THEY had lithe aching limbs, sweaty brows and were panting to catch their breath after one of the country’s biggest road races yesterday.

Athletics Ireland announces Fionnuala Britton as sole competitor to travel to the World Cross Country Championships in Kenya.

IRISH athletics is on the brink of unprecedented levels of funding, with Irish Sports Council (ISC) chairman Ossie Kilkenny telling yesterday’s Athletics Association of Ireland (AAI) congress that the ISC is ready to respond to all objective approaches for aid now that new structures have been put in place.

Catherina McKiernan has been selected for Ireland’s Spar European Cross-Country Championships despite missing a key meeting.