Our International 20×20 Women in Sport Award this week goes to our own Fionnuala McCormack who ran the Marathon of her life (so far) in Chicago at the weekend. What a performance, coming 5th in the fastest women’s marathon ever run, and in the process knocking almost 4 minutes off her personal best and ensuring her qualification for next year Olympic Games in Tokyo! Her time of 2:26:47 puts her second on the all time Irish women’s marathon list. A really talented athlete Fionnuala began her career as a cross country runner before turning to the track and ultimately to the marathon. As a cross country runner she won back to back European Cross Country Championships in 2011 and 2012.She has represented Ireland at three Olympic Games to date across a number of different events including the 3,000 metres Steeplechase, the 5,000 and 10,000 metres on the track and most recently the Marathon in the 2016 Olympics in Rio where she placed 20th. Her fantastic performance in the Chicago marathon came in a race which was won in a world record time of 2:14:04 by Kenya’s Kosgei. It also took place on a weekend that will forever be remembered in marathon history – the weekend when Eliud Kipchoge broke the 2 hour barrier for the marathon, albeit in a specially arranged and paced event.Congratulations from everyone in sport on a fantastic achievement.