NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025

Cold, windy wet conditions greeted the athletes and heavy overnight rain led to very challenging underfoot conditions. Nonetheless, there was some great performances from our local athletes.

The U12 girl’s race was the first event of the day and produced a great win for Foyle Valley athlete Sadhbh Callan. Lukas Janosik (City of Derry) was a very popular local winner of the U12 boy’s race just holding off St Cronan’s Loughlin Downes. Jackson Nellins  (Ballymena and Antrim) was also in the medals finishing ninth.

The U14 girl’s race produced medals for Lila McManus (Omagh) in eighth place and Beibhinn Bourke (Ballymena and Antrim) eleventh place. Beibhinn also led her Ballymena and Antrim team to third place in the team standings. Harry McVeigh (Newcastle) continued his good run of form finishing a close second in the U14 boy’s race.

The U16 girl’s race was dominated by Westport’s Freya Renton, Madison Welby (City of Lisburn) battled hard but just lost out on a place on the podium to finish fourth. Only one second separated the three athletes fighting for second and third. Kate Kelly (Enniskillen RC) was tenth. North Belfast’s Thomas Coy had a great run to finish fourth in the boy’s U16 race leading his team to victory. Owen Acheson (Armagh AC) was also in the medals finishing tenth.

The U18’s and U20’s ran together in the same race and therefore served as the trial for the U20 team for the European XC Championships to be held in Portugal on the 14^th of December. In the women’s race Willowfield’s Lucy Foster ran a brave race to finish second and therefore secured her place on the U20 team for Portugal. Her teammate Emily Morris finished tenth thereby securing the team win for Willowfield. Lagan Valley packed well to finish second team, both will now represent Ireland at the European Clubs XC to be held in Portugal in February. Lagan Valley completed a northern double by winning the U18 girls team race. In the men’s race Finn Diver (Beechmount) and Tom Fleming (CNDR) produced the race of their lives finishing fourth and fifth respectively. They will both have an anxious wait to see if they did enough to secure selection for the European XC team. Frank Buchanan (St Michaels) finished seventh and Lagan Valley continued their team success finishing third team in both the U18 and U20 categories.

The senior races were much anticipated and did not disappoint. In the women’s race Emily Haggard Kearney (NBH) was the first local athlete home in fifth place with Roise Roberts not far behind in sixth overall thereby winning the National U23 title and securing a place on the European XC team. Eilish Flanagan (Finn Valley) showed a promising return to racing finishing eighth overall and sixth senior and Kirsti Foster (Willowfield) ran strongly to finish fourth in the U23 race. The senior men produced the race of the day with three men still battling for the win with one hundred metres to go. In the end Brian Fay took the win from Candour’s Nick Griggs who had the consolation of winning the National U23 title, previous winner Cormac Dalton had to settle for third. James Gormley (Carmen Runners) came through the field well to finish ninth overall (seventh senior). Callum Morgan (CNDR) fourth U23 and Lughaidh Mallon (UCD) fifth U23 will have to wait to see if they have done enough to secure selection for the European XC team.

Candour Track Club completed a historic team win in the men’s race following up on their win last year where they were the first Northern Irish team to win National team title since 1955. They are now the first Northen Irish club in history to have retained the national title. They will now go on to represent Ireland at the European Clubs XC Championships.