Ireland's marathon man

Kiernan finished ninth in 1984 Olympic marathon in LA

BBC Sport Online's John Haughey talks to Irish team manager Jerry Kiernan ahead of this weekend's World Cross Country Championship in Dublin

Jerry Kiernan seems to have aged little since that day 18 years ago when he was part of one of Irish sport's great moments.

Less than three minutes after John Treacy crossed the finishing line to take silver behind Carlos Lopez at the 1984 Olympic marathon in Los Angeles, Kiernan was coming home in ninth place.

Nearly two decades on, Kiernan and Treacy have been bumping into each other with increasingly regularity as the World Cross Country Championships draw near.

Treacy is performing many of the ceremonial duties in his role as chief executive of the Irish Sports Council.

Full-time teacher Kiernan, though, is still at the coalface.

The Kerryman is manager of the Irish team for the Leopardstown event and he is coaching a couple of the home competitors.

There was a whole bunch of 2.07, 2.08, 2.09 men strung out behind me

Jerry Kiernan

But inevitably, the conversation drifts back to his recollections from that great day for the Irish in LA.

For a few brief miles in the 90 degree heat, it seemed as though Kiernan and not Treacy was going to be Ireland's better bet for a medal.

But cruelly cramp, something that dogged Kiernan throughout his career, set in at 23 miles and he had to hold himself back in the three closing miles just to ensure he finished.

Still the performance convinced Kiernan that he was good enough to beat anyone "on my day" - which he proved over the next decade in several marathons in the US.

"I ran 2.12.19 in LA in 90 degrees," recalls Kiernan.

"Actually the time itself is nothing to write home about but more the people I beat.

Kiernan won the 1992 Dublin Marathon

"There was a whole bunch of 2.07, 2.08, 2.09 men strung out behind me.

"It's fine running fast times when conditions are good and you're running on a fast course and conditions are maybe only 10 degrees centigrade.

"But it's a different ball game when the temperatures are up around 95 or 100 degrees.

"In that respect I value more the people I beat rather than the time," adds Jerry.

Those behind him in LA included home hope Alberto Salazar, Japan's Tosheiko Seiko and New Zealand great Rod Dixon.

"Just ahead of me was Roberto De Castella who was world champion at that time".

Kiernan's LA time remained his personal best even though he went on to achieve numerous wins in Ireland and the US.

I'd have given up my win in America just to have recorded a really fast time

Jerry Kiernan

Looking back, Kiernan regrets that he didn't have a crack at one of the really fast marathon courses in particular London, Rotterdam and Berlin.

"I was always elsewhere or doing other things," recalls the Irishman.

"I remember one time an American friend of mine Pat Peterson ran 2.09 in London and he'd never beaten me in a race.

"I was running in America that weekend and won in 2.12 on a very difficult course.

"I'd have given up my win in America just to have recorded a really fast time which I felt was my due but that's the nature of sport".

Looking at this weekend's event, Kiernan, is his typically unassuming way, plays down his managerial role.

"The athletes are all very individualistic and have their own coaches.

"I coach a couple of athletes myself who are in the team (Maria McCambridge and Robert Connolly) but that's the only direct input I have".

Inevitably most of the media enquiries directed at Kiernan have surrounded Irish heroine Sonia O'Sullivan.

Kiernan rates Gareth Turnbull highly

Kiernan feels the Irish public won't be expecting too much of the star given the recent birth of her second child.

"But her running means we can mount a meaningful challenge in the team competition," he asserts.

The Irish team manager also confesses high regard for Belfast man Gareth Turnbull who leads the Irish men's short course challenge on Sunday.

"Gareth is always a very bullish, upbeat type of character.

"He's going to be up against it because you're going to have awesome 1500m and 3000m runners in the race.

"But he has a fantastic championship record.

"He's won medals at World Student Games level and European juniors in cross country and track. He'll give it a go".

Just like Jerry Kiernan always did.