Lizzie Lee produced a front-running performance to win the national half marathon championships in 73 minutes and 27 seconds on the streets of Dublin yesterday.

UK Athletics has found no evidence of wrongdoing by Mo Farah in the initial findings of its investigation into allegations of doping against his coach Alberto Salazar.

Mark English advanced to the 800m semi-finals by running an impressive 1:48.10 at the European Indoor Championships in Prague yesterday.

Mark English is not shying away from the expectation that will rest squarely on his young shoulders when he leads a dozen-strong Irish challenge at next month’s European Indoor Athletics Championship. 

By Will Downing

Fionnuala Britton’s manager, Ian Chaney, insisted she will be focusing purely on her training, with media contact at a strict minimum, upon yesterday’s announcement of the Irish team for the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on December 8.

Kenenisa Bekele’s star quality was able to pierce through a blustery crosswind at the Spar Great Ireland Run 10km in the Phoenix Park yesterday.

Geoffrey Ndungu of Kenya retained his Dublin Marathon title yesterday, finishing in 2:11.09, well outside last year’s course record time of 2:08.33.

The tenth SPAR Great Ireland Run and SPAR Mini and Junior Great Ireland Runs should create a special atmosphere in the Phoenix Park in Dublin tomorrow as over 11,000 adults and children enjoy a family day out.

Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) yesterday retained his Ballycotton 10 mile road race title with a powerful display in East Cork.

Eddie McGinley (Annadale Striders) yesterday won his first Irish senior cross country title after leading from the gun in the Woodie’s DIY Inter Clubs Cross Country Championships in Santry.

JOE SWEENEY strengthened his stranglehold on the domestic cross-country scene when he produced another powerful front-running display to retain his Woodies DIY inter-counties title at Sligo Racecourse yesterday.

WITH so many stars absent through injury the Woodies DIY National Senior Track and Field Championships at Morton Stadium over the weekend may not have left things straight forward for the selectors who will name the team for the world championships later today but they provided fans with plenty of entertainment.

THE fact that AAI won’t be sending short course teams to the world cross-country championships in Brussels next month may have taken some of the gloss of yesterday’s championships at ALSAA, near Dublin Airport, but the keenness of the competition was reflected in sprint finishes to both the men’s and women’s races.

CATHERINA McKIERNAN yesterday heralded her return to form when capturing the national inter-club cross-country title which she last won 11 years ago.