Carroll looks for a big race to silence his critics

MARK CARROLL has spent most of his career chasing Africans around the tracks of Europe and this experience, although frustrating, could stand to him tomorrow when he makes his marathon debut in New York.

The 30-year-old Corkman could be regarded as the forgotten man of Irish athletics despite the fact that he holds the national records for 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m all world class times no other male Irish athlete has held all of those marks at the one time.

Now he faces the unknown but also the biggest pay day of his career but write him off at your peril.