Determined Mary Cullen back on track

Mary Cullen came perilously close to walking away from athletics.

Devoid of funding and beset by a plethora of injuries, her track career had effectively ground to a halt.

Her family, her coach and her boyfriend convinced her otherwise and this afternoon she will toe the starting line for the women’s 5,000m at Santry, her first time competing at the national championships since 2007.