So much of championship running is a test of the head rather than the heart. For James Nolan and Daniel Caulfield, still needing to seal their place at the World Athletics Championships, yesterday's test in Santry was even more heavily weighed on the mind.

Both athletes needed to win national titles to complete their claim for a trip to Edmonton, where the world's best assemble in just 11 days time. In the end though, the pressure was short-lived.

Nolan concluded the weekend's championships with the smoothest of wins over 1,500 metres, moving to the front at half way and coming home in three minutes 44.41 seconds. Andrew Walker led the chase nearly three seconds back.

"This was just a job I had to do," said Nolan, winning his first title at the distance. "I knew how I had to run here and no disrespect to the opposition, but I have been running about seven seconds quicker than any of them this year."

Having already achieved the B-standard for Edmonton, the Offaly athlete will now join the Irish team when it is announced by the AAI later today. Also certain to be on that list is Caulfield.

His task over 800 metres appeared a little more demanding as national record-holder David Matthews was coming back into form. Like Nolan, however, Caulfield made his break early, moving away on the back straight and taking the title in 1:48.28. With five previous runner-up positions to his name, the relief was obvious.

"Well I was terrified. I've always been a nervous runner and this was the first time I was expected to win. But I am very fit at the moment and to get to Edmonton now is a great relief."

Caulfield's previous national title came as an 11-year-old at the Community games, yet on this occasion he was a class apart. Matthews eventually faded to fifth, as 19-year-old Conor Sweeney improved his lifetime best to 1:49.35 when taking second.

The depth may have been down on previous championships, but the quality certainly wasn't. Both 400 metres produced championship best performances, starting with another fiery run from Karen Shinkins.

She clocked 52.17 seconds, dipping under her own 52.54 set when winning last year and that provided her with an encouraging send off to Edmonton.

The men's race saw Tomas Coman improve his own mark of 46.56 to 45.99 although he was pressed to the line by Robert Daly. More importantly, that also cracked the B-standard for the World's for the first time this season and Coman is now likely to join the team.

Already an A-standard qualifier, Mark Carroll has done all his fast running on the Grand Prix circuit in recent weeks and yesterday's run over 5,000 metres was a mere stroll. He moved away from Keith Kelly after the opening laps and arrived home unhindered in 13:48.26.

Robert Heffernan has practically made it a tradition to break a national record anytime he competes in the walk. But yesterday he produced a truly world-class time, cutting his own 10,000-metre mark by over a minute.

The Edmonton-bound athlete finished completely alone in 38:58.83 - well inside the 40:16.68 he clocked last year - and thus became the first Irishman under 40 minutes.

Fellow Olympian Gillian O'Sullivan was a little less destructive, but still improved her national 5,000-metre record with a time of 20:50.13 - over 28 seconds inside the year-old mark.

Sarah Reilly completed a sprint double when holding off Emily Maher in the 100 metres, adding to the 200-metre title won on Saturday which ensured her place at the Worlds.

Saturday afternoon saw Terry McHugh produce a world record, not in distance, but in the number of national titles. His 18th consecutive javelin title, achieved with a final round throw of 77.20 metres, is unprecedented in any national championships.

The fifth championship best performance went to Sharon Foley, winning the triple jump in 12.44 metres. Dundrum's Aoife Byrne was the surprise winner of the women's 800 metres, her time of 2:03.71 improving the national under-23 record previously held by Sonia O'Sullivan.