Visitors to the Charleville Estate today for the Woodie’s DIY Inter Club cross country championships must have been impressed by the firmness of the ground and the lay-out of the course, and then marvelled at four well contested races. In spite of the claims of the other races, the women’s race was an eye-opener for the manner in which Mary Cullen (North Sligo AC) won.
She was joined by Linda Byrne (Dundrum South Dublin AC) for some of the first of four laps, but Cullen wasn’t there to ‘sit and kick’ and began to exert pressure long before the end of the first lap, which saw her open a gap on her rival, and from there to the end she went further and further away, winning in a time of 27.40, some 36 seconds clear of Byrne. Breege Connolly (North Belfast Harriers) ran on strongly to finish third in 29.21, and Raheny Shamrock AC won the team title for the first time since 1971.
Sarah Fitzpatrick (Dundrum South Dublin AC) was involved in an absorbing junior women’s race that had her locked together with clubmate Isabelle Odlum and Orna Murray (Ferrbank AC) with just 400m remaining. Fitzpatrick proved strongest in the run to the line to win her first ever national title. Her father Enda won a junior title when it was held in Kilmacow many years ago. Dundrum South Dublin AC won the team title.
It was only in the last half lap of the junior men’s race that Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC) finally exerted his authority on the race, getting away from Hugh Armstrong (Ballina AC) who put in a tremendous effort to stay with the winner for so long. Tobin won in a time of 19.31, eight seconds clear of Armstrong. Dundrum South Dublin won the team contest.
The senior men’s race also produced an absorbing battle, with Sergio Cibanu (Clonliffe Harriers) tracked for much of the race by Joe McAlister (St. Malachy’s AC) who stuck to his task admirably. However, Cibanu was the strongest on the last lap and he finally broke clear to win in a time of 38.26, with McAlister second in 38.39, and Eoin Flynn (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) third in 38.56. Clonliffe Harriers won the team.