Northern Ireland Senior Cross Country Championships

University of Ulster, Coleraine - 12th February 2005

The Northern Ireland Senior Cross-Country Championships took place last Saturday in Coleraine in wintry conditions. A fierce northerly gale blew across the course with a real cutting edge and as it had been raining for much of the previous 24 hours, the underfoot conditions were challenging, to say the least, with much of the 2km loop very soft and mucky with some of it even under water.

First off were the Ladies covering three laps, totalling 6km. The Burrendale Country Club-sponsored Newcastle AC team were in with an outside chance of picking up the bronze medal to follow its excellent 2nd place in the Northern Ireland Intermediate Championships two weeks earlier in Bangor. Representing Newcastle were Sinead Murphy, Clare Galbraith, Martina Hawkins and Kerry Harty.

Right from the gun the pace was fast as the field dropped down the first hill and onto the main climb of each lap. Lagan Valley's Jill Shannon was moving fast at the front with her club mate Suzanne McCormick in chase. Behind, Donegal's Bridie Trearty had established herself in third and behind her Harty was alongside fellow internationals City of Derry's Anne Paul and Lagan Valley's Catriona McCorkell and Maria Skelton.

The one-two stayed the same throughout the race with Shannon coming home 13 seconds ahead of McCormick. The scrap for the bronze medal was anything but straightforward. Paul and Harty caught Trearty and the three ran for about two miles side by side and as they reached the bottom of the hill with about a kilometre to go, Harty injected some pace to test the other two. A fierce some competitor, Harty is difficult to beat in the latter stages of any race. This time she gambled earlier than usual and quickly gained ten metres.

Into the woods for the last time and she emerged still in front into the teeth of the northerly gale. She pushed on and crossed the line for a brilliant third only eight seconds behind McCormick and nine seconds ahead of Trearty, in 22 minutes 42 seconds. After winning the Northern Ireland Intermediate title two weeks ago in Bangor, this third place in the Senior Championship represents her best ever achievement and is well above expectations at the start of the season.

Harty's club mate Hawkins is another find of the season and she worked hard the whole race to come home 12th in 25 minutes 19 seconds. Murphy got off to her customary fast start, but was overhauled towards the end of the first lap by club mate Galbraith. The two of them worked very hard to finish 16th and 19th respectively to win the bronze medal for Newcastle AC behind Lagan Valley and City of Derry. This caps an excellent cross-country season for the Newcastle Ladies, who now have followed up their excellent second in the Intermediate Championships with this bronze.

The men's squad managed 5th place in the competitive 12km (7.5 miles) race over six laps. In his first cross-country season, the man with massive potential, Ed Hanna led the locals' home in an excellent 22nd place in 42 minutes and 50 seconds. The Rodgers brothers, Richard and Paul followed him in 25th and 26th place respectively. Gary Bailey and Stevie Cunningham were 36th and 37th with Adam Mitten making up the team in 61st in his first race for over three months.

Senior Women - 6km

Senior Men -12km