ATHLETICS: There appears to be no limit in how far Anne Keenan-Buckley can turn back the clock. At yesterday's Rás na hEireann in Dunleer she defeated an elite cross-country field like an athlete with her best years still to come, and that's despite turning 40 a week ago.

Her fiery running form is particularly remarkable in that she was generally regarded to have peaked over a decade ago when she ran in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Now the Laois mother of two is giving some hard lessons to rivals at least 10 years younger.

Yesterday's victory over the testing 5km course couldn't have been more impressive. American champion Priscilla Hein took out the first lap at top speed and looked briefly to have done the desired damage on the Irish challenge, but by the 2km mark those roles were reversed. Hein struggled and Keenan-Buckley pressed the pace - all the way to the finish.

Crossing the line in 14 minutes 51 seconds, she was clearly still full of running. Hein came home nine seconds back, with current Irish champion Rosemary Ryan just inches behind her in third (15:01).

Left much further back were the other Irish challengers Valerie Vaughan and Maria Lynch, both of whom were unable to even approach Keenan-Buckley's pace.

Her victory also raised the greatest cheer from the home crowd as Seamus Power fell a little short in his effort to defend his men's title, losing out to surprise winner Matt O'Dowd of England and the Ethiopian Dagne Alemu. The other top Irish challenger Peter Mathews was a late withdrawal through illness.

"Well, I know my appetite for running is as good as it ever was," said Keenan-Buckley afterwards, trying to explain her longevity. "And I sort of see this as a second chance at a running career. But it does take a lot of self-discipline and your whole lifestyle has to be centred round running.

"But my kids have grown up now, and I have been training hard. I mean the training I was doing in 1988 is pittance compared to now, and there are sessions I'm doing now that I've never done before. Being injury free is so important as well and I am on relatively low mileage, and careful not to do too much to soon."

With this sort of form, Keenan-Buckley is on course to lead the Irish challenge when the world championships come to Leopardstown in March:

"I'm not sure if it will be the long or short race yet. Of course it depends on what Sonia O'Sullivan will do in that you have try and get the strongest team in the one race."

There were strong hopes that Power could follow her victory by winning the men's race and he certainly gave himself every chance of doing so.

After the first of the five laps passed without fuss, Power decided it was time to make a race of it and did almost all the running over the rest of the (slightly short) 8km course.

At the bell, the lead group was down to four, with Power closely followed by the Ethiopian and the English duo of O'Dowd and Sam Houghian.

With some 500 metres remaining, O'Dowd made one decisive surge - enough to bring him the victory in 21:45. Alemu, who had actually arrived in Ireland believing he was going to test run on the world cross-country course in Leopardstown, took second in 21:47 with Power just a couple of strides back in third in 21:49.

"I'm delighted with this win because I wasn't really sure of my fitness," said the 25-year-old O'Dowd, who had only learnt last Thursday that he was a late replacement for English team-mate Karl Keska.

"And to beat Seamus (Power) means a lot because we know that on his day he can be as tough as anyone to beat."

Power, however, was still satisfied with his effort: "It was a bit of a gamble to lead for so long but I wanted a good race and couldn't afford to sit around."

And like Keenan-Buckley, he will continue to sharpen his form at next Saturday's Belfast International.

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