A record 20,000 runners will stride out on Merrion Square South tomorrow morning for the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon, with club runners from Acorn AC right through to Youghal in search of that coveted finishing medal.

For several of Ireland’s best marathoners, the door finally closed on Olympic qualification at the London Marathon yesterday, with the race to Rio de Janeiro now left in the hands of selectors ahead of next month’s deadline.

With a splash of purple in her hair, Fionnuala Britton cut a new look for the new year and battled to an encouraging second place at the picturesque Holyrood Park for the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country on Saturday.

By Will Downing

Kenenisa Bekele’s star quality was able to pierce through a blustery crosswind at the Spar Great Ireland Run 10km in the Phoenix Park yesterday.

Derval O’Rourke was left holding back the tears after just missing out on a medal in the 60m hurdles final but even that heartbreak couldn’t take away from an exceptional day’s work by the Irish team on day one of the European indoors in Gothenburg

A remarkable opening day for Ireland at the European Indoor Athletics Championships was narrowly denied a golden finish when Derval O’Rourke was edged out into fourth in the final of the women’s 60 metres hurdles.

A hugely positive opening morning session for Irish athletes at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg has seen Brian Gregan and Ciarán Ó Lionaird win their heats, with Derval O’Rourke progressing through also to tonight’s sprint hurdles semi-finals.

Sonia O’Sullivan believes success “should be expected” by Irish athletes at the European Indoor Championships, which begin this morning in Gothenburg.

European Cross Country champion Fionnuala Britton is playing down her chances at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg this weekend.

A strong team of 11 has named to represent Ireland at the European Indoor Athletics Championships, which get underway in Gothenburg on Friday.

An Irish team of eight, headed by double European Cross-Country Champion Fionnuala Britton and Europe’s fastest man over 400m this year so far, Brian Gregan, have been pre-selected for next week’s European Indoor Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.

Ciarán O’Lionaird (Leevale AC) smashed his PB for the mile when he finished third in Wannamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in The Armory in New York on Saturday night.

Recently-crowned European Cross County champion Fionnuala Britton took the women's title at today's Antrim International IAAF Cross County Permit meeting.

CIARA MAGEEAN has secured the most lucrative sponsorship deal in the history of Irish junior athletics after signing a six-figure deal with sportswear giants New Balance.

SPEEDSTERS Derval O’Rourke and Paul Hession head up a strong Irish side to travel to Budapest for the second European Team Championships on June 19-20.

Ireland secured a sixth place finish in the men’s U-23 race at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships at Santry Park, Dublin today.

Only one Irish athlete per race will compete in next month's World Cross-Championships in Japan.

VINNY MULVEY (Raheny Shamrock) made the 100-metre trip from his apartment to claim the National inter-club cross-country championship title in spectacular fashion at Santry Demesne on Saturday from young Mark Christie (Mullingar Harriers) and his flatmate, Killian Lonergan.

Brendan O’Neill (St. Michael’s, Dublin) will be bidding to replicate his performance as a junior two years ago when he lines up for the under-17 race at the SIAB Schools Cross-Country International in Denbigh, Wales, tomorrow.