ROY FAHY (East Cork) justified favouritism for yesterday’s Champion Sports Cork City Marathon and ensured the title remained at home with a 2:33:55 victory as Cork athletes filled the first three places in a field of 8,000 runners.

ALAN O’SHEA, tipped as a star of the future, took a giant step in the right direction yesterday when easily winning the Cork City Marathon.

Pat Nugent of the St Mary’s club in Clare, the winner of cross-country and indoor titles earlier in the season, added the Munster Masters’ road championship to his tally on a windswept course at Lisdoonvarna yesterday.