Hundreds of people turned out to pay tribute at this year’s Cork City Marathon to Ellen Cassidy (24), a runner who collapsed and died at last year’s event.Cassidy’s parents, Tom and Violet, spoke before the race about participating in this year’s half marathon to remember their daughter, who suffered a fatal cardiac event as she rounded Finn’s Corner on the Grand Parade near the finish line in Cork city centre in 2025.“Ellen would have liked to run the marathon or the half marathon every year – she’s not around to do that but Violet and myself said we want to do that along with her family and a lot of her friends,” Tom told Today with David McCullagh on RTÉ Radio 1 earlier this week.Violet recalled her last phone conversation with their daughter on the morning of the race. They were visiting relatives in Kerry and were unable to cheer her on as a last-minute entrant.She said she promised her daughter “we will be there for you for your next marathon”, adding: “She is not with us on Sunday but there are over 200 of us who will run it or walk it – we will be there for her.”Ellen Cassidy was an Irish international swimmer and among those who ran the half marathon on Sunday in special yellow T-shirts were friends and fellow swimmers Isabelle Gibbs and Aoife Leahy from Galway, Rebecca Lowe from Westmeath, and Amy Fitzpatrick from Tipperary.Friends of Ellen Cassidy: Amy Fitzpatrick, Rebecca Lowe, Isabelle Gibbs and Aoife Leahy after completing the half marathon in Cork city. Photograph: Darragh Kane “It was emotional,” said Gibbs. “The streets were all yellow with balloons and banners and just seeing her name – everyone came out and everyone was just so supportive which was great because Ellen was always just the most outgoing and supportive person, telling people to always keep going.”“It was like she was with us every step of the way with everyone cheering us on,” said Lowe. “You could feel her the whole way through – it was just so special for her family to come here and run themselves and see the support for them – it was so inspiring for everyone who knew Ellen.”[ Athlete who died shortly after finishing Cork marathon ‘led with open arms’, says fatherOpens in new window ]Also running to remember Ellen, who was from the Old Mallow Road on the outskirts of Cork city, was her friend, Sadhbh Buckley from Whitechurch who went to school with Ellen at St Angela’s in Cork city.“It was very emotional at the start listening to Violet talking but with the balloons and the music going and we had a big bunch around us, we just took off and we knew Ellen was there with us and we just pushed through – it was just amazing to be able to do it in memory of Ellen,” she said.Former lord mayor of Cork Cllr John Sheehan was running his 13th marathon and was struck by how many among the 12,300 runners and 25,000 spectators were aware of what it meant for the Cassidy family. “There was a lot of emotion because we were remembering Ellen and that hugely added to the occasion – going through Ballyphehane, the roads were a sea of yellow, it was so emotional and it was just an honour to be taking part in the marathon today,” said Sheehan who finished in 4.29.Some 3,000 runners took part in the full marathon with Stephen McAuley, a native of Ballymena, Co Antrim, who is now based in Co Donegal, winning the men’s race in 2.22.42 and Chris Jeuken of Derg AC in 2.24.20 and Wayne Waldron in 2:26.22.Melissa Gibson from Australia won the women’s marathon in 2:40.41 ahead of two Cork athletes, Andrea Aza Villamor of Glanmire AC, who finished second in 2:48:05, and April Quinn of Togher AC who took third place in 2:56:01.Some 500 sanctuary runners drawn from asylum seekers and other members of the immigrant community also participated in this year’s race including Dave Walsh (86) from Pouladuff Road in Cork.