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 has confirmed that Nic Bideau will be his new coach as well as his agent next season.

Home favourite Rob Heffernan finished fourth in the 3km walk at the Cork City Sports meet tonight, but was pleased to set a new personal best over the distance as he continues his preparations for the European Championships.

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.

Robert Heffernan crowned a fairytale season when he was named Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards at the Crowne Plaza in Dublin yesterday.

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

An Irish team of eight, headed by double European Cross-Country Champion Fionnuala Britton and Europe’s fastest man over 400m this year so far, Brian Gregan, have been pre-selected for next week’s European Indoor Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.

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.

The Olympic Games chewed 1500m runner Ciarán Ó Lionáird up and then spat him out in unceremonious fashion in London last night and left him questioning his future in the sport.

Twins featured strongly at yesterday’s Woodie’s DIY National Junior & Under 23 Track & Field Championships in Tullamore, with the Monaghans and Nevilles sharing four medals between them.

Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) broke the course record when winning the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon in 2010 and 2011, and that’s his target again as he bids for an unprecedented three in-a-row today.

New technology that examines in forensic detail the movements of Derval O’Rourke as she scales hurdles has allowed the Cork woman to highlight an injury that affected her performance at the recent Irish indoor championships, while also giving her the best possible preparation for the upcoming world indoor championships in Istanbul (March 9-11).

Ireland’s brightest middle distance runners will be on parade in the US this weekend.

DEIRDRE RYAN (Dundrum South Dublin) was named Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry on Saturday night.

There were two exciting new additions to Ireland’s illustrious list of sub four minute milers last night as seven athletes in all went under four minutes in the featured Morton Mile at the Clonliffe Harriers Grand Prix at Morton Stadium.

NATIONAL champion, Sergiu Ciobanu shaved 20 seconds off the course record which he set last year to retain the Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon title yesterday in 2:25:34 and now sets his sights on Olympic qualification.

Moldovian Sergiu Ciobanu has won the 2011 Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon in a record time of 2:25:34, beating the official record he set last year for the marathon by 20 seconds.

LIAM HENNESSY, President of Athletics Ireland, was elected to the Council of European Athletics at the European Athletics Congress in London.

AFTER big runs over 1,500m (3:41.02) at the weekend and 10,000m (28:32.30) two weeks ago, Ciaran Ó Lionáird is all set for a return to Stanford on May 1 to tackle 5,000m.

MOLDOVAN Sergiu Ciobanu yesterday produced a personal best of 49 minutes 37 seconds to win the Ballycotton 10 mile road race in East Cork.

AILIS McSWEENEY (Leevale AC) stormed to a new personal best performance with a sensational 7.32 sec victory in the women’s 60m — just two hundredths of a second off the national record — at the Woodies DIY Irish Indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena yesterday.

Mary Cullen broke away from the field in the final 400 metres to win gold in the 1500 metres final at the Woodie's DIY Irish Indoor Championships in Belfast.

The 2011 Woodie's DIY Irish Indoor Championships got underway at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast today. The highlight was the women's 3,000 metres walk which was won by Laura Reynolds from Mohill AC.

LEADING athletics coach Br John Dooley has picked out Derval O’Rourke, David Gillick and Robert Heffernan as Ireland’s best Olympic medal hopes for the games in London next year.

CATHERINE WAYLAND was the toast of the Irish team at the Paralympic Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand after taking a silver medal in the club throw in the F51 category.

WHEN David McCarthy finished third in the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day, medal hopes for Ireland’s U23 men’s team at Sunday’s European cross-country championships in Albufeira shot through the roof.

CIARÁN O LIONÁIRD feels that the Irish under-23s are ready to compete for the team gold medals at next month’s European Cross-Country Championships in Albufeira.

CIARÁN Ó LIONÁIRD (Leevale AC) finished a close-up fourth in the tough ACC Conference meet at Franklin Park, Boston, where less than four seconds separated the top four finishers.

AILIS McSWEENEY was chuffed when Derval O’Rourke arrived around with a bouquet of flowers on Thursday night.

THE surprise inclusion of a men’s 4 x 400m relay team alongside medal hopefuls, David Gillick and Derval O’Rourke, on the Irish team for the world indoor championships in Doha (March 12, 13, 14) is aimed at the future and, in particular, this year’s European outdoor championships in Barcelona, according to team manager Patsy McGonagle.

OLIVE LOUGHNANE, silver medallist in the 20k walk at the world championships in Berlin, was named Ireland’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ at an awards ceremony in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, on Saturday night.

Olive Loughnane of Loughrea AC was named Athlete of the Year at tonight’s National Athletics Awards in Dublin.

Ireland's Derval O'Rourke lowered her national record to 12.67 seconds as she finished a magnificent fourth in tonight's 100 metres hurdles final at the World Championships in Berlin.

PAUL HESSION believes David Gillick has a superb chance of claiming a bronze medal at next month’s IAAF World Championships in Berlin.

SPRINTERS Paul Hession (Athenry AC) and Derval O’Rourke (Leevale AC) will captain the Irish team to compete in the European Team championships in Slovakia this weekend.

Athletics Ireland has announced that double gold medallist David Gillick will defend his 400m European Indoor title in Italy next month.

Athletics Ireland has announced a 12-strong team to compete at the European Indoor Track and Field Championships in Turin, Italy next month.

AILIS McSWEENEY highlighted her return to form by reclaiming the national indoor 60m title at the Woodies DIY Irish indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast last year but there will be more at stake when she defends the title this year.

WORLD indoor 60m hurdles champion Derval O’Rourke will be among the stars present when her club Leevale AC celebrates its 40th anniversary on Sunday week.

MARK CARROLL will today be confirmed as an entrant in this year’s ING New York City Marathon on November 6.