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.

Cillian O’Leary claimed a famous comeback victory in the Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon in 2:30:41 yesterday, as Nollaigh O’Neill-Hunter triumphed convincingly in the women’s race in 2:57:45 in wet and wild conditions.

There was double joy for Robert Heffernan (Togher AC) at the 50km race walk in Dudince, Slovakia on Saturday where he finished fourth in 3:48:44 to qualify for the World Championships in Beijing this summer and a record fifth Olympic Games.

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.

Sergiu Ciobanu didn’t take long to understand the prestige and history of the Ballycotton ‘10’. Fresh off the plane from Moldova, Ciobanu quickly realised victory in East Cork would guarantee household status in local running circles.

South Kerry SFC final: St Mary’s 0-14 Waterville Frank Casey’s 0-7

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.

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.

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

LINDA BYRNE (Dundrum/South Dublin) claimed her place at next year’s Olympic Games in London when she finished sixth in yesterday’s National Lottery Dublin Marathon in 2:36:21 which was just inside the “A” standard set by Athletics Ireland at 2:37.

HE let her catch her breath before popping the question and taking it away again.

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.

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.

Today's Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon was won by Moldovian Sergiu Ciobanu in a time of 2:25:54.

COLIN MERRITT (Carraig na bhFear AC) could go one better than last year if plans for Monday’s Bord Gáis Energy Cork City Marathon materialise.

OVER 3,000 runners will go to the starting line for tomorrow’s “Ballycotton 10”, Ireland’s most enduring and successful road race.

NEWLY-CROWNED national senior cross-country champion, Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe Harriers), is among the entries for the phenomenon that is the Ballycotton 10 road race.

ROY FAHY (East Cork) had hardly fulfilled his ambition to win last year’s race than he was planning a back-to-back double by winning Monday’s Bord Gais Energy Cork City Marathon.

MARTIN FAGAN will go to the line among the favourites for tomorrow’s senior men’s race at the European cross-country championships in Brussels but the Mullingar Harrier knows it will be difficult to improve on last year’s seventh placing in Toro.

ROY FAHY (East Cork) justified favouritism for yesterday’s Champion Sports Cork City Marathon and ensured the title remained at home with a 2:33:55 victory as Cork athletes filled the first three places in a field of 8,000 runners.

ROY FAHY would dearly love to win Monday’s Champion Sports Cork City Marathon after going so close in last year’s June Bank Holiday showpiece.

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.

VINNY MULVEY (Raheny Shamrock), the winner two years ago when he also won the national senior cross-country title, will go to the line as the favourite when the phenomenon that is the “Ballycotton 10” gets under way on Sunday.

TWO horse racing legends led the field a merry dance at Munster Rugby’s annual golf classic at Dundrum House Hotel in Cashel.

ALAN O’SHEA, tipped as a star of the future, took a giant step in the right direction yesterday when easily winning the Cork City Marathon.

A Cork athlete won today’s city marathon when he crossed the finish line in under two-and-a-half hours.

More than 10,000 runners today made history in Dublin by completing a 10km fun run under the city.

VINNY MULVEY of Raheny Shamrocks raced to a comprehensive winning debut in the Ballycotton 10 yesterday as Ireland’s most popular road race entered a new dimension - with a record field of more than 3,000.

John Lenihan dominated the Irish team selection trial during the race on Mangerton mountain near Killarney at the weekend.

MARTIN McCARTHY (Leevale) and Noel Berkeley (DSD) fought out a spectacular sprint finish ahead of a record field of close to 300 at the annual St. Stephen’s Day four-mile road race in Belgooly which was marred by tragedy.