Two Offaly natives in the top three in women's national senior cross country championships

Two Offaly natives finished in the first three in the women's senior event at the 123.ie National Cross Country Championships at the weekend.

Mucklagh native Ann-Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC) claimed her first national senior cross country titles at the picturesque Castle Irvine Estate in Co. Fermanagh on Sunday.

McGlynn break clear of Niamh Allen (Leevale AC), Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers), last year’s champion Fiona Everard (Bandon AC) and Cheryl Nolan (St Abban’s AC) shortly after the half-way point.

From there the Offaly native, who won the national marathon title only three weeks ago, was unstoppable and had over ten seconds to spare as she crossed the line, wiping tears from her eyes and raising her arms aloft into the air in celebration.

Allen had enough in the tank to win silver ahead of the fast-finishing Donegan who won bronze. Everard fended off a late surge from Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise AC) to cross the line fourth.

McGlynn becomes the first athlete to win the national senior cross country and marathon title in the same year.

Speaking after the race she said: “I can’t believe it. I’m not even going to lie this wasn’t in the plan. I went to the Dublin Marathon, I didn’t have to go to the well and I came off it in great knick, I wasn’t sore. I took a full week off running.”

“I didn’t do anything apart from staying in contact and all of a sudden then I landed at the front. I kept that same momentum, I didn’t do anything stupid or crazy, my strength paid off in the end. It was a tough, honest course. There was no real let-up, it suited me. It was just my day, I’ll take it,” she added.

Senior team honours went the way of Leevale led by Niamh Allen, with McGlynn’s Letterkenny team finishing second.