ATHLETICS:PLANS TO declare the Dublin Marathon as the official trial for Irish athletes for next year's London Olympics have been rejected by the Olympic Council of Ireland over fears they could "end up in the High Court" if they guaranteed selection for one or more athletes in the event.

Race director Jim Aughney has been lobbying the OCI to approve the race as the official Olympic trial for Irish athletes, with the guarantee of at least one selection spot for London provided the necessary qualifying time is achieved. That, of course, would help attract the leading Irish athletes to the event and ultimately ensure better preparation for London, now just over a year away.

The Dublin Marathon, set for October 31st, has already been ratified by the IAAF for London qualification, and also doubles as the Irish National Marathon, but Aughney’s proposal to frame it as the formal Olympic trial hasn’t won the support of the OCI.

“At first we suggested the top three Irish, male and female, be selected, because that would attract all the top Irish runners into Dublin,” says Aughney.

“But we’ve also suggested the compromise of just the winner, again assuming they ran the qualifying time, as they do in many other countries. But that wasn’t acceptable to the OCI either.

“It’s better for everyone if athletes in the marathon qualify as early as possible, so they can properly prepare through 2012. They can go away and concentrate fully on London, provided they stay fit and healthy, and not worry about having to run another marathon in the spring, in case someone does run a faster time somewhere else.

“Because, to me, that is not ideal preparation for the marathon.

“I know from talking to the athletes on the Dublin Marathon Mission that would be the ideal approach for them, and suggested this proposal, but the OCI don’t see it that way.”

What is agreed is that only A standards for London will be accepted – which in the marathon means sub-2:15 for men and sub-2:37 for women. These times must be achieved between last April 1st and April 30th, 2012.

So far no Irish athlete has achieved these times, yet the OCI believe there are some risks in declaring Dublin the official Olympic trial.

“We have engaged with the Dublin Marathon organisers on this,” says Jack McGouran, spokesman for the OCI, “and understand what they’re trying to do. But there’s a very real legal issue.

“We’ve already signed off the selection document, with Athletics Ireland, and if we now guarantee selection in Dublin, and an athlete then runs a faster time somewhere else, it could very easily end up in the High Court.

“It’s also agreed that Athletics Ireland nominate the qualified athletes for selection, and it’s up to the OCI to then accept those nominations or not.

“If an athlete is guaranteed selection as early as this October but turns out to be unfit or unwell to compete in London next summer, then it would make a mockery of the selection.

“Of course none of this excludes an Irish athlete from qualifying for London in Dublin, provided they run the qualifying time there, and no one else subsequently runs quicker.

“But we cannot guarantee selection. Athletics Ireland understand that, and it’s not going to change.”

Aughney believes it’s not too late to change, but that athletes are now targeting potential marathons for Olympic qualification and the opportunity might soon be missed.

“We know the chances of three Irish athletes running the qualifying time in Dublin is slim. So the legal argument doesn’t really add up. It’s also unlikely that three or more athletes will run a faster time outside of Dublin.

“But say, for example, Mark Kenneally or Seán Connolly or Andrew Ledwidth ran sub-2:15 in Dublin, they’d still be wondering if they’ll have to run another marathon, in case someone ran quicker. And the US-based athletes like Martin Fagan or Alistair Cragg would be unlikely to run Dublin in the current scenario.

“And if qualifying is purely time-based, it is not always the fairest either, given the differences in marathon courses and conditions and so forth. In that regard a trial race of some sort is the fairest.

“We’ve also upped the bonus for any Irish athlete that gets the Olympic qualifier (time) in Dublin to €5,000, regardless of whether they’re selected or not.

“You’re also promoting the Dublin and National Marathon, above, say, somewhere like Berlin or Dubai or wherever else they’re looking at. And athletes have the peace of mind that a qualifying time in Dublin will get them to London.

“We’re also on live TV this year, and it’s a great way of showcasing Olympic selection.

“It’s a pity we can’t agree on this. It would give all three of us good exposure, Athletics Ireland, the OCI, and Dublin. Irish marathon running is crying out for a figurehead, and running Dublin as an Olympic trial would help create that.

“But now is the time athletes are deciding what marathons to run, so this needs to be agreed sooner rather than later.”