Fagan seeks to impress

MARTIN FAGAN is hoping a big performance in today’s Manchester Road Race in Connecticut will impress the Irish selectors ahead of next month’s European cross-country championships in Albufeira.

The 4.75-mile race has been won by many Ireland’s household names — Eamonn Coghlan, John Treacy, Mark Carroll — and the Mullingar man added his name to the list in 2008.

Last year he broke Treacy’s national record for the half marathon with a 60:57 run in Holland and this year he ran 62:11 for fourth in the Rock’n Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon in New Orleans. But, after failing to come home for the national championships, he was not selected for the European championships.

He trains at altitude in Flagstaff with Greg McMillan’s group but he has been struggling with injury in recent years.

“Since I’ve moved to Flagstaff I’ve had a lot of injury problems,” he admitted. “I partially tore my Achilles tendon a year and a half ago and I have been trying to run through it so I’ve been kind of limited in training.

He feels that he is pretty good shape right now and just needs the confidence of a good run in today’s Thanksgiving Day special.

“Running through these injuries for the last year has been a bit of a blow to the confidence. But the hunger is back now.”

However, it will take a big run in Manchester to attract the attention of the selectors as he cannot get back to Ireland in time for next Sunday’s national inter-counties cross-country championships in Derry.