NI & Ulster Athletes Search For Galway Gold
09 February 2018
A host of local talent will travel to Galway this weekend, all in search of gold medals at the Irish Life AAI National Intermediate and Masters XC Championships.
The event will take place at the Kilcornan Estate, Clarinbridge in County Galway (Sunday 11th February 2018).
AAI Novice XC Champion Eskander Turki (Monaghan Town Runners), a notable absentee from the recent NI & Ulster Intermediate XC, should start the Intermediate Men’s 8,000m race and will feature prominently at the front.
North Belfast Harriers will be well represented in the Intermediate category, with John Black, Philip Goss, Andrew Considine, James Trainor and Joe Malone running in the Intermediate race. Victoria Park & Connswater AC’s John Craig and Beechmout Harriers pair Lorcan Magee and Michael Magee will also compete.
In the Intermediate Ladies 5,000m race, in-form Letterkenny AC athlete Nakita Burke and AAI National Novice XC star Donna Mone (Monaghan Town Runners) should both contest a podium place.
Karol Duggan (Letterkenny AC), Ciaran Doherty (Letterkenny AC), Eamon White (North Belfast Harriers) and recent NI & Ulster Intermediate XC medallist Dermot McElchar (Finn Valley AC) will head the local charge for honours in the Masters Men’s 7,000m event. North Belfast Harriers will have Neil Carty, Nat Glenn, Matt Shields, David Clarke and Laurence Johnston in their line-up as they chase the team title.
Catriona Devine (Finn Valley AC) and Donna Evans (Clones AC) will compete in the Masters Ladies 4,000m race.
A large number of junior athletes will also be in action as part of the extensive race programme. Full details, including timetable and provisional entry lists are available HERE.
Elsewhere…
Multiple Northern Ireland record holder Emma Mitchell (QUB AC / Eamonn Christie) will feature as part of a large contingent of local students who will be in action at the Irish Universities Athletics Association (IUAA) Indoor Track & Field Championships today (Friday 9th February 2018) – the event will be held at the AIT International Arena in Athlone, Ireland.
The one-day event should see athletes from Queen’s University in Belfast and the University of Ulster compete against some of the best up and coming athletes from all over Ireland.
The event will be streamed live via the Irish Universities Athletics Association (IUAA) facebook page. Full details of the event are available HERE.
In Spain, Irish Olympian Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders) will be competing against top opposition at the Barcelona Half Marathon (Sunday 11th February 2018).