Sean Hehir became the first Irish winner of the Dublin marathon in 20 years this morning.

A miserable opening day for Ireland at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow saw the three in action on the track miss out of qualifying for their respective semi-finals, while Irish interest in the women’s marathon ended after eight kilometres.

Mark English and Paul Robinson both bowed out of the 800m in the first round heats on the opening morning of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

The world’s greatest distance runner, Kenenisa Bekele, will take centre stage at the Spar Great Ireland Run 10k in the Phoenix Park tomorrow as local hope Linda Byrne targets victory in the women’s race in what promises to be a spectacular festival of racing.

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

Dundrum South Dublin pair Joe Sweeney and Ava Hutchinson claimed the titles at today’s Woodies DIY National Cross Country Championships in Ratoath Co.Meath.

Togher AC’s Rob Heffernan was named as the Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards in association with Woodie’s DIY and Tipperary Crystal on Saturday night.

Strong wind at Santry Stadium played a telling factor on Day One of the 2012 Woodies DIY National Track and Field Championships today.

Olympic team manager, Patsy McGonagle, predicts Ireland could have 24 athletes at the London Olympics.

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

Scotland’s Freya Murray was an admittedly ‘unexpected’ winner of the SPAR Great Ireland Run as she beat the returning Jo Pavey to claim victory in today’s 10-kilometre women’s race at the Phoenix Park.

Mary Cullen has finished first in the senior women’s race at the Woodie’s DIY Inter County Cross Country Championships at Kilbeggan this afternoon.

David Gillick has today secured his place in the final of the 400m at the World Championships in Berlin.

Irish sprinting star Paul Hession has qualified for this evening's quarter-final rounds of the 200 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, having finished second in his heat.

David Gillick has received a huge boost ahead of the World Track and Field Championships as he was today named the Crowne Plaza Athlete of the Month for July.

Paul Hession, the big draw on the second and final day of the Woodie's DIY Senior Track and Field Championships in Santry, was forced to withdraw from the 100 metres today due to illness.

Irish U-23 athlete Linda Byrne is making her first senior athletics outing for her country this weekend, and they don't come much bigger than this – the World Cross-Country Championships.

The big guns are all still in sight of winning the men's 800m title as David Campbell, Thomas Chamney and David McCarthy all qualified as easy winners of today's heats.

Gerry Ryan and Rosemary Ryan have won the Adidas Irish Runner Five Mile road races in the Phoenix Park.

Athletics Ireland have announced their team for the upcoming European Under-23 Championships in Hungary.

JOANNE CUDDIHY hopes to continue her impressive form in the first round heats of the Women’s 400m at the European championships in Gothenburg this morning.

Reigning European indoor 400 metres champion David Gillick could be bound for Moscow as a late addition to the Ireland squad for the World Indoor Athletics Championships.

IRELAND’S representation at the World Athletics Championships in Helsinki was down to 11 yesterday following the withdrawal of David Gillick.

A total of 12 athletes are to represent Ireland at the World Athletics Championships, beginning on August 5, after Athletics Ireland announced their team today.

THE battle of the women sprinters took on a new dimension at the Woodies DIY National Senior Championships in Morton Stadium yesterday when hurdler Derval O’Rourke entered the fray and almost pulled off what would have been a sensational double.

EIGHT sportspeople have been named in the Athletics Ireland’s World Class Panel, a key component of the Association’s new Performance Plan.

GARY MURRAY (St. Malachy’s) claimed the national inter-clubs cross-country title at Santry on Saturday after an exciting duel with Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe Harriers) as the young guns finally wrestled control of the championship from the old guard.

A total prize fund of €8,000 will be on offer at the 25th annual Rockford Rooftile Four-Mile Road Race in Tinryland village, Carlow tomorrow at 2pm.

The disqualification of the United States 4x400m men’s relay team from this evening’s World Championship final has seen Ireland claim a much coveted bronze, the country’s first ever relay medal at any level.

NOEL BERKELEY (Dundrum South Dublin) may be going for his seventh win in Ireland’s premier road race, the Nike Ballycotton 10, on Sunday, but his enthusiasm hasn’t waned.

WITH national champion and record-holder Paul McKee and runner-up Rob Daly opting for the 200m, bronze medallist Antoine Burke will carry Irish hopes in a star-studded 400m at the Dublin International Games tonight.