Sonia O'Sullivan has been told that her time of 24 minutes 47 seconds, recorded in a five-miles road race at Loughrea last October, cannot be accepted as a world best for the event.

Initially, her figures, achieved in finishing third in a mixed race, were regarded as the fastest for a distance which is not officially recognised by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) for record purposes. There is, however, a list of unofficial best times which act as a spur for runners and it was in this context that O'Sullivan's handlers sought to have her Loughrea achievement recognised.

But it transpires that because of the steep drop in the stretch of roadway used for the race, her effort cannot be validated and that she must try again if she hopes to have it recognised by AIMS, the body which legislates in such matters. "The rule apparently states that there can only be a certain drop over a specified distance and the course of Loughrea didn't meet those requirements" she said. "I was unaware of this until it was pointed out to me a couple of weeks ago and to that extent I'm disappointed.

"Ironically I was getting ready to run in the five-miles road race at Balmoral at the time but at that point, I had already made up my mind that I would concentrate on winning the race rather than trying to run a record. Coincidentally, the confirmation of her rejected record attempt came just days before she is expected to confirm her intention of returning to Loughrea next October. By then, however, the expectation is that the organisers will have decided on a new course for the race.

Meanwhile, O'Sullivan is preparing for her next competitive run, the Avon international road race, over 10 miles in Milan, a week on Saturday. Traditionally, this is a high quality race which was won last year by the Kenyan Tegla Leroupe and the likelihood is that the entry will again be representative of some of the best long-distance runners in the world.