Sonia to take Manhattan

ATHLETICS: After several weeks of speculation it came as no great surprise when Sonia O'Sullivan yesterday announced her plans to run the New York City Marathon on November 3rd. As her first serious attempt at the 26.2-mile distance it represents a new stage in O'Sullivan's illustrious career, as well as the prospect of her greatest single payday.

With just under six weeks to go before race day, O'Sullivan paid a brief visit to New York at the weekend to get her first close examination of the course. Yesterday, at O'Neill's Irish Bar in midtown Manhattan, she joined the race organisers and explained, via teleconference, what attracted her to New York.

"The whole idea of the marathon has always excited me," she said. "And one of the reasons I chose New York is that I know it is a real exciting place to run one. I've been here before when the marathon was on and I've seen the build-up and all what goes on around it, and I've always said that I'd like to do it someday.

"I felt, as well as that, I needed a race when there is a lot of excitement and talk around it, because it makes you look forward to it more. I first started thinking about doing it this year when I was over in New York for the Mini Marathon in June. It suddenly became a big idea and one of the big things to do this year."

Once O'Sullivan's track season concluded after her double silver at the European Championships in Munich, she quickly adjusted her training towards the marathon, and with her world best over 10 miles in Portsmouth earlier in the month the idea became a fixation.

With a substantial appearance fee already in the bank, O'Sullivan now competes for the top prize of $80,000, plus a Pontiac car - her highest potential award since her share in the IAAF Grand Prix in 1995.

She is also part of an elite field that includes Kenyans Susan Chepkemei and Lornah Kiplagat; the latter broke O'Sullivan's 10-mile world best on the road on Sunday and in January won the Osaka Marathon.

The Great North Run half-marathon on October 6th will be OSullivan's last serious race before New York. With 30,000 other runners in the field, and 2.5 million spectators out on the course, New York remains one of the most prestigious big city marathons in the world. And with such a strong Irish presence in the city, O'Sullivan won't be short of support.

"This race is definitely a big motivating factor for me," she added. "It's a different challenge. I've heard so much about it and parts like when you come down First Avenue there's an amazing atmosphere. Moments like that I'm really looking forward to."