Race report by Eanna Cunanne
National Masters and Intermediate Cross Country Championships took place in near perfect conditions in Piercestown in Wexford, with Sportsworld athletes competing in three of the four races being held.
Lucy Darcy led the women’s masters race out on the first lap, and finished in 4th. Lucy, Helen White, Kathleen O’Callaghan and Breda Brown were silver medalists in the team event, with Lucy also winning a bronze county medal.
In the intermediate women’s event, Aoife Brady had a fantastic run to finish in the top 10 in only her second race after a season injured, while Crona Brady ran strongly in her national cross-country debut.
The intermediate men’s race was over 10K, with a long punishing hill to climb at the end of each of the six laps. In a field crowded with former prizewinners at novice and international junior level, it was telling that this hill progressively thinned out the pack on each circuit of the course. Despite this, Phil Kilgannon advanced through the field on every lap to finish with a county gold for Dublin. There were also great runs from Paul O’Connell, Ronan Merrick, Ed McEntee, Michael Cunningham, Martin Keenan, Paul Duffy and Will Greensmyth.
