European 1500m bronze medallist Andrew Coscoran is among eight Irish athletes taking to the streets of Copenhagen this weekend for the second edition of the World Athletics Road Running Championships.
Coscoran headlines a strong Irish team which will compete across the mile, 5km and half marathon events in the Danish capital.
Fresh from claiming that superb bronze medal at last month's European Championships in Birmingham, Coscoran returns to action in the Men's Mile.
The Balbriggan man clocked an outdoor mile PB of 3:49.68 on the track in Oslo back in June and will face another world-class field here, with Portugal's world 1500m champion Isaac Nader, Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Yared Nuguse (USA) and Spain's world indoor 800m bronze medallist Mohamed Attaoui all entered.
Olympian Cathal Doyle completes the Irish representation in the Men's Mile, pulling on the Irish singlet for the first time since being brought down in the semi-final of the men's 1500m at the Europeans.
The race gets underway at 9.30am Irish time on Saturday.
Sarah Healy (pictured above) will lead the Irish challenge in the Women's Mile.
Healy finished fifth in the European 1500m final and has continued to show strong form this season, including a 3:57.42 season's best over 1500m at the Silesia Diamond League.
She will be joined by Laura Nicholson, who brings further international championship experience to a race that is stacked with strong global opposition, including Ethiopia's two-time world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu, American Addison Wiley and Australia's Linden Hall.
The Women's Mile is the first race of the weekend, beginning at 9.10am on Saturday.
The Irish focus switches to the 5km on Saturday afternoon (1.40pm), where Brian Fay and Darragh McElhinney will return to international action following their appearances over 5000m at the European Championships.
World 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier leads the entries after clocking 12:51 for 5km in Lille earlier this year, while Olympic 5000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen is also set to line up. Ethiopia's Addisu Yihune, who has run 12:54 this season, adds further quality to the field.
Ireland's involvement will conclude on Sunday morning when Peter Lynch and Hiko Tonosa line up in the Men's Half Marathon (8.45am).
Irish marathon record holder Lynch arrives following a breakthrough performance at the London Marathon in April, where his 2:06:08 saw him finish inside the top ten and rewrite the national record.
Tonosa will look to improve on his 60th-place finish at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga in 2023.
The Irish pair will line up alongside some of the biggest names in global distance running, including multiple Olympic and world champion Joshua Cheptegei, Sweden's European half marathon record holder Andreas Almgren, Kenya's Nicholas Kipkorir and world half marathon silver medallist Daniel Ebenyo among the entries.
WORLD ATHLETICS ROAD RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS
(All Irish times)
Saturday 9.10am - Women's Mile: Sarah Healy, Laura Nicholson
Saturday 9.30am - Men's Mile: Andrew Coscoran, Cathal Doyle
Saturday 1.40pm - Men's 5km: Brian Fay, Darragh McElhinney
Sunday 8.45am - Men's Half Marathon: Peter Lynch, Hiko Tonosa
