Aoife Cooke has booked her ticket to the Olympics after coming well inside the qualifying time as she stormed home to win the Cheshire Marathon this morning.
The Cork native and personal trainer came in at 2 hours 28 minutes and 36 seconds and will have her spot sealed once the times are officially confirmed, reports Cork Beo.
The pandemic has led to a lot of marathons being cancelled, meaning today's event had added pressure due to the lack of previous opportunities to hit the times to qualify.
The Eagle Athletic's Club woman's storming performance means she can now concentrate solely on training for the biggest stage in three months time.
At home there's been huge excitement as the news filtered through.
Youghal GAA were one of the first pride-filled clubs to send their congrats, saying the late athletics coach Jack Dempsey would be hugely proud of his granddaughter's achievement.
They said: "Massive congratulations from everyone at Youghal GAA to Aoife Cooke who has qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo later this year.
"Aoife booked her place in the Marathon with a sensational run in Cheshire this morning, clocking 2:28:36.
"You can be sure that the the late, great Jack Dempsey would be a proud man to witness what his granddaughter has achieved today.
"Congratulations Aoife and best wishes in your preparations for Tokyo. The whole of Youghal will be cheering you on."
