ATHLETICS: With her stunning world record over 10 miles yesterday Sonia O'Sullivan has sent out the clearest indication yet that the marathon has now become her number one target. Rarely are world records broken by significant margins on the track or road, yet O'Sullivan knocked a full 16 seconds off the previous mark when winning the Great South Run road race in Portsmouth.
Her time of 51 minutes bettered the 51:16 set by US citizen Colleen de Reuck, then running in South African colours, in Washington four years ago, and so for the fourth time in her career an O'Sullivan victory also added a world best to her name.
O'Sullivan, the European 5,000 and 10,000m silver medallist in Munich last month, raced through the first mile in four minutes 57 seconds and was able to keep the pace going in warm conditions on the flat, fast course.
From the gun O'Sullivan was scorched around the streets of the English south-coast venue, already on world record pace. Her victory was never in doubt, and second best at the finish was nearly two minutes back - Susie Power of Australia, in 52:52. Further back in third was the other Australian, Natalie Harvey in 54:00. Another 10,000 runners mostly running for charity followed her home.
"There was a very quick start to the race," said O'Sullivan afterwards. "I was straight into my rhythm and was immediately running freely. I knew it was a fast venue and I luckily was able to maintain an almost constant pace.
"I wasn't thinking of the world record until the later stages of the race. The crowd began to lift me and by eight miles I managed to pick up the pace again. I knew by then I was heading for a time of under 52 minutes, but still I didn't think De Reuck's record was on.
"Returning to seafront, there wasn't a breath of wind and I decided to give it everything I had. Coming down the finishing stretch was a great feeling, the spectators were making me try harder and harder."
The Irish record of 54:14 by Regina Joyce in California in August 1984 was decimated, as was O'Sullivan's own best of 55:37, set on a hilly Ballycotton a year ago. Her latest world record adds to her two set on the track, 2,000 metres (in 1994) and two miles (in 1998), and the five miles best set on the road in Loughrea in 2000, though that record was never ratified because off a downhill gradient.
A decision on her scheduled marathon target is now expected before the end of the month but all the indications are it will be in New York on November 3rd. Already O'Sullivan has laid down a further series of road races to prepare for the 26.2 mile distance, starting with a 10km in London on Sunday week, then the Great North Run half-marathon in Newcastle on October 6th, and finally a return to the Loughrea five-miles a week later.
"Of course this win and the time has told me a lot," said the 32-year-old. "I've now got a fast 10 miles time and I'll be aiming to run under 70 minutes for a half marathon in the Great North Run. That will tell me a lot more about my shape for the marathon."
Just last Sunday, O'Sullivan narrowly missed the world 5km record by two seconds in London. Next weekend's 10km in London's Richmond Park includes Paula Radcliffe, in her last race before the Chicago marathon on October 13th, yet O'Sullivan is planning only to use that race as a training run. Yet in this form it may be hard to resist a crack at Radcliffe. O'Sullivan's time of 51:00 also markedly improved the world's fastest time this year of 52:09 run by Kenya's world marathon record holder, Catherine Ndereba in Michigan last month.
It also improved the course record of 52:00 set by Scotland's Liz McColgan in 1997. Both of these are athletes with major marathon credentials, and already O'Sullivan has surpassed their best.
