Sonia O'Sullivan is hoping to run in either the 3,000 or 5,000 metres events in the Grand Prix finals at Duha in Qatar on Friday.
O'Sullivan, who leaves Sydney tomorrow night, said she was still uncertain of her plans but was hopeful of recovering in time from four big runs here to get among the money.
Immediately after the race, she leaves for Dublin and will appear at next Saturday's replay of the All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Galway at Croke Park.
"The All-Ireland final is a very special occasion in Irish sport and it's an unbelievable feeling to be in some small way a part of it," said O'Sullivan. "With the crowd so close, there is an amazing sense of energy inside the stadium - Croke Park on All-Ireland day is probably as close as you get to an Olympic stadium."
The following week she will be in Loughrea for another attempt on the world five-mile road-running record before going to Gateshead on October 22nd for the Great North Run.
Flanked by Haile Gebrselassie, Paula Radcliffe and Tegla Loroupe at a press conference yesterday, O'Sullivan said she was looking forward to running again in Loughrea.
Radcliffe will be among those taking on O'Sullivan in Loughrea and in addition to the Liverpool woman, Loroupe will be in action in the Great North Run.
Meanwhile, one of the enduring truths of marathon running was blown apart yesterday when Gezahgne Abera completed a remarkable festival for Ethiopia by winning the Olympic marathon championship. Historically, marathon running has been the domain of mature athletes. Now Abera, just 22 and having only his fifth race at the distance, has disproving all the accepted theories.
At one stage late in the race, he looked certain to get inside two hours 10 minutes, but as his strength began to ebb from his legs, he lost momentum on the final circuit in the Olympic stadium to fade to 2.10:11. It means that only four athletes, among them Ireland's John Treacy, continue to claim the distinction of breaking the intimidating barrier in the biggest marathon of them all.
