By Will Downing

Seán Hehir and Maria McCambridge capitalised on the domestic entry at the 34th Airtricity Dublin Marathon yesterday to become the first joint Irish winners since 1993 in two exciting duels that ebbed and flowed as record numbers took to the streets for the classic distance.

Marathon legend Dick Hooper believes there is “a golden opportunity” for domestic winners of Monday’s Airtricity Dublin Marathon with no elite foreign entries toeing the line due to budgetary constraints.

Mark English and Paul Robinson both bowed out of the 800m in the first round heats on the opening morning of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

Caitriona Jennings has admitted missing out on the Olympics having achieved the necessary qualifying time would be “devastating”.

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.

LINDA BYRNE will add to an already exciting women’s field in the National Lottery Dublin Marathon this morning with the national championships incorporated in the event.

JIM AUGHNEY, the man responsible for founding and developing the Dublin Marathon and Race Series, was one of 11 volunteers honoured for their outstanding contribution to sports at a ceremony at the Aviva Stadium yesterday.

THERE was good news for Ireland ahead of next year’s Olympic Games in London following the appointment of Dr Marie-Elaine Grant to the International Olympic Committee’s Medical Commission (Games Group).

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

Dublin city centre will come to a standstill tomorrow as a record 12,750 runners pound the streets in the capital’s marathon.

SEAMUS POWER has conceded defeat in his battle to be fit for Sunday’s European cross-country championships near Milan and will be replaced by national inter-clubs champion Vinnie Mulvey on the Irish senior squad.

THE absence of the likes of reigning champion Gary Murray (injured) has thrown today’s national senior inter-club cross-country championships at Santry Demesne wide open. And it could be just the race for Vinny Mulvey.

A Kenyan runner today broke the Dublin Marathon’s 21-year-old record.