ATHLETICS: No one said it would be easy, but when Cian McLoughlin crossed the line as the first Irish finisher in yesterday's Dublin Marathon - winning the national title in the process - he had the look of a man experiencing those three words that mark the entrance to Dante's Inferno.

The 32-year-old Dubliner had run six marathons before, yet this one had clearly taken him to hell and back. He'd sat in with the chasing group until halfway, feeling good, but then got detached.

Around 20 miles he started to suffer, and when passing the RDS at about 22 miles he felt like someone was stabbing him repeatedly in the right side.

"That was very tough," he said, "a really different kind of agony you normally get while running. I was about to stop at one stage but Dick Hooper shouted at me to keep going. But I was sure the other Irish guys were about to pass me."

McLoughlin had luckily built up a substantial lead on the rest of the Irish, holding on for 10th overall in 2:22:37.

Galway's Paul McNamara finished fastest of all, coming from fourth to second in the closing miles to clock 2:25:44 for 13th overall, in his debut at the distance.

Donegal's Pauric McKinney - six times a runner-up - ran another brave and consistent race to take 16th overall and the bronze medal in 2:28:51.

Unfortunately for the defending champion, Gary Crossan, the legs just weren't fully with him on the day. The four-time winner was next Irishman home in 2:31:48, outside the medals and 20th overall.

The race to be the first Irishwoman to finish was decided only in the final strides when Belfast's Jill Shannon managed to steal ahead of the defending champion, Pauline Curley of Tullamore, to take the national title.

It was a superb effort by Shannon, in what was also her debut, clocking 2:42:46, but a cruel defeat for Curley, who had led for most of the distance and ended up losing out by just two seconds.

"I didn't think my legs would last it," said 24-year-old Shannon, who took up competitive running only in the last two years. "Hopefully I can build on this, but I want to go back to the track and cross-country first."

The brave Curley was understandably inconsolable.

But the marathon, despite its close resemblance to hell, has a way of drawing you back.