O'Sullivan vows to run her own race
Sonia O’Sullivan is adamant she doesn’t feel any pressure that her performance in Sunday’s New York City Marathon will be compared with the brilliant successes this year of Paula Radcliffe.
O’Sullivan, who watched Radcliffe’s unbelievable world marathon record run in Chicago earlier this month live on television at a Loughrea pub after winning the BUPA Ireland Run for a second time, is as complimentary as anyone about her English opponent’s superb victory.
Both highly respectful of one another, a keen rivalry has always existed between the pair since 1998 when O'Sullivan beat the highly-fancied Radcliffe for both the IAAF World Cross Country title and, later in the summer, the European 10,000 metres gold medal.
This year the pendulum has swung firmly in the direction of Radcliffe, whose magnificent season – capped by her rip-roaring two hours, 17 minutes, 18 seconds victory in the Windy City – will almost certainly see the hugely admired British team captain collect many of sport’s top achievement awards for 2003.
But O’Sullivan, 32, is unconcerned that Radcliffe, who denied her a second successive European 10,000m title in August’s Championships in Munich, has grabbed all of the limelight in, by anyone’s standards, an amazing year.
Indeed, having given birth to a second daughter, Sophie, last Christmas, O’Sullivan is more than happy with her own high-profile return to athletics, which apart from winning both the European 5,000m and 10,000m silver medals, has seen her adapt professionally to road running.
A world 10 miles record of exactly 51 minutes – reduced a fortnight later by Lornah Kiplagat, one of a strong pack of Kenyans competing on Sunday, who sliced six seconds from the mark – and an Irish half marathon record time of 67 minutes 19 seconds when winning the BUPA Great South and North Run titles, confirmed The Cobh star's class away from the track.
Now on Sunday, over the tough New York course which is much hillier than the flat-as-a-pancake Chicago circuit, O’Sullivan will be attempting to establish her own credentials over the distance after winning a low key debut marathon two years ago in Dublin.
Asked whether she intends putting on something special for the million expatriates from Ireland expected to cheer her along on Sunday morning, O’Sullivan answered with enthusiasm and massive confidence.
“What, so I get on the Oprah Winfrey show too?” joked O’Sullivan. “No not at all. Paula ran a fantastic race in Chicago. But this is a different race, on a different course, with different conditions and different runners in it.
“About the only thing the same, is the distance,” added O’Sullivan, knowing New York will be a women-only contest whereas Chicago saw Radcliffe achieve her marvellous feat in a mixed race.
