Marathon Events Management (MEM) has appointed 1920 Worldwide as the exclusive commercial agent for its full portfolio of events, including the flagship Irish Life Dublin Marathon, the Irish Life Race Series, and the newly introduced Dublin City Half Marathon.
The move is part of a broader commercial strategy to enhance brand partnerships, increase value for participants, and expand the reach of one of Ireland’s largest mass participation event portfolios. This will include a new opportunity for brands to engage with the events with the introduction of a premium partner offering. Collectively, the events reach over 50,000 runners annually, with a growing digital and in-person community of supporters and spectators.
MEM events consistently sell out. And 2025 also saw the successful launch of the Dublin City Half Marathon – sold out in under 2 hours – which welcomed 12,500 runners and immediately established itself as a significant new event on the national running calendar.
Race Director Jim Aughney commented: “With the Dublin City Half Marathon launch and continued demand for our events, we’re entering an exciting new phase. Our community of runners is growing year-on-year, and with it, the opportunity for partners to connect in more meaningful, long-term ways.
“We wanted to bring in the right expertise to help us on this journey. We are introducing a new premium partner level, offering deeper integration across the full portfolio, and we’re excited to collaborate with 1920 Worldwide to shape the next chapter of our commercial story.”
Gavin McAllister, Managing Director of 1920 Worldwide (Ireland), added: “We’re delighted to be working with Jim and the team on the evolution of their commercial strategy. With three flagship events now in place, brands have a 12-month opportunity to maintain engagement with the running community. We see real potential to innovate across the portfolio and create partnerships rooted in participation, purpose, and performance.
“As part of the ongoing development of a commercial strategy, our focus will be on creating added value for brands, the organisers, and the runners.”
1920 Worldwide (Ireland) is a Dublin-based sports marketing and commercial innovation consultancy, focused on helping rights holders unlock new assets, expand revenue streams, and develop meaningful brand partnerships rooted in purpose and participation.
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For queries relating to Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Dublin City Half Marathon please contact: Sinéad Galvin | sinead@galvinsportsmanagement.ie
About 1920 Worldwide (Ireland)
1920 Worldwide is a sports marketing and innovation business headquartered in London, with offices in Dublin, San Francisco and Dubai. The Dublin office is headed by Gavin McAllister, who formerly headed the sponsorship team at Three Ireland for over a decade, with deep expertise in rights-holder strategy, commercial innovation and integrated brand partnerships.
