Crossing the finishing line of the Cork City Marathon will signal a sweet victory for Sanctuary Runners, with Irish people running alongside those in direct provision, writes Noel Baker.

The long-held suspicion that Sonia O’Sullivan was cheated out of medals at the 1993 World Championships has been strengthened by claims from a Chinese whistleblower that the country ran a systematic, widespread doping programme through the 1980s and ’90s.

From Atlanta in 1996 to her elimination from Celebrity Masterchef, running has always helped Sonia O’Sullivan overcome her setbacks. She tells Esther McCarthy why she reaches for her running shoes to deal with life’s challenges.

In fairness, if the lads aren’t fired up after being spoken to by this company of legends - there is no hope.

Athlete Sonia O’Sullivan is to travel from Australia to attend the unveiling of a lifesize sculpture dedicated to her in her Co Cork hometown later this month.