Catherina McKiernan is in a dispute with BLE which could put her out of the world half-marathon championship at Zurich on September 27th.

McKiernan asked BLE officials to enter her for the IAAF championship event in which she is one of the favourites to win the title and prize money of £25,000. But unless she is prepared to enter into contractual arrangements with BLE for races later in the season, her request is likely to be denied.

At issue is her participation in the national interclub cross country championship next February and the world championships in Belfast the following month.

BLE have sought assurances that she will compete in both events and have stressed that selection for Zurich must be tied in with her preparedness to run in Ireland.

"It is not unreasonable to expect her to compete in the national cross country championship in which her inclusion in the race would have obvious implications for sponsorship," a BLE spokesperson said.

"And at a time when people in both parts of this island are moving closer together, it is incumbent on us as a national organisation to make every effort to back up Sonia O'Sullivan by having Catherina McKiernan in our team in Belfast.

"It is now almost 20 years since the world championship was held in Ireland and it's not too much to ask our best athletes to take part in it".

McKiernan said last night that she hadn't agreed to a contract to run in the two races because she wasn't planning ahead of November 1st, when she is due to make an attack on the world marathon record in Amsterdam.

"I never said that I wasn't going to compete in these events," she said. "Of course, I want to run in the world championship and the fact that the race is in Belfast makes me doubly want to do so. But at this point I'm not in a position to sign a contract undertaking to do so.

"To my knowledge, this is the first time that BLE has ever asked for a contract like that from an athlete. And I'm mystified to know why it should be me.

"When I first contacted them about Zurich they said that they didn't have the money to send me. Then, when I informed them that I would pay me own way there, they went on about having to send a team manager with me.

"Joe Doonan, my coach, is a man who plans everything meticulously. And he reckons that if I am to do well in Amsterdam, it is essential that I be given the chance of preparing for it with a good run in Zurich.

"I don't want to be involved in hassle with BLE. All I want is the chance to represent my country well in Zurich. But it now appears as if I'm not going to be given that opportunity by the body that is supposed to be promoting athletics."

McKiernan, a convincing winner in Lisbon the last time she competed in a half-marathon, was on course for a meeting with the Kenyan Tecla Larupe, the world record holder for the marathon, in Zurich.

It's not the first time that the world half-marathon championship has occasioned controversy. Last year, BLE dismayed many when they scrapped plans to send men's and women's teams because of a lack of funding.

Essentially, it is regarded as a team event and there is a view within BLE that it would be inappropriate to enter McKiernan as an individual, particularly if she holds back guarantees for the other two races.

Meanwhile, leading British marathon runner Liz McColgan travelled to Limerick yesterday for urgent physio treatment from Gerard Hartmann after an injury interrupted her preparations for the Great North Run on October 4th and the Tokyo Marathon in Nov ember.

McColgan had hoped to defend her Great South Run Title in Portsmouth on Sunday but the injury to her heel prevented all running in the past week and instead she sought out Hartmann, who has looked after her injuries for several years.

"We can't really tell how bad the injury is at the moment," said Hartmann, "although she will be here for at least a week for treatment."

Hartmann's reputation brings athletes from all over the world, and his recent treatment of Kelly Holmes has enabled the British number one to regain fitness and defend her Commonwealth 1500 metres title in Kuala Lumpur next week.