Sonia O'Sullivan
photo courtesy of Dublin Mini-Marathon
Cobh's Sonia O'Sullivan was victorious in her debut at the 2000 Tesco Dublin Mini Marathon in record time (31:28). In last year's race she took more than a minute off of Catherina McKiernan's record of 32:31 set in 1997. After the race she was beaming saying, "It was good fun." As they say, the rest is history as the Corkwoman went on to earn a silver medal in the Olympics, a place back in the hearts of fickle Irish athletics fans and was successful in erasing the nightmare of Atlanta from most people minds.
O'Sullivan returned to defend her title but could only manage a distant second place to Kenyan Magdaline Chemjor from Kenya who covered the ten-kilometre course in 32:56. O'Sullivan's time was 33:26, an even half-minute behind the winner and almost two minutes slower than her course record.
Last year's smile was turned upside down when O'Sullivan announced that because she has failed to fully recover, both physically and mentally from the strain of the Olympic Games in Sydney, she will be taking a long break. She told reporters after the race, "I don't want to have another year like 1997, when you're running tired and you don't get anything out of it. The plan now is to start back serious in Australia next winter, and maybe go altitude training again in the spring."
Her next and presumably last race for the season will be the rescheduled (from March because of foot-and-mouth crisis) Nike Ballycotton 10-mile road race set for 24th June.
This is not a surprise or simple response to the 30 second loss to Chemjor. On 16th May, O'Sullivan hinted to Irish Runner editor Frank Greally that her participation in the World Track and Field Championships in Edmonton could be in serious doubt this summer. She clarified, "I will be taking this season just one race at a time, and I am not at all sure about running in the World Championships at this stage.
Dublin Women's Mini Marathon, 10 kilometres
4th June 2001, Dublin, Ireland
Sponsors: Dublin Evening Herald, Bone Marrow for Leukaemia Trust
Course Record 31.28 Sonia O'Sullivan 2000
1 Magdaline Chemjor, Kenya, 32:56
2 Sonia O'Sullivan, Ireland - Cobh AC, 33:26
3 Valerie Vaughan, Ireland - Blarney/Inniscara AC, 34:00
4 Mary Donoghue, Ireland - Clonliffe Harriers, 34:48
5 Anne Lennon, Ireland - Mayo AC, 35:04
Wheelchair
1 Patrice Dockery, Ireland, 27.57 course record;
old course record 28:25-Dockery, 2000