The 20th running of the Dublin City marathon on October 25th will be marked by the introduction of the Noel Carroll Perpetual Trophy. Carroll, the former PRO of Dublin Corporation and Olympic athlete, was a central figure in every aspect of Irish athletics until his untimely death earlier this year. He was also coach at UCD to a number of international athletes.

The Carroll trophy was designed by Peter Donovan, of Thomastown, Co Kilkenny. The sterling silver trophy was selected by a panel of judges to best represent the spirit of the former middle distance runner.

The artist received his prize from the Minister for Tourism and Sport, Jim McDaid, yesterday at a function in Dublin.

The entry for the race is expected to be the largest over the past decade with the organisers hoping to increase the numbers to around 10,000 for this year's event.