” she continued.

“I ran with Sparta as a junior, as I do now as a grown up. I ran a relay leg when I was about 14 and it was a really hot day, even hotter than this, and I remember having a big massive, adult t-shirt, a Waterside Half Marathon t-shirt down to my ankles nearly. It was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life, and it was probably only four miles and here I am, years on.

“Running around that course today, that was in my head, how far I’ve come. The first year I won this, I didn’t expect to win it and every year I cross the line I don’t expect to win it. I love it. This year. This is what was pulling me forward every day, it gave me something to get up for every day, it pushed me out the door to do my runs when I didn’t want to do it, it got me into the gym when I didn’t want to go. It made me eat right, it made me sleep right, so it kept me going all year just having it on my doorstep.”

New course

This year’s course was predictably a lot tougher on runners, but Catherine welcomed the new addition of the new Strathfoyle Greenway, even if it was an extra challenge.

“I actually loved the Strathfoyle bit,” she explained. “I had never run out there before but it was beautiful. I love out in the wilderness, out in the middle of nowehere, and it was nice and peaceful. There were a few wee supporters out there, which was great. I actually loved it because when you know the roads, you know what to expect, but when you throw in something new that you don’t know, I actually think I might run out that way again just to experience it again.

“I actually enjoyed it, but the first half was a lot hillier so it could catch people off guard early. Up to 8 miles where we cross the Foyle Bridge, that used to be six miles before, but we had 8 miles with a lot of hills, so it was going to be a lot of hard work for a lot of people.”

In recent days, it emerged that next year’s event will not take place due to a cost cutting measure by Derry City & Strabane District Council, and opinions on that have been varied. But Catherine believes the new system of alternating between Derry and Strabane could make the event even more prestigious.

“Hats off have to go to the organisers, because a lot goes into the day, roads have to be closed, and there’s health and safety and everything has to be taken into consideration,” she said.

“I can understand from that point of view. It might even make it bigger and better and might make us hungrier, the excitement of it coming back to the road again. Unfortunately, I’ll be a lot older. I just think, as long as it’s here, as long as we can look forward to it sometime and it’s not being taken away for good. Strabane is just up the road so it will always give me something to look forward to.”

Catherine will now take a deserved break from Half Marathons, and be it next year or the year after, she is hoping to be front and centre when the Waterside Half Marathon returns.  

“I don’t take any day for granted,” she stated. “You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, you don’t know what’s going to happen next week. I’m just so grateful to be here today, and I’ll be even more grateful if I get to another start line the next time it’s on in the city. Watch this space.”

See tomorrow's Derry News for the very best coverage from the 2023 Waterside Half Marathon