London Marathon 2017: Northern Ireland trio outside Commonwealth Games marks

Kevin Seaward is likely to chase the Commonwealth Games standard again in the autumn

Northern Ireland trio Laura Graham, Kevin Seaward and Stephen Scullion were all outside the Commonwealth Games standards at Sunday's London Marathon.

Graham was on course for the Games standard of 2:37 at 30km but finished in 2:42.38 - 44 seconds outside her PB.

Rio Olympian Seaward reached halfway in 67.07 but came home in 2:17.08, with the Gold Coast standard 2:16.30.

Scullion took almost three minutes off his previous best as he clocked 2:17.59 in the British capital.

Seaward's time was only eight seconds outside Athletics Ireland's world championship standard but the Loughborough-based schoolteacher has already indicated that he doesn't plan to compete in London.

However, the Commonwealth Games are on Seaward's radar so he is likely to have another crack at the Gold Coast standard in the autumn.

Seaward booked his place at the Rio Olympics when he clocked a personal best of 2:14.52 at the Berlin Marathon in September 2015 and he may try his luck in the German capital again in five months time.

Sean Hehir almost certainly booked his berth at the World Championships in London

Hehir books place at World Championships

Sean Hehir almost certainly booked himself a place at the World Championships with a 2:16.18 time on Sunday.

Holywood man Paul Pollock has already qualified for the worlds after clocking 2:15.30 in Japan in February.

After heading his fellow Rio Olympian Seaward as he reached halfway in 66:41, Raheny's Mick Clohisey struggled over the second half with his finishing time 2:18.34.

Up ahead, Mary Keitany of Kenya broke Paula Radcliffe's women's-only world record as she crossed the line in 2:17.01.

That was 41 seconds quicker than four-time British Olympian Radcliffe ran in winning the event in 2005.

In 2003 when Paula Radcliffe set her world-record time of 2:15:25, she ran with two male pacemakers.

Kenyan Daniel Wanjiru, 24, won the men's race in 2:05:56, with Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia second.

Bekele - the 5,000m and 10,000m world record holder - looked to be mounting a challenge in the final stages, but Wanjiru found enough pace to finish strongly and eventually win by nine seconds.

Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia was the runner-up in the women's race, clocking a time of 2:17:56.

Meanwhile, a brilliant run by in-form Emma Mitchell helped Queen's beat defending champions Leevale to win the women's title at the Irish Road Relays Championships at Raheny.

After Sinead Sweeney's opening leg, Mitchell clocked a brilliant 10 minutes and 18 seconds for her two-mile leg which set up Rebecca Henderson to clinch QUB's victory as they clocked a cumulative 20 minutes and 58 seconds, which left them six second ahead of the Cork club.

All three Queen's athletes are coached by Eamonn Christie.

In the men's race, the Dooney brothers Kevin and Conor helped hosts Raheny clinch a thrilling one-second victory over Donore Harriers.