News14 Nov 2003


McKiernan continues her build-up to the Europeans

FacebookTwitterEmail

Catherina McKiernan of Ireland en route to winning the 1998 London Marathon (© Getty Images)

Irish star Catherina McKiernan continues her build-up to the European Cross Country Championships (Dec 14)when she lines up in Sunday’s Reebok International - EAA Permit - race.

Two weeks short of her 34th birthday, McKiernan tackles the Kent course in the south of England but a rematch against European junior cross country champion Charlotte Dale has failed to materialise.

The pair raced each other in last month’s Great Ireland Run 10km where McKiernan ran 33:04 for second behind arch rival Sonia O’Sullivan, with Dale third in 33:23. Dale has entered both senior and under-20 races for Sunday, but has decided against competing as she saves herself for next week’s British trials for the European Cross Country Championships

McKiernan may have won her first three marathons, and holds the Irish record with her 2:22:23 in Amsterdam five years ago, but cross country was where she first made a name for herself.

She had only been running for two months when she won the Ulster cross country 3km championships in November 1986 and she followed up with the Irish Schools’ cross country title in 1988.

By time the first European Cross Country Championships were staged in Alnwick, in the north east of England, in 1994 she was already one of the world’s greatest exponents on the mud and it came as no surprise that she became the inaugural champion.

The fact she is now getting back in shape after a difficult four years with injuries is a great boost for Ireland going into the 10th running of those championships. With Sonia O’Sullivan also confirming she wants to run, Ireland look set to challenge strongly for medals in Edinburgh, but before then they hope to make a good impression against athletes from England, France and the Netherlands on Sunday.

Rosemary Ryan and Ann Marie Larkin join McKiernan in the Irish team and the sight of McKiernan flowing across the mud at Margate should bring back memories of the star who took four successive silvers in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships without ever landing that elusive gold.

Since her last marathon in 1999, in Chicago where she lost her unbeaten record at the distance with 12th place following knee injuries, she has become a wife and mother, and she is finally enjoying her running again.

She hopes to play her part in an Irish double at Margate, with Seamus Power and European under-23 5000m bronze medallist Robert Connolly among the leading male entries, but helping her country make the podium in Edinburgh would bring an even bigger smile to the face of the shy woman from Cavan.

Pages related to this article
DisciplinesCompetitions
Loading...