Aoife Cooke: The Olympics is the pinnacle for every athlete. For it to be within grasping distance is huge

The 14-minute personal best Aoife Cooke ran on the afternoon of the Dublin marathon a fortnight ago - she was the first Irish woman home in 2.32.34 - would have been enough to get her onto the start line at any previous Olympic Games.

Securing a ticket to Tokyo, though, is anything but straightforward, even if you do boast an impressive 2.32 time.