Fionnuala Britton had an encouraging second place at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in challenging conditions at Holyrood Park on Saturday.

Running: The inception of the Dublin marathon in 1980 proved to be a catalyst for the original running boom in Ireland, and for Jerry Kiernan, it was a glorious time.

Paula Radcliffe hopes to undergo surgery at the end of this month on the foot joint which forced her to withdraw from the Olympic marathon at London 2012.

Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana took gold in the Olympic marathon by claiming a surprise victory in London today.

Derval O’Rourke’s participation in next month’s London Olympics is in doubt after she pulled out of yesterday’s defence of her 100m hurdles title at the Woodies DIY national championships in Morton Stadium.

Maria McCambridge has become the 15th athlete to qualify for the Irish Track and Field team for this year’s Olympic Games in London.

Senator Eamonn Coghlan yesterday found the perfect opportunity to help promote his &St Patrick’s Festival 5k and Family Fun Run — in tandem with his mission to improve the physical fitness of the younger generation — when he met a group of transition students from Presentation College, Terenure on a field trip to Government Buildings.

JOE SWEENEY may have other things on his mind but his coach, Jerry Kiernan, won’t be surprised if he adds his name to the list of qualifiers for next year’s Olympics.

SONIA O’SULLIVAN definitely won’t be lining up for the London 2012 Olympic Marathon, but the Cobh superstar is a likely starter for the 2011 Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon on the June Bank Holiday Monday.

Paula Radcliffe has delayed making a decision on when she will return to competitive racing until she knows how well her foot has recovered from surgery.

MARTIN FAGAN is set to become the first Irishman to win the Great Ireland Run while European indoor bronze medallist, Mary Cullen, is aiming to complete an Irish double by landing the women’s title.

FOLLOWING his record-breaking run in Holland last weekend, Martin Fagan has returned to his training base at Flagstaff, Arizona, but he will be back in Ireland in two weeks when he will bid to become the first Irishman to win the Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park.

HAILE GEBRSELASSIE raised the bar of his already distinguished career by taking his own world marathon record under two hours four minutes, for the first time in Berlin yesterday.

Ireland's Martin Fagan has bowed out of the Olympic Men’s marathon before the 35km mark, with 5km to go.

Ireland's men's team have suffered two withdrawals ahead of next week's World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh.

VINNY MULVEY (Raheny Shamrock AC) raced to a solo and very satisfying victory in yesterday’s Ballycotton ‘10’ and then confirmed what more than 3,000 entrants proclaimed that this is the best 10-miler in these islands.

MARTIN FAGAN’S hopes of a quick return to the US to complete his preparations for next month’s Houston Marathon were dashed yesterday when he failed to get a quick visa to re-enter the country.

MARTIN FAGAN’S participation in next month’s Houston Marathon will depend on the outcome of a meeting today with officials at the US embassy in Ballsbridge.

ATHLETICS Ireland have been in touch with the Department of Foreign Affairs asking them for assistance in getting Martin Fagan’s status rectified so that he can re-enter the US and pursue his Olympic dream.

MAX JONES, Ireland’s new Director of Athletics and the man entrusted with the task of breathing new life into the sport, will soon travel around the country to meet the coaches and volunteers.

Epsom have gained a court order preventing ‘Father’ Cornelius Horan coming within two miles of the racecourse at this weekend’s Vodafone Derby meeting.

Two European Cross Country Champions and an indoor silver medallist have joined the elite field for the Great BUPA Ireland Run which takes place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin on Saturday, April 9 next.

Neil Horan, the 'dancing priest' who has been defrocked by the Pope, says he intends to hold a vigil outside Buckingham Palace to publicise what he describes as the unjust way the Catholic Church has treated him.

The Irish priest who disrupted the Olympic marathon last year has vowed to ignore the Vatican's decision to remove him from the priesthood.

The Irish priest who disrupted the Olympic marathon in Athens last year has been officially defrocked by the Vatican.

Paula Radcliffe may have been nearly eight minutes slower than her world record, but her victory in yesterday's ING New York City Marathon was among the most important of her career.

Contoversial Catholic priest Neil Horan did a jig outside the Old Bailey in London today after being cleared of a sex charge.

Paula Radcliffe has revealed her determination to run at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing – and again at the age of 38 in London in 2012.

The Brazilian runner obstructed by a rebel Kerry priest in the Olympic marathon said he would “love” to come to Ireland and “hug” his family.

The Olympic Council of Ireland is reportedly considering inviting Brazil’s Vanderlei de Lima to act as an honorary marshal at the Dublin City Marathon this October.

The defrocked Irish priest who sabotaged the Olympic Marathon vowed today that his illegal stunt days are over.

Relatives of the former Irish priest who disrupted the Olympic marathon in Athens yesterday have said they were hurt and upset by his actions.

Joyce Chepchumba, twice winner of the Flora London Marathon, believes Paula Radcliffe has made the right decision not to to contest Sunday’s race.