Sonia sets her sights on the Big Apple
The long legs of the Cobh woman helped her storm around the seaside roads of Portsmouth in 51 minutes dead, clearly suggesting that after an illustrious track career - which she still intends pursuing - O’Sullivan is steering a course for the Big Apple on November 3.
Yet even after slicing a healthy 16 seconds from the previous world 10 miles best of US citizen Colleen De Reuck, then running in South African colours achieved in Washington four years ago, O’Sullivan remained tight-lipped about her marathon career. But the steady programme of road races which she has undertaken in the last few weeks and has planned over the next month, clearly indicate O’Sullivan is building herself up for an autumn marathon.
New York, where she has close ties with the organising committee, is looking the likeliest location and her amazing performance yesterday saw O’Sullivan give the strongest hint yet, that she is seriously considering the trip.
After thrashing her rivals - Commonwealth 10,000m bronze medalist Susie Power of Australia was runner-up in 52 minutes 52 seconds with fellow Australia Natalie Harvey third in 54 minutes dead O’Sullivan admitted the jigsaw puzzle of her future career was coming together.
Asked about her marathon prospects, the 32-year-old O’Sullivan, who earned silver medals in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at last month’s European Championships but almost immediately halted her track season to concentrate on road running, said: ‘‘Of course the win and the time has told me a lot.’’
Last Sunday, O’Sullivan narrowly missed the world five kilometres record by two seconds in London. On September 22 she tackles arch English rival Paula Radcliffe over 10km in Richmond Park, then follows with the BUPA Great North Run on October 6 and Great Ireland Run a week later.
O’Sullivan added: ‘‘I’ve now got a fast 10 miles time and I’ll be aiming to run under 70 minutes for a half marathon in the Great North Run. That will tell me about my shape.
‘‘I’m also looking forward to Loughrea which will be my first back home since the European Championships.’’
While O’Sullivan ponders about the way ahead, the thousands of spectators lining the streets of Portsmouth marvelled at the blistering world record run she produced - although her pre-race plan was only to better the five-year-old course record of exactly 52 minutes.
‘‘There was a very quick start to the race. I was straight into my rhythm and was immediately running freely,’’ said O’Sullivan, who covered the first mile in 4:56.
‘‘I knew it was a fast venue and I was able to maintain an almost constant pace.
‘‘I wasn’t thinking of the world record until the later stages of the race. I always felt there was the possibility of breaking Liz McColgan’s record and that was my major intention.
‘‘Even when I saw my time at the halfway distance (26:26) I felt that was the likely target. But then the crowd began to lift me and by eight miles and I managed to pick up the pace again.
‘‘I knew I then I was heading for a time of under 52 minutes, but still didn’t think De Reuck’s record was on. However, returning to seafront, there wasn’t a breath of wind and I decided to give it everything I had.
‘‘Coming down the finishing stretch was a great feeling, the spectators were making me try harder and harder,’’ said O’Sullivan who ran the last mile in a staggering four minutes 48 seconds.
As the crowd roared along O’Sullivan, ahead of the women’s winner, Simon Kisamili won his second Great South Run title in four years from Matt O’Dowd of Swindon and Bristol’s Ben Noad.
The Kenyan, twice established a lead then found himself caught, outsprinted O’Dowd to take the title by two seconds in 47:27. Noad who was dropped after seven miles, finished in 48:10.
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