Ailing McKiernan will skip London

By Mark Jones

DUBLIN — Catherina McKiernan has been forced to pull out of the London Marathon because of an Achilles tendon injury sustained during training. McKiernan, who had knee surgery in December, will miss out on a potential pay day of $150,000 and the distinction of joining an elite group of athletes who have won the famous race in consecutive years.

With little more than a week before the April 18 London date, the county Cavan athlete was left with little choice once the injury was diagnosed.

"It’s pointless to speculate when she will run again," said McKiernan’s coach, Joe Doonan. "We’ll just have to wait and see how the injury settles."

This is a major setback for the world’s top-rated woman marathoner. Depending on the extent of her layoff, she may have only one more competitive marathon before the Sydney Olympics in 2000. She is currently pointing to autumn marathons in Berlin or Amsterdam for her return

Since her surgery, McKiernan has had only one race, a half marathon in Paris, which she won easily.