McKiernan re-launches career in Belgium

CATHERINA McKIERNAN is all set to re-launch her athletics career in the Grand Cross Challenge race in Belgium on Sunday.

It had been hoped Ireland's fastest- ever marathon runner would make her long-awaited return at the national

inter-counties cross-country championships in Donoughmore. But yesterday she confirmed her first race will be in Belgium.

She pulled out of the Grand Cross Challenge in Ghent last Sunday week when she realised she was not quite ready.

"But I am coming around, bit by bit," she said yesterday. "I would not be near what I was at all but, hopefully, I am heading in the right direction."

She said she has been training seriously since last August.

"Really, I had to start from scratch," she said. "And one thing I have learned is that there are no short cuts.

"But, to be honest, I am really looking forward to racing again. I want to give it another good shot. I don't want to have any regrets."

Her last cross-country race was in Dunleer some years ago when she drew the biggest crowd ever to the annual Ras na hEireann showpiece.

"It is a long time ago - maybe too - long and a lot has happened since then," the 32 year old Cavan-born athlete

She missed the Sydney Olympics through injury, married RTÉ broadcaster Damien O'Reilly shortly afterwards and gave birth to their first child eight months ago.

She admits she missed running, was excited about getting back training and is now looking forward to Sunday's race but has not made any long term plans.

"On Sunday I would like to go out and have a middling good run and get the appetite back," she said. "Right now I am taking each day as it comes - I have learned from this business that it is a bit like politics. They say a day is a long time in politics. A day is a long time in athletics too.

"I realise that I may not be quite as strong as I was. But I am getting there and when you are fit and strong you can do anything."

She was four times a silver medallist at the world cross-country championships when she lost out sensationally to a different athlete each year.

But her consistency is reflected in the fact she won the IAAF cross-country challenge - based on placings on all the Grand Cross Challenge races - for four successive years and, in between, she won the European cross-country title in Durham in 1994.

She broke the national record for 10,000m on the track three times but injury prevented her from converting that form into medals at major championships. Her style and composure made the transition to the marathon inevitable and, after some spectacular performances over the half marathon - she ran what was the fastest ever debut marathon - 2:23:34 - to win Berlin in September 1997.