Crowds 10ft deep cheered as runners completed the final stretch of yesterday’s Dublin Marathon.

A record 20,000 runners will stride out on Merrion Square South tomorrow morning for the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon, with club runners from Acorn AC right through to Youghal in search of that coveted finishing medal.

Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock AC yesterday led the field home to win his first Ballycotton 10-Mile title, finishing strongly in 49:20, 20 seconds, clear of Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers, (49:46) and third-placed Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel AC) in 49:54.

Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrocks has won this year's Ballycotton 10 road race.

Bandon’s Phil Healy gets Irish interest underway at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade today and she, like the rest of the Irish team, will need to be at her best to advance past the first round.

Raheny Shamrock’s Mick Clohisey and UCD’s Ciara Mageean will be two of the leading lights at the Irish Life Health National Cross Country Championships at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus tomorrow.

Mark Hanrahan of Leevale Athletic Club led home an entry of well over 3,000 yesterday in the annual Ballycotton 10-mile road race in East Cork.

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.

A father and son literally made it a ‘family affair’ after losing a total of 63kg in less than two years.

Thomas Barr was in scintillating form at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational Meet in Florida on Friday, winning the 400m hurdles in 49.08 seconds — a world championship qualifying time.

Fionnuala Britton produced the best road race of her career to finish second at today’s Spar Great Ireland run.

A fifth victory in a row by Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers in the men’s race in and a course record winning time of 54:20 by Maria McCambridge of Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club were the highlight performances at yesterday’s annual Ballycotton 10 mile in East Cork — the 38th running of this Irish road classic.

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

A blistering opening morning session for the Irish team saw four athletes progress to semi-finals at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Prague.

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. 

Emerald’s Ciara Neville announced herself as a star of the future at the GloHealth National Indoor Championships in Athlone as current stars Mark English and Kelly Proper continued their dominance.

Athletics.

Fionnuala Britton will earn her 31st international cap at next month’s European cross country championships in Bulgaria.

Leevale AC’s men and DSD women proved themselves to be the best in the country when they emerged victorious at the GloHealth National League Final at Tullamore Harriers Stadium yesterday.

Rob Heffernan will lead an Irish team of 25 athlete’s to Zurich for next months Europeans, which take place from August 12 – 17.

Athletics: Ireland finished a solid seventh out of 12 teams at the European Team Championships 1st League in Tallinn, Estonia yesterday with some notable victories on the track.

The triumph and tragedy of sport was encapsulated by Harry Purcell’s magnificent senior 800m and 400m double before he pulled a hamstring in the 4x100m relay at the Aviva All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore on Saturday.

Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers coasted to a comfortable victory in yesterday’s Ballycotton 10-mile in East Cork — the 37th edition of this famous road race classic.

Sergiu Ciobanu, the Moldovan native who runs with Clonliffe Harriers, will start favourite to win tomorrow’s annual Ballycotton 10 mile road race in East Cork — the 37th edition of this classic event.

Kelly Proper joined Rob Heffernan as Ireland's most decorated indoor champion at today’s Woodies DIY national indoor championships.

By Will Downing

Paul Pollock has recorded the best ever position achieved by an Irish athlete in a World Athletics Championships men’s marathon.

Poland’s Bartosz Mazerski denied Clonliffe Harriers’ Gary O’Hanlon a fifth marathon victory in eight weeks at the Cork City Marathon yesterday, winning in 2:28:29 while 2008 Beijing Olympian Pauline Curley ran a new women’s course record of 2:47:44.

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.

Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) coasted to victory in the 36th running of the Ballycotton 10 mile road race.

A strong team of 11 has named to represent Ireland at the European Indoor Athletics Championships, which get underway in Gothenburg on Friday.

Not even a missing spike key could deter Mary Cullen from dominating the Woodie’s DIY Inter Club Cross Country Championships in Charleville Estate in Tullamore yesterday.

The Woodie’s DIY National Senior Indoor Championships are set for a major facelift this weekend in Athlone with some of Ireland’s top class athletes set to compete alongside the country’s leading club athletes.

The Woodie’s DIY AAI Games in the new Athlone IT indoor arena produced a long list of new personal bests and one new record.

Maria McCambridge won’t lack motivation when she contests today’s Dublin City Marathon.

Alistair Cragg has revealed that this morning's 5,000m heat is probably his last track race of his career.

Alistair Cragg has missed out on a place in the final of the 5,000 metres.

A taste of the Olympics comes to Dublin tomorrow night (7.15pm) as a host of star names compete in the Morton Games before going for gold in London.

The Woodie’s DIY National Championships take place at the Morton Stadium, Santry this weekend.