ATHLETICS:MARK KENNEALLY moved a step closer to producing an Olympic marathon qualifying time with his 2:17.22 clocking in Vienna yesterday – the fastest by an Irishman in three years.

With the men’s A standard for London now confirmed at 2:15.00 Kenneally still has some improving to do, yet the Dubliner still took considerable confidence from his debut over the distance.

Vienna also coincided with Kenneally’s 30th birthday, and his 2:17.22 left him in 20th place in what was a typically East African dominated field. Reaching halfway in 1:07.06, he slowed in the second half.

His time was also just one second quicker than what Seán Connolly from Tallaght ran in Rotterdam in last week, and suggests at least one of them could qualify for London.

Victory went to 22-year-old John Kiprotich in 2:08.29 after winning the battle with his team-mate, Patrick Ivuti (2:08.41).