Tomorrow's Ras Na hEireann in Dunleer is set to produce a number of pointers towards the World Cross Country Championships in Dublin in March. Mark Carroll is using the race as his only test over the country before seeking selection on the Irish team while Seamus Power is attempting to adjust his preparations towards the short course race at the Leopardstown event.

Carroll wasted little time is getting back to full training after the Sydney Olympics and although he hasn't had a cross country race in almost two years, he is clearly the man to beat. As Irish record holder over 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 metres, his range of distances has always been his strength and the 8 km course in Dunleer won't be too far off his best.

But Power has proven to be the most consistent Irishman over the country in recent years. He won his sixth straight intercounty title last November and was one of the key men in the Irish team's bronze medal performance at the European Championships in Sweden before Christmas. Like Carroll, the Clareman has an impressive range of distances but with his training now geared towards the short course race at Leopardstown, the clash between the two is certain to be one of the most exciting domestic confrontations in recent years.

"This race is fast and flat and should be good preparation for the short course race in Leopardstown," says Power. "A number of us sat down over Christmas and decided that the short course race would be the better option. Between myself and Gareth Turnbull and maybe Mark Carroll we could have a strong team, probably better than the longer course."

Dublin's Peter Matthews would have provided another significant test for Carroll and Power but he has been forced to withdraw, due to 'flu over the Christmas period.

Still, it will be far from a head-to-head between the two. Four emerging Africans are among the elite field, the most experienced of which appears to be Kenya's Paul Biwott. Dejene Birhanu of Ethiopia is also capable of producing a winning challenge.

Among the other foreign athletes likely to be pressing for the top places are English cross country champion Keith Cullen and Americans Sandu Rebencuic and Art Gilkes. Other leading Irish entries include the Lombard brothers, Cathal and Fiachra of Cork, Dublin's Vinny Mulvey, and former national champion John Ferin of Belfast.

The women's 6 km race has been boosted by the news Anne Keenan-Buckley is fit to run. She had been troubled by an ankle injury since leading the Irish team home at the European Championships but she has sufficiently recovered to return to racing. South African-born Colleen De Reuck is likely to provide the main opposition there. The senior women start at 2.15 p.m., and the senior men 2.45 p.m..