A host of international stars are set to take on some of Ireland’s best athletes at the Athlone International Grand Prix this evening.

Thomas Barr comfortably cruised into Wednesday’s semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles on the opening morning of the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.

Thomas Barr comfortably cruised into today’s semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles on the opening morning of the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.

Phil Healy is an athlete in a hurry.

Rob Heffernan will lead an Irish team of 25 athlete’s to Zurich for next months Europeans, which take place from August 12 – 17.

The opportunity to lay down early season markers and maybe achieve a qualifying performance for the various summer championships has seen a huge entry of over 200 athletes for the annual Leevale T&F meeting tomorrow.

Mark English has recovered from a respiratory tract infection and is looking forward to leading a small Irish team of to the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland next week (March 7-9).

Mark English leads a small Irish team to next month's IAAF World Indoor championships in Sopot, Poland.

Marcus Lawler and Kelly Proper saved the best until last at the Woodie’s DIY National Senior Indoor Championships in Athlone when they powered around their respective 200m races in record-breaking fashion while Amy Foster snaffled a world indoor qualifying time in the 60m, pipping Phil Healy in the process.

Marcus Lawler and Phil Healy have continued their rapid ascent since being a class apart at the All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships last summer and the two sprinters are set to star at the Woodie’s DIY Senior Indoor Championships in Athlone this weekend.

Sarah Lavin’s stock continued to rise yesterday at the British Athletics Indoor championships in Sheffield with a bronze medal over the 60m hurdles in 8.25 moving her to second on the Irish all-time record list.

“I’m not finishing fourth,” was Fionnuala Britton’s mantra in the last three laps of the 3,000m final as the teak tough Wicklow woman won a fighting bronze medal yesterday.

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

Robert Heffernan put on a masterclass of race walking to win his 15th national title but felt the atmosphere ‘dead’ on day one of the Woodie’s DIY National Indoor Championships in Athlone on Saturday.

A blanket finish to last night’s Morton Mile in Santry saw 10 runners break four minutes as American runner Will Leer led the field home in 3:56.39 from David Torrence, (USA) in 3:56.40 and Ryan Gregson, (Australia) in 3:56.45. Ireland’s Ciarán Ó Lionaird, (Leevale A.C), finished sixth in 3:56.02.

DERVAL O’ROURKE (Leevale) bounced back from a disastrous run in Crystal Palace the previous day to win her ninth title at the Woodies DIY National Senior Championships at Morton Stadium yesterday.

PAUL HESSION returned to the scene of his fastest run to claim his place in the 200m at next year’s Olympic Games in London.

Derval O'Rourke continued her build-up for the World Championships by winning her ninth national title at Santry's Morton Stadium today.

Paul Hession ran his fastest time of the year at today's Woodie's DIY National Senior Track & Field Championships, and in doing so secured his place at the 2012 Olympics.

CIARÁN Ó LIONÁIRD (Leevale), fresh from his sensational 1,500m run in Oordegem, Belgium, will contest the 800m at this weekend’s Woodies DIY national senior championships at Morton Stadium, Santry.

CIARA MAGEEAN (City of Lisburn) kept Irish athletics in the headlines after winning silver in the 1,500m at the European junior track and field championships in Tallinn yesterday.

FOLLOWING medal successes at the world youth and European U23 championships, Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn) will be one of the favourites at the women’s European junior 1,500m final in Tallinn on Thursday morning.

There were two exciting new additions to Ireland’s illustrious list of sub four minute milers last night as seven athletes in all went under four minutes in the featured Morton Mile at the Clonliffe Harriers Grand Prix at Morton Stadium.

Mary Cullen broke away from the field in the final 400 metres to win gold in the 1500 metres final at the Woodie's DIY Irish Indoor Championships in Belfast.

DERVAL O’ROURKE is out of next weekend’s World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar with a hamstring injury.

THE surprise inclusion of a men’s 4 x 400m relay team alongside medal hopefuls, David Gillick and Derval O’Rourke, on the Irish team for the world indoor championships in Doha (March 12, 13, 14) is aimed at the future and, in particular, this year’s European outdoor championships in Barcelona, according to team manager Patsy McGonagle.

DERVAL O’ROURKE goes to the World Indoor Championships in Doha next month looking for a repeat of Moscow four years ago when she turned in a succession of storming performances en route to the 60m hurdles title.

DERVAL O’ROURKE got her season off to a solid start at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast where she retained her indoor 60m hurdles title in 8.18 secs at the Woodies DIY indoor championships of Ireland.

PAUL HESSION believes David Gillick has a superb chance of claiming a bronze medal at next month’s IAAF World Championships in Berlin.

The men’s 4 x 400m relay team set a new record in their heats at the World Junior Championships in Poland today.

ALISTAIR CRAGG is favourite to win the Woodies DIY National Cross-Country Championships at his first attempt in Belfast this afternoon.

EILEEN O’KEEFFE launched herself into 13th position in the global rankings for the year when she took her national record to 73.21 metres en route to a seventh successive hammer throw title at the Woodies DIY National Track and Field Championships at Morton Stadium on Saturday.

Paul Hession was the outstanding performer at the Irish Indoor Athletics Championships in the Odyssey.

ANDY LEE will be the star attraction again when he defends his middleweight title at the finals of the national championships in the National Stadium tonight.

Brendan Mooney