Two new national records were set by Irish relay teams on the penultimate day of the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.

Athletics Ireland High Performance Director Kevin Ankrom has defended the decision to not follow the European marathon selection policy for the women’s team with the late inclusion of Fionnuala Britton and Sarah Mulligan by declaring it as only a guideline.

The shock announcement on Sunday that Fionnuala Britton will run in the marathon at the European Championships on August 16 is a high-risk strategy which has raised eyebrows in the athletics community.

Distance runners often look lucky to be able to stand up after some races, but one man fell to his knees for a very different reason yesterday.

Fionnuala Britton has made a shock decision to run the European championship marathon later this month.

Fionnuala Britton had that familiar fourth feeling akin to the European cross country championships at a windswept Phoenix Park yesterday where Poland’s Iwona Lewandowska was a surprise winner at the Spar Great Ireland Run 10k in 33:39.

A gutsy performance from Fionnuala Britton saw her finish just outside the medals in fourth position at the European Cross Country Championships this afternoon.

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.

MIRROR, mirror, on the wall — which of us is truly happy with our looks, warts and all? Just 12% of women think they’re attractive, research by beauty brand Dove has found.