ATHLETICS: Next month's Rás na hÉireann in Dunleer will for the first time feature Sonia O'Sullivan, who will use the race as part of her preparations for the World Cross Country Championships in Lausanne a fortnight later.

Race director Larry McGuill announced yesterday O'Sullivan had committed to the Louth event on March 16th. The race also acts as the Irish short-course trials for the World Championships with the first two men's and women's finishers assured of selection for Lausanne. Though O'Sullivan has already been pre-selected for the World Championships she was eager for a test run over the 4km short-course distance.

O'Sullivan has not raced since her disappointing experience in the New York marathon last November, but she plans to start her season in Japan this Sunday at the Chiba Internataional Cross County. The main short-term target will be the World Championships in Lausanne, where she hopes to help the Irish women's team repeat last year's bronze medal performance in the short-course event at Leopardstown.

"I have always been excited to run with the Irish short-course team," said O'Sullivan. "We have managed to finish third in the world twice over the past decade, but I am also pleased that the opportunity is now at hand to run in the Rás."

Reigning Irish cross-country champion Ann Keenan-Buckley is almost certain to be among O'Sullivan's opponents, while Britain's Kathy Butler is a confirmed starter.

Previous winners of the men's race include world 10,000 metre champion Charles Kamathi of Kenya and Olympic 5,000 metre champion Millon Wolde of Ethiopia, and a couple of leading Africans are expected to start again this year.