Ulster/Northern Ireland Cross Country Championships
Sunday, 23 Oct 2011
Fintragh, Killybegs, was the venue on Sunday last for Part 1 of the Ulster/Northern Ireland Cross Country Championship. The Under 18 Boys, 5k race, was the most exciting and contested event of the day. Tir Chonaill clubman Mark McGuiness did not go off with the hectic early pace. At halfway he had worked his way into a challenging position thirty metres behind leader Ben Brannagh, St Malachys.
With 1000m to go he and Mark Bonner, Finn Valley, were shoulder to shoulder with the Belfast lad still twenty metres ahead. As the final loop unwound the Dunkineely man gradually moved away from Bonner and began to slowly close the gap on the leader. As the race entered the final 100m McGuinness was still five metres behind Brannagh.
Local support is always good and Mark responded and won by the narrowest of margins for what was an outstanding victory. Christopher Doherty 13th, Joe Morris,26th and James Morris 28th gave the club team a points total of 68pts for 4th place behind Finn Valley, 37pts, City of Derry ,64pts and St Malachy’s 66pts.
The men’s club novice team of Richard McCarthy, Sean McManus, Oliver Thomas and Johnnie Ward also put in a very performance in a race that had over 84 finishers.
