CORK man Eoin Keith (pictured) could go down in history as one of the greatest ever Irish ultra-distance runners.
Keith, who lives these days in Rathfarnham in Dublin, returns to the Mary Peters track in Belfast this weekend to defend his Energia 24-hour Irish title. He will also want
to improve his national record of 245 kilometres (152 miles), which he set last year at the same venue. The 45-year-old had an outstanding year in 2013, when he became only the fourth person in history to run 300 miles in three days. And that was in the heat of Phoenix, Arizona. This year, he has taken up this year where he left off in 2013 with a victory in a six-day race in New York, running 500 miles and setting a new Irish 48-hour record of 349 kms (217 miles) en route. England's Sharon Gaytor, who failed to finish two years ago through illness, has unfinished business with this race and starts favourite to lift her first Irish title.
She is in the Guinness Book of Records for running 517 miles in seven days on a treadmill.
Dame Mary Peters will be at the track to see them off this evening at 6.45pm in an event that is supported by Belfast City Council and Pure Running.