The month of March promises to be an exciting one for athletics fans. The World Indoor Championships start in Lisbon next week, and are followed shortly afterwards by the World Cross-Country Championships in Dublin. In between, Irish fans also have a short-course trial to look forward to. Leevale interest will focus on the possible running of the Lombard brothers in the World Cross Country Championships and Mark Carroll’s search for a medal at the Indoor Championships. Mark sharpened his form for Lisbon today, with a 1,500m victory in the Sindelfingen Indoor meeting in Germany. Carroll clocked three minutes 40.42 seconds, and although the competition was limited, it was useful preparation for the 3,000m at the world tests. After arriving from his American base on Friday, the Corkman was eager for one more race in the countdown to Lisbon, where the 3,000m field is set to include Olympic 5,000m champion Million Wolde of Ethiopia and world 1,500m record holder Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco. On this occasion, Carroll dominated the race and finished some two seconds clear of Austria’s Guenther Weidlinger. The European indoor champion now travels straight to Lisbon, where he knows he won’t have it as easy in Friday’s heats, in what will be his first 3,000m of the season.