Plans to add some international flavour to Sunday's Intercounties Cross County Championships haven't materialised, at least not in any significant way, and with that Fionnuala Britton looks set to be in a class of her own.
Sunday’s event at Santry, brought forward a week from its traditional date, acts as the final trial for next month’s European Cross Country, and Athletics Ireland hoped to attract some overseas athletes to further the competition. That may well happen in future years, but for Sunday, there will be no one to match Britton as she continues her build-up towards a third successive European title when the championships take place in Belgrade, Serbia on December 8th.
Britton maintained her winning start to the season at the Antwerp International last Sunday week, and everything remains on course for European title number three: there is still the question of who will join the Wicklow athlete in Belgrade, and with that also attempt to defend the European team title which the Irish women also won last year in Budapest.
Ava Hutchinson - who actually won the Inter-counties last year in Britton's absence - misses the race due to injury, although Sarah Treacy, Lizzie Lee and Sarah McCormack, all part of the last year's team, are set to race. The top three athletes on Sunday gain automatic selection for the Europeans, although Britton has been pre-selected, along with David McCarthy in the senior men, and juniors Cleirigh Buttner and Aaron Hanlon.
McCarthy is favourite to win the men's title on Sunday, his main rivals being Michael Mulhare and also World championship marathon representative Paul Pollock, who finished in 10th in the Soira international cross country race last month. Joe Sweeney is also back to defend the men's title, although still likely recovering from his second place finish in last month's Dublin Marathon.
"The senior men's race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive races in years with up to 12 athletes contesting for the top positions," says Chris Jones, endurance coach with Athletics Ireland. "There is real momentum building towards this race."
Sunday’s juvenile races get underway at 11.30, culminating with the senior men’s race at 2.25.
