ATHLETICS: After a spectacular series of records on the roads recently, Sonia O'Sullivan has set a different sort of target for Sunday's Loughrea five-mile road race, an event now officially known as the Great Ireland Run. As her final race before the New York City marathon in three week, O'Sullivan will be deliberately slowing down the pace in order to work on more technical aspects of her marathon preparations.
At this point O'Sullivan is satisfied the build-up to her formal debut over the 26.2-mile distance has gone exactly to plan. Her stunning Irish half-marathon record of 67 minutes 19 seconds at the Great North Run last Sunday followed similar record-breaking runs over 10 miles and five kilometres in the previous month. So the focus now is solely on New York on November 3rd.
"I'll not be chasing any records this time," she said yesterday. "Instead my major plan of action is to test out collecting and drinking water along the route, which is something I need to perfect."
O'Sullivan admitted that she didn't experiment with any drinking during last Sunday's Great North Run, but the technique will play a vital part in her full marathon attempt.
She also wants to support the Galway event where three years ago she won in 24.27 - a world best at the time, but never ratified because of a downhill stretch on the course.
"Coming back to Loughrea is also very important to me as it is essential we continue to attract major races like this. It has some history and it is one of the best we have, so I feel it is one I must always support if I am fit."
Even with the more conservative approach, O'Sullivan will be running for nothing less than victory - the only result that would satisfy the home crowd.
The event also includes an international team race between the Home Countries, with O'Sullivan joined by Tullamore's Pauline Curley in the women's team. Clare's Seamus Power and Cork's Martin McCarthy will represent the Irish men's team.
The race is expected to top the 1,000-entries mark, which reflects the renewed interest in road races after the peaks of the mid-1980s. Also supporting this year's race is Bord Fáilte's International Sports Tourism initiative. There is a junior run at 12.30 p.m., with the senior race off at 1.0 p.m.
Another special award for the first Galway runner across the finish line will be the Joe Grace Memorial Trophy. The award is in the memory of Joe Grace, who died earlier this year and was behind the first series of races in Loughrea back in the 1970s. Among those Grace helped attract to the Galway village was Sebastian Coe, Eamonn Coghlan and Brendan Foster, who is now one of the race organisers.
Meanwhile, another O'Sullivan - Gillian - will this weekend lead the Irish medal hopes at the 20th IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Turin. After her fourth place finish at the European Championships in Munich this summer, O'Sullivan is clearly capable of mixing it with the best in the 20km race. Robert Heffernan, who was eighth in Munich, heads the Irish challenge in the men's 20km race.
