ATHLETICS/ Mini-Marathon: For a few glorious miles around Dublin yesterday the paths of two great Irish athletes finally crossed. Some sight it was, too, Sonia O'Sullivan running alongside Catherina McKiernan in their first meeting on home soil.

Together these two brought Irish women's athletics to the attention of the world. For the last decade they've scaled the lofty heights, but at different times and in different places.

Nothing about yesterday's Women's Mini Marathon would change any of that. O'Sullivan won, as expected, in 33 minutes 21 seconds, and McKiernan came home in second around a minute later. But for the large crowds that lined the 10-kilometre course all that really mattered was witnessing the two legendary figures pass by together.

For around half the race O'Sullivan and McKiernan shared strides, a passing glance, and probably some thoughts too. Only when they came off the testing hill at Nutley Lane and towards the Belfield flyover did O'Sullivan pull clear, gradually pressing the pace over the last 4km until the finish at St Stephen's Green. A trademark sprint and a wave to the crowds indicated the ease of her effort.

Back down the street, McKiernan was working a little harder, but these past few months have been all about clearing out the cobwebs of the previous three years, when at times the spate of injuries seemed certain to end her career. She crossed the line in 34.31, and it was clear her comeback remains right on track.

It hadn't been all about the famed duo, however, and for those opening kilometres a half-dozen athletes had remained tightly bunched. Pauline Curley of Tullamore, last year's winner, tested McKiernan until the finish to take third (34.33), while Valerie Vaughan judged her pace well to take fourth in 34.46.

For O'Sullivan, the thoughts of her course record of 31.28, set when winning the event three years ago, were always secondary to actually winning the race. Moments after the start at Fitzwilliam Square it was obvious the pace wasn't a burning one, and instead the Olympic silver medallist was more content to enjoy the occasion.

"Well, I had a hard run over 10km (in Manchester) last week," she explained, "so I really didn't need to do that two weeks in a row. I really wanted to win here, but I have to think more about what I really want to do this summer. So it didn't really matter about the time."

Everything about O'Sullivan's appearance yesterday pointed towards yet another successful track season. She looked as lean and fresh as ever, and there were no side-effects from the Achilles injury that had stalled her winter training.

The plan now is for a month of high-altitude training in St Moritz before opening her track season with the 3,000 metres at the Lausanne Grand Prix on July 1st. Paris in late August, and the world championship over 5,000 metres, will be the time to really peak.

"The season is going to plan now," she added. "I've still loads of room for improvement. I'm getting fit now but I'm still not very fast. But I've had no problems with the injury so I'm ready to start the track stuff now.

"And the hunger is definitely still there. I haven't actually been at the world championships on the track since 1997. And I think it's important I go there and run well, and there's no reason why I can't win there again."

Coincidentally, it was also 1997 when she last raced against McKiernan at the world cross country championships (McKiernan finished ahead of O'Sullivan). To finally meet on Irish soil was something special, but she acknowledged, too, that McKiernan was still rebuilding her old form.

"Well, it was fantastic to have her there. Catherina has been such a great inspiration for women in Ireland as well, especially with what's she done in cross country and the marathon.

"So I think we can both have a really good race together some day, where we're both fit. It's always a difficult thing to have the two best women runners in the country fit at the same time, but maybe next year."

Certainly if McKiernan can maintain her progression then another meeting in a year time would indeed be very interesting. For now, however, the former London, Amsterdam and Berlin marathon winner is sticking to her own race pace.

"That was tough enough for me," she admitted, "but that was expected considering the work I've done. I've no interval work or speed work done at all, but the plan was to build up with steady-state runs. And after this race I'll start the mile efforts and things like that.

"So it's great to get through those races, and I should be flying when I get the sharpening stuff done. I'm more encouraged all the time that I will get back. But it's like starting all over again. And I love doing it now, rather than having to do it like I felt a few years back."

Having O'Sullivan for company did add some new incentive too. "Well, Sonia is very strong at the moment, and it was great to run with her, even if it was from behind for a while. But I've no doubt in another six months or so I'll be right back to where I want to be."

As the stream of some 39,000 women continued to pass through the finish, O'Sullivan called on the organisers to make the Mini Marathon the truly world-class event it deserves to be.

"I think someone should step in there and make a proper elite race at the front. You don't need it all about the mass race, because they can complement each other. Dublin deserves a great race, and you should be able to get the best runners in the world here.

"Next week there's a mini marathon in New York and they run world records out there, and there's no reason why they can't do that on this course."