The Irish women’s European Cross-Country winning team will be amongst the medal favourites in the 40th edition of the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships in snow-swept Bydgoszcz, Poland tomorrow.

MARCH 16-22

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.

Athletics Ireland High Performance Director Kevin Ankrom last night confirmed that a women’s team will compete at the World Cross Country Championships in Poland next month.

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 likelihood of an Irish women’s team competing at the World Cross-Country Championships in Poland next March remains a distant one, despite the insistence of Athletics Ireland officials they remain open to the idea.

Fionnuala Britton was a runaway winner of the IAAF International cross country in Antrim today.

The historic Irish women’s European cross country winning team are unlikely to compete at the World Championships in Poland in March according to Athletics Ireland High Performance Director Kevin Ankrom.

Fionnuala Britton reigned supreme again at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country on Saturday confirming herself as the best cross country runner in Europe whilst also issuing a rallying call to Athletics Ireland to send a women’s team to the World Cross Country Championships in March.

Fionnuala Britton opened her 2013 season with an impressive 16-second victory in the Great Edinburgh international cross country.

Fionnuala Britton was already looking to the future after yesterday’s sensational performance at the European Cross-Country Championships in snowy Budapest.

Fionnuala Britton has created history by becoming the first ever woman to retain the European cross country title and has led Ireland to the team gold.

Fionnuala Britton has created history by becoming the first ever woman to retain the European cross country title and has led Ireland to the gold medal.

Linda Byrne was the highest-placed Irish woman in the marathon, finishing in 66th place.

Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana took gold in the Olympic marathon by claiming a surprise victory in London today.

Team Ireland can win their first medal at the Olympic games tonight when John Joe Nevin fights Oscar Valdez Fierro of Mexico in their bantamweight quarter-final.

Robert Heffernan embarks on the first leg of an Olympic double today when he lines up for the men’s 20k walk before embarking on a new Olympic experience in the 50k walk next Saturday.

MARLAY Park in south Co Dublin is a vast space. A collection of large lawns, football pitches and playgrounds, it is surrounded by motorways and busy roads. On a grey Friday afternoon, with clouds assembling and gliding over the nearby Dublin Mountains, two people trot around it, each with very different goals.

Kenyan athlete Freddy Keron set a new course record as he became the first overseas winner of the Cork City Marathon.

Linda Byrne, Ireland's Olympic marathon hope, has won the Flora Women's Mini Marathon in a time of 33 minutes 29 seconds.

Maria McCambridge will not appeal the decision which yesterday destroyed her Olympic marathon dream.

The Athletics Ireland Selection Committee has today announced its Olympic selections in the marathon and race-walking events.

Colin Griffin has boosted the Irish track and field team for the Olympic Games to 18 after sailing past the Olympic A standard to qualify for the 50k race walking at London 2012.

Joanne Cuddihy will compete in the Olympic 400 metres, having become the 17th Irish track and field athlete to qualify for London 2012.

Derek Burnett has become the 40th Irish competitor to qualify for the London Olympics, but that is to be reduced by one as one of Ireland's qualified marathon runners has to be dropped.

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

European cross-country champion Fionnuala Britton has secured her second Olympic 'A' standard for London 2012 by beating the 10,000m mark by 16 seconds.

Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia yesterday smashed the course record when he cruised to victory in the SPAR Great Ireland Run in Dublin’s Phoenix Park yesterday.

Ireland’s Olympic selectors have been given a marathon headache, as a fourth athlete has made the qualifying mark for the women’s marathon at London 2012.

The tenth SPAR Great Ireland Run and SPAR Mini and Junior Great Ireland Runs should create a special atmosphere in the Phoenix Park in Dublin tomorrow as over 11,000 adults and children enjoy a family day out.

The Irish Olympic team has a new member with Maria McCambridge securing qualification for the London Games at the Rome Marathon yesterday.

Maria McCambridge has become the 15th athlete to qualify for the Irish Track and Field team for this year’s Olympic Games in London.

Tori Pena has become the first Irish pole vaulter in athletics history to qualify for an Olympic Games.

Eddie McGinley (Annadale Striders) yesterday won his first Irish senior cross country title after leading from the gun in the Woodie’s DIY Inter Clubs Cross Country Championships in Santry.

DCU make history when they line up for the Distance Medley Relay at the Millrose Games in New York on Saturday night.

Senator Eamonn Coghlan yesterday found the perfect opportunity to help promote his &St Patrick’s Festival 5k and Family Fun Run — in tandem with his mission to improve the physical fitness of the younger generation — when he met a group of transition students from Presentation College, Terenure on a field trip to Government Buildings.

National half marathon champion Ava Hutchinson has achieved the Olympic 'A' standard for the marathon, becoming the latest Irish athlete to qualify for London 2012.

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 has never represented his country but Geoffrey Ndungu underscored the immense wealth of talent that remains untapped in Kenya when he reduced the course record to 2:08:33 to win yesterday’s National Lottery Dublin Marathon.

A novice marathon runner has qualified for the London Olympics after her first run over the distance.

Kenyan Geoffrey Ndungu won today's Dublin City Marathon in a time of 2 hours 8 minutes and 31 seconds.

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.

More than 40,000 runners and walkers will take part in the biggest all-women event of its kind in the world today.

DESPITE less than ideal weather conditions a grand total of 50,000 runners and walkers took part in yesterday’s bank holiday marathons in Cork and Dublin which raised millions of euro for charity.