Liz McColgan has announced that she is expecting her second child this summer and so will miss the London Marathon on April 18th.

McColgan, who won the race in 1996, said that she hopes to compete in the London race next year as part of her build-up to the Olympic marathon in Sydney.

The announcement comes at the end of an eventful week in women's athletics with Sonia O'Sullivan also confirming that she was expecting her first child in June. And on Thursday Yvonne Murray, the experienced Scottish athlete, announced that she had split with her coach, Stuart Hogg, just months after parting company with her previous mentor, Tommy Boyd.

The effect of McColgan's withdrawal from this year's London marathon will be to ease the task, if only marginally, facing Catherina McKiernan in her attempt to win the race for a second consecutive year.

Last April, the Scot provided abrasive opposition in the middle stages of the race before eventually conceding when McKiernan opened a big gap over the last five miles.

Meanwhile, the National Indoor Championships at Nenagh tomorrow offer the prospect of another absorbing duel between the UCD clubmates, David Matthews and James Nolan in the 800 metres.

Matthews was second in the British championships last month after Nolan had tripped with 200 metres to go but running in the Millrose Games last weekend, Nolan was only pipped on the line by the mature American, Johnny Gray.

Now, with places in the national squad for the World Indoor Championships in Tokyo next month at stake, all the signs point to another fascinating race.

James McIlroy and Karen Shinkins will also be looking for big performances tomorrow.