Double European Champion McCormack to Race At IAAF Northern Ireland International Cross

16 January 2019

Double European Champion McCormack to Race At IAAF Northern Ireland International Cross

Former double European Cross Country champion Fionnuala McCormack is the latest top name to be announced for this weekend's 42nd IAAF Northern Ireland International Cross Country at the Billy Neill Centre of Excellence in Dundonald.

34 year old Fionnuala McCormack has competed for Ireland on a record 35 occasions over the years on both track and cross country. This has included an amazing 15 appearances in the European Cross Country.

Her races culminated in individual gold medals in Slovenia in 2011 and Budapest the following year thereby becoming the first person ever to successfully defend her title. The Kilcoole AC woman was also a key member of the successful Irish teams which competed in recent years.

Fionnuala is competing in her first cross country race in a year as she has taken time out following parenthood. One of her last races was last January in the Antrim International Cross where she finished 6th.

The International Steeplechaser has competed in 2 Olympic Games and 2 World Championships and has an impressive record in the International Cross here with two wins out of her 5 appearances at Antrim in 2012 and 2013.

Her decision to race in the 8k event at the Billy Neill Centre of Excellence this weekend will be extremely challenging in view of the World class competition.

This includes Kenya's Pauline Kamulu who was the fastest 10,000 metres runner in the Worldlast season; leading World Junior track runner Meskerem Mamo of Ethiopia and a host of GB Internationals including former European champion Gemma Steel and twice silver medallist Kate Avery.

The Men's 10k will now include Asian Games 5,000 metres champion Birhanu Balew who faces Rio Olympics silver medallist Paul Tanui of Kenya.

Find out more about the event here.