Marathon champion Crean lines up trip to Derry

Ava Crean would like to compete at the cross-country championship.

New national marathon champion Ava Crean looks set to compete in the Irish cross-country championships in Derry this month.

With all eyes on the teenage phenom's next move after her remarkable Dublin Marathon debut, her coach John Kinsella has said travelling to Derry is a 'no brainer' if logistics permit.

Kinsella also revealed that toeing the start line at the 130th Boston Marathon next April, or Berlin in September, are possibilities.

Speaking on the latest edition of the Runners Diary podcast, Crean herself said that she would like to compete at the cross-country championship on November 23.

"We were going to keep that a secret!" smiled Kinsella of heading to Derry. "Like I said before, I don't want Ava missing out on any opportunities whatsoever. Everything is going to get full thought and if logistics say it can be possible to do, then 100 percent we're going to send her up and do it. It's a no brainer."

Crean's 2:34.12 finish in Dublin last Sunday week, making her the first Irish woman home, came in just her third marathon. She completed the Manchester and Limerick marathons earlier this year.

Kinsella, who himself finished 22nd overall in Dublin, running 2:26.51, believes she has done enough to be considered for high performance funding now.

"I 100% want Ava to definitely at least try to get some support from high performance," said Kinsella. "The talent she has, she deserves to be representing the country, whether it's in the cross country or a 5k or whatever. We've already kind of got goals set, we're already thinking about next year. If none of that works out, Boston could be on the cards, or Berlin. We have options. At the end of the day it's Ava's choice what she wants to do. I'm going to support her 100%."

At just 19, Crean has emerged as a special talent and Kinsella acknowledged that he felt the pressure personally as her coach.

"When I get a chance to work with someone like Ava, definitely I was probably doubting myself at the start," he said.

Crean herself said she didn't initially travel to Dublin believing that she could strip Ann Marie McGlynn of her national title.

"The first three or four kilometres, I was second guessing all my life choices!" she smiled. "I was like, 'How am I supposed to hold this (pace)'. Because for the first three or four kilometres, I felt terrible. I was going a bit slower than my goal pace. I was thinking, 'This pace might be off the cards today'."

Even beforehand, when the elites gathered for a pre-race briefing, she said she 'felt completely out of place' and 'so nervous'.

But her marathon times look set to drop further with Kinsella noting that he didn't push her even close to her limits in training.

"I'm listening to her breathing, there wasn't one session where I heard her huffing and puffing," he said, adding that she's 'going to get faster as well'. "I know that for a fact. I know that because I didn't push her."

* The full interview with Ava Crean and John Kinsella is available on the latest edition of the Runners Diary podcast.