Byrne stumbles to success in Santry
National cross country champion Jolene Byrne came from third on the final bend to take the 1500 metres title at the Woodies DIY Irish Track and Field championships. But she almost surrendered the gold in the final strides at Morton Stadium, Santry.
The 28-year-old Donore Harrier outpaced Dubliner Maria McCambridge, who has qualified for the 5000m at next month's World championships, stumbled as she came to the line, in a state of near-exhaustion. She nevertheless turned in a stunning personal best performance of 4 minutes 11.72 seconds.
McCambridge was just one one-hundredth of a second behind.
Elsewhere on the track, there were notable 100m wins for Ballymena & Antrim sprinter Anna Boyle, who broke the Northern Ireland record (11.53 secs) in the process.
Nenagh veteran Gary Ryan (aged 33) beat out Jer O'Donoghue in 10.36 seconds for his ninth gold medal at the national championships.
UCD student Derval O'Rourke retained her 100m hurdles crown in a championship best time of 12.95 seconds, while rubberstamping her form by finishing second in the 100m to Boyle in a personal best of 11.54.
Another athlete bound for Helsinki, Peter Coughlan, bagged his ninth 110m hurdles title by running his first sub-14-second time of the year - 13.91.
The 400m hurdles went to Dublin Striders' Michelle Carey in 59.13, while North Sligo youngster Mary Cullen prospered in the 5000m final, clocking 16 minutes 10.72 seconds to finish ahead of Wicklow girl Fionnuala Britton.
Elsewhere, US-based Karen Shinkins secured her ninth straight 400m gold medal in 52.49 seconds, with Kilkenny's Joanne Cuddihy second (54.09).
Tipp man Tomas Coman won the male equivalent, which was missing hamstring-victim David Gillick, in 46.48, leaving former World Indoor Bronze medallist Paul McKee (46.99) in second and Rob Daly (47.26).
St Malachy's Gary Murray, the reigning national cross country champions, coasted home in 1500m in 3:47.54, while the 5000m final was won by Mullingar's Martin Fagan.
Antoine Burke ended a 13-year wait for a gold medal at the championship by pacing through to first in the 400m hurdles. The Crusaders athlete won the high jump title back in 1992 as a teenager.
