On Sunday (27th November) the Irish Cross-Country Championships took place doubling as trials for next month’s European Cross-Country Championships in Chia, Sardinia. Local club, Newcastle & District AC was very well-represented in the form of Kerry O’Flaherty in the Women’s 8k and for the first time ever a scoring men’s team.

It has been a very dry autumn, possibly the driest on record? Sunday was no exception as the settled weather continued with a bit of wind and temperatures reaching 10C. Nonetheless the course had something for everyone, firm fast running, sand, mud and pretty much a gradual decline for half the 2k and then a steady rise back up to the start/finish area. First up was the Women’s Race over 4 laps of this new purpose-built cross-country facility at the Sport Ireland complex in Abbotstown near Blanchardstown.

The agony of an 8k XC Race with only metres to go (photo courtesy of Keith McClure)

It was a big lead group of around 15 as the runners reached the end of lap one with pre-race favourite Ciara Mageean prominent at the front. The group was down to 10 by half distance and as the bell sounded for the last lap, O’Flaherty hit the front followed by county colleague Mageean with Kerry’s Shona Heaslip also in contention as the three pulled away from the rest. In the mud with a kilometre to go approaching the steepest section on the course, Heaslip made her move, passed O’Flaherty and broke away. Mageean reacted and moved into second and going into the final hill, O’Flaherty once more moved into second. All the time Heaslip moved slowly away and at the final corner before the 200m closing straight, Mageean once again passed O’Flaherty. Heaslip won in 28:13 and the battle for second was intense with a burst from O’Flaherty taking her once again past Mageean but this time with only metres to go to come home in 28:23 a second ahead of Mageean.

Both women will go on to represent Ireland in Italy on the 11th December at the European Cross-Country Championships. Last year O’Flaherty was part of the bronze medal winning Irish team at the same Championships held in France.

Men’s 10k Race
The men’s race was a thriller too with Mark Christie of Mullingar pulling away to win from Rio Olympic Marathoner Dubliner Mick Clohissey (the defending champion) and Cork’s Mark Hanrahan. Clohissey’s Olympic Marathon colleague, Holywood’s Paul Pollock was 5th and awaits news of selection for the European Championships.

For Newcastle AC, Seamy Lynch was the lead performer in 29th in 32:44, in this the cross-country race with greatest depth in Ireland each year and arguably his best ever cross-country race. Eoghan Totten was 21 seconds behind Lynch in 39th in 33:05 – a little disappointed, Totten is still recovering from his superb half-marathon debut of 67:51 earlier in October, however this still probably represents his best cross-country race in over three years. Third scorer on the team was David O’Flaherty in 48th in 33:35 – O’Flaherty is clearly benefitting from his consistent training throughout 2016 and this is also his best cross-country race ever. Final scorer on the team was new blood Zak Hanna in 64th in 34:30 – a little bit of over exuberance in the first of 5 laps saw him suffer a lot throughout the second half of the race but he hung on bravely in what is only his second cross-country race since schooldays (which admittedly having turned just 21 last week are not that long ago).

David Simpson produced a strong performance as the 5th club man home in 69th place in 34:39 – he was closing fast on Hanna on the last lap but ran out of ground. Making up the half dozen for the men in red and yellow in 114th overall was David McNeilly in his strongest race of the current season in 37:18 – with hard working races like this one he will be stronger come the New Year.

Following O’Flaherty’s individual silver in the women’s race, the men received the good news that their 8th placing in the overall team race was actually 2nd in Division C meaning promotion to Division B for next year and a set of silver medals.

Zak Hanna, David O’Flaherty, David McNeilly, Seamy Lynch, Eoghan Totten, David Simpson & Coach