Crossan bids for his fifth national title

Athletics Dublin MarathonAttempting to win five successive national titles is hard enough in any event. When it's the greatest standard test of human endurance - the 26.2-mile footrace also known as the marathon - it must be as hard as it gets. It's a wonder then that so few people seem aware that Gary Crossan is setting out to achieve that feat in Monday's adidas Dublin Marathon.

Crossan would be the first to admit that his winning times in the past four years haven't exactly been world class. Yet the Donegal runner has repeatedly beaten the best Irish opposition on the day. Last year he looked destined to finish second, but somehow managed to summon the strength to close down Pauric McKinney and secure his fourth successive national title.

Athletics Ireland decided several years ago to stage their national championship with the Dublin Marathon, and it's proved a wise move. The elite race has been taken over by the visiting Africans, but at least the race for the top Irish finisher remains interesting. Last year Crossan ended up 13th overall in 2:23.09, but has regularly made the top 10. However, he doesn't expect to get close to the overall honours.

"I took a slightly different route this year," he says, "and ran some hill races over the summer, doing the European championships. That probably slowed me down a little, and I only really got into the marathon training about six weeks ago.

"So to be honest, I'm a lot less confident than the other four years. I ran the 10-mile countdown race in the Phoenix Park and that was a bit of a disaster. Then in the half-marathon I managed around 70 minutes, and I'd normally be well down around the 68 minutes. So it will be a huge jump, and we'll just have to see how it goes on the day.

"Experience is probably my one advantage. But my money is on Cian McLoughlin, who is running very well, and ran a very good marathon there a couple of years back."

At 35 Crossan has been the model of both consistency and application for the past five years, salvaging his running career in his late 20s when it seemed he'd let it slip. He admits he always gets excited at this time of year when the marathon draws close, and win or lose on Monday, it's certain he'll return in the years ahead. "I've also been involved with the adidas virgin team this year," he adds, "helping to train 12 people who are running the marathon for the first time, and I'm as excited about them as I am my own race."

McKinney (41) also returns after last year's narrow defeat and is hoping to end his streak of six successive silver medals. Along with McLoughlin, Peter Matthews is also sure to be in the hunt for a first national title.

Three former winners lead the chase for the top prizes of €15,000, including the last two men's winners - Dmytro Osadchy of the Ukraine, first home last year in two hours, 13 minutes and 14 seconds, and Lezan Kimutai of Kenya, the 2004 winner and course record holder with his time of 2:13.08.

Russia's Zinaida Semenova will be back to defend the women's title, which she took last year in 2:32.52.

Pauline Curley from Tullamore, who won last year's women's national title with her debut effort of 2:42.16, is also set to start again - along with the overall field of over 10,000 runners, nearly half of which are overseas, and all set to depart from Nassau Street at 9am on Monday morning.