WORLD SILVER medallist, Olive Loughnane, faces her first big assignment of the year when she lines up for the European Cup Race Walking in Olhão on the Algarve on Saturday.

AFTER big runs over 1,500m (3:41.02) at the weekend and 10,000m (28:32.30) two weeks ago, Ciaran Ó Lionáird is all set for a return to Stanford on May 1 to tackle 5,000m.

OLIVE LOUGHNANE, Robert Heffernan and Jamie Costin will have Barcelona on their minds when they line up for their respective events at the Coppa Città di Sesto San Giovanni near Milan, the Italian leg of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge today.

THE OFF-SEASON has been tough for some of the world’s leading race walking women – many of whom are already eyeing the final event of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Beijing next September when a $30,000 cheque will await the winner.