10 is the Magic Number for Woodie's DIY and O'Rourke for National Championships

Many of Ireland's top athletes who are bound for the London Olympics will be in action this weekend at the Woodie's DIY Senior Track and Field Championships in Morton Stadium Santry. Irish 100m Hurdles Record Holder, Derval O'Rourke (Leevale AC) will be bidding for an impressive tenth national title and it will also be Woodie's DIY's 10th year of sponsorship of the National Championships.

Speaking of the sponsorship, Ray Colman Chief Executive Woodie's DIY & Garden Centres said: "We are delighted to sponsor the 2012 Championships especially with the Olympic Games on our doorstep in London this summer. We have seen some fabulous performances and records broken in Morton Stadium over the last 10 years."
John Foley CEO of Athletics Ireland said: "Woodie's DIY have been excellent partners for the last 10 years; they have supported our sport from the grass roots level of Juvenile championships right though to our Senior championships."

In the Men's 100m, Irish Record Holder, Paul Hession (Athenry AC) will face tough opposition from training partner Steven Colvert (Crusaders AC) who set a New U23 record this year of 10.35. They will have to contend with reigning national champion, Jason Smyth (City of Derry) who has a season's best of 10.24. Colvert will likely have it all his own way in the 200m with Hession competing over 100m only. Colvert is ranked new one this year running 20.57 to set a new Irish U23 record.

In the Women's 100m reigning champion and current number one on the ranking list, Amy Foster (City of Lisburn AC) will be race favourite. Foster will have to get the better of Joanne Cuddihy (KCH) to secure the sprint double achieved in 2011. Cuddihy is ranked number one this season with a time of 23.64 over the 200m.

The Irish 400m Record Holder, Cuddihy will also be the clear favourite in the women's 400m. There will be a real battle between the rest of women's 4x400m squad, Marian Heffernan (Togher AC), Michelle Carey (Dublin Striders AC) and Catriona Cuddihy (KCH). Jessie Barr (Ferrybank AC) will line up the 400m Hurdles only.

In the Men's 400m the 2011 champion Brian Murphy (Crusaders AC) will be race favourite with Irish Record Holder, David Gillick (Dundrum South Dublin AC) calling an end to his season and Brian Gregan of (Clonliffe Harriers AC) competing in Europe over the weekend in a bid to secure the Olympic Standard of 45.30.

The Men's 400m Hurdles in 2011 proved to be one of the highlight races of the championships. This year Thomas Barr (Ferrybank AC) will again be the clear race favourite. Barr ran impressively at the recent European Championships finishing in fifth place in a season's best of 50.22 in the semi-final, the second quickest time of his career behind the national junior record of 50.05, which he set at the National Championships last year. Jessie Barr (Ferrybank AC), sister of Thomas will dominate the Women's 400m hurdles.

Barr impressed in her senior debut at the European championships to make the women's 400m hurdles final after a brilliant run in her semi-final where she set a new personal best of 55.93. The Waterford woman is hoping to race prior to the championships in an effort to secure the Olympic standard of 55.50.
In the distance events reigning European Cross Country Champion Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) headlines the women's 1500m race. Britton, who placed fourth in the 10,000m at the European Championships and will test her speed against challengers steeplechase specialist Stephanie Reilly (Sli Chulainn AC) and Orla Drumm (Doneen AC). Defending champion Ciara Mageean (U.C.D AC) will not be lining up as she will be competing in Finland in an effort to secure the Olympic standard for the 1500m.

Irish Junior Record Holder, Mark English (Letterkenny AC) will race in Madrid on route to the World Junior Championships, leaving the door open for Irish Indoor Champion Brian Kelly (St Abbans AC) in the men's 800m. Darren McBrearty (Letterkenny AC), John Travers (Donore Harriers AC) and John Coughlan (M.S.B AC) will all battle it out for the men's 1500m title.

Marathon specialist Maria McCambridge (Letterkenny AC) drops down in distance and will be the firm favourite to take the women's 5000m. While in the men's 5000m Olympic bound Alistair Cragg will be competing in America leaving the race wide open. In the Men's 10,000m David Campbell (U.C.D AC); the former National 800m Champion is set to go the distance and challenge for the national title against race favourite Brian Maher (Kilkenny City Harriers AC).

In the field events Irish record holder Deirdre Ryan (DSD AC) will be in line for the women's title hoping to improve on her seasons best of 1.83m in the run up to the Olympic Games. Tori Pena (Finn Valley AC) will be the favourite in the women's vault. Pena set a new Irish pole vault record of 4.52m in April to gain selection for the European Track and Field Championships in Helsinki where she jumped 4.35m but failed to progress to the final round. RTة Two will be showing an hour's highlight programme on Sunday night 8th July at 23.05