Carroll sets half marathon record in build-up to New York

THE spotlight may be on Sonia O’Sullivan in the lead up to the New York marathon but Mark Carroll could be a dark horse in the men’s race despite the competitiveness of the field.

The Leevale man fine-tuned his preparations a week ago when he won the half marathon around Central Park in 63 mins 11 secs a new course record. Reports indicate it was an easy run for him and afterwards he continued on for another seven miles to complete his training for the day. He will be tapering off for his marathon debut next week and, needless to say, there is a lot of excitement surrounding his current form.

Keith Kelly accompanied him for seven miles in the Central Park race and has been training with him as he prepares for the upcoming cross-country season. The former NCAA champion missed last season and the track season with a recurring hip injury that has cleared up.

Racewalker Robert Heffernan, a qualified masseur, has been helping Carroll with his preparations. He was due back in Cork this week but has agreed to remain on for another week in the lead up to the marathon.

Gareth Turnbull from Belfast is also training in Providence in preparation for the cross-country season and

Seamus Power (Kilmurry/Ibrickane) left no one in any doubt who they will all have to beat with his performance in Loughrea on Sunday when he decimated an international field.

In the end it was the ever-green horticulturist Noel Berkeley who

followed him home.

The Cork-based Dubliner went into the race off big wins in Tinryland and Rathfarnham and, when Power launched a series of surges that

reduced the leading group to three runners, he was one of those left in contention. Power is now looking forward to the race he has dominated for almost a decade the national inter-counties championships in Donoughmore on November 24.

He will have another rival challenging for his title when he lines up for that race. Martin McCarthy (Leevale) missed Sunday's run in Loughrea on account of injury but expects to be back in full training in a week or two.

McCarthy went into the Rathfarnham race suffering from slight shin splints but the following day realised he had made a mistake. He could hardly walk on Monday and, unable to run for a week, there was no way he could make the trip to Loughrea.

"It was a big disappointment for me all right," he said. "I was committed to Rathfarnham and I took the chance. But all is not lost. I am working away in the gym at the moment and I have six weeks until the national inter-counties championships in Cork. Speculation surrounds the possible

return of Catherina McKiernan to the international team in the near future amidst reports she has been seen training in the Phoenix Park in the presence of her old coach Joe Doonan.

The life and times of Corkman Bill Nestor will be recalled at Jury's Hotel, Cork, on Friday night when the Hibernian Athletics Historical Association and the Cork City Sports Committee present Irish Athletics in the 20th

Century at the Bill Nestor Memorial Dinner.

Dr Cashel Riordan is the guest speaker. Some rare footage going back to the beginning of the last century will be shown. Tickets are available from

Martin Lynch, who can be contacted at 021 4963853.