Athletics:Sonia O'Sullivan is aiming to finish her final road race on Irish soil with a flourish in tomorrow's Great BUPA Ireland Run in Dublin.
'The 37-year-old would ideally like to go out in winning style at a Phoenix Park event she helped establish four years ago.
Entries have tripled to 9,000 runners since the Sydney Olympics 5000metre silver medallist won the inaugural race in style.
O'Sullivan said: "I think the Run has moved on magnificently and is now recognised as a very important annual event in the Irish sporting calendar.
"I was over here last week and everyone knows it is taking place."
The race includes a handful of world elite runners joined by mainly fun runners, eager to jog in O'Sullivan's slipstream.
She added: "I'm feeling a little bit nervous about Sunday and I really want to run well, particularly as it is my last race here.
"But I'll take whatever result I get."
The 10kilometre encounter sees O'Sullivan take on Derartu Tulu, winner of the 1992 and 2000 Olympic gold medals over the distance.
The Ethiopian star will be competing for the first time since giving birth last autumn and is determined to restart her international career with a win - even if it spoils O'Sullivan's big day.
But the pair will also be particularly wary of England's Hatti Dean, whose 14th position made her the third European finisher at last month's World Cross Country Championships.
O'Sullivan, whose first venture on the international championships scene was 17 years ago, is hoping to do a marathon in the autumn, but admits the time has come to start winding down her illustrious career.
The Cork-born athlete, said: "I now find sessions very hard and believe that the end is near at world-class level.
"But, until then, I plan getting the best out of myself.
"I could say it might be December - or then it might be this time next year. I just don't know. For the moment, I'm just planning to compete, but not at such a high level.
"I'd definitely like to run a marathon this year. I've run out
of pace for everything else.
At the moment, I'm looking after the summer, probably
September or October.
"I definitely want to run the A standard, but not necessarily with the ambition of going to the Olympics."
Later reaffirming Beijing next year does not figure in her plans, O'Sullivan added: "At the moment, I would say no."
Australia's Craig Mottram will be chasing a fifth successive victory in the men's race, where Abraham Chebii is expected to offer the biggest test he has yet undergone in the Irish capital.
Mottram said: "Chebii's a fantastic 3000m and 5000m runner on the track and has a blistering finish in the last 400m.
"But I plan putting my head down and going for it - I'm that kind of guy. I suppose I have an advantage, because I know the course and that's in my favour.
"It's not an easy one, a bit hilly and the weather can sometimes be cold and chilly."
But Mottram will be respectful of his Kenyan rival - who ran a quick 28 minutes 32 seconds on Tuesday night - as well as Spain's Chema Martinez and Sergiy Lebid from the Ukraine, two of Europe's top distance stars.