ATHLETICS: Olympic qualification will be the chief target for Martin McCarthy when he competes in Sunday's Berlin Marathon.

Two hours, 12 minutes flat would secure his place on the Irish team for Athens next year, and the reigning national cross-country champion is confident he can come close.

McCarthy (30) had been putting off his marathon plans for several years until he felt the time was right, and both the fast Berlin course and his own thorough preparations should now stand to the Corkman.

"The training has gone as well as I could have hoped," he says. "I've put in all the necessary mileage and groundwork, and from that point of view the preparation has been perfect.

"I haven't raced that much, with only a half marathon in Bristol, and the 5km road race in Dublin earlier this month. But I'm very excited about it now. It's been hard tapering down to 40 miles a week when you're used to doing 120, so I'm feeling very fresh now."

Ireland have had no representation in the men's Olympic marathon since Barcelona in 1992, and McCarthy is still hoping he can achieve his goal next spring should he fall short in Berlin.

The AAI, meanwhile, have named Séamus Power and Peter Mathews on the Irish team for the Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park on Sunday week, October 5th, with Sonia O'Sullivan and Catherina McKiernan heading the women's team. Eight other countries will also compete in the team race: Spain, Italy, Australia, Belgium, Scotland, England, Germany and Portugal.