NI AND ULSTER UNEVEN AGE GROUP AND NOVICE XC CHAMPIONSHIPS 9TH NOVEMBER 2025

11 November 2025

There was another record entry at the NI and Ulster Uneven Age Group and Novice XC Championships which were held at the Finn Valley Centre in Ballybofey. Warm sunny conditions greeted the athletes on the day, but overnight rain did lead to some muddy stretches on the course.

The U9 girls started the day with Rhea Moy from host club Finn Valley taking the win. The U9 boys was won by Eoghan Sharkey of Letterkenny AC.

The U11 boys race started a sequence of double wins for athletes with Daly Seaton (North Down) adding the U11 title to the U10 title his brother Casey won at the Billy Neill centre a fortnight ago. He also led North Down to another team victory. In the U11 girls race Sadhbh Callan (Foyle Valley) also added the U11 title to the U12 title she won a fortnight ago. The team title was won by Finn Valley.

The U13 girl’s race was won by Lila McManus (Omagh Harriers) with Letterkenny taking the team title. Harry McVeigh (Newcastle) was another athlete who completed the double adding the U13 title to his U14 title. City of Derry Spartans won the team title.

The U15 age group saw wins for Cassie Curran and Cormac Leheny both from North Belfast. Cormac also led his team to victory with the girl’s team title going to Finn Valley.

The U17 races saw double victories for Madison Welby (COLAC) and Thomas Coy (NBH) both adding to the titles they won at the Bobby Rea XC. Keep er Lit won the boys team and Finn Valley the girls.

The U19 boy’s race was won by Cranford’s Caolan McFadden who had one of the biggest winning margins of the day. Willowfield’s Emily Morris won the girls U19 race with Lagan Valley achieving a team double by winning both boy’s and girls’ team titles.

The Novice races completed a busy program of athletics. The women’s race was won by Holly Taggart (Annadale Striders) with a gun to tape run from Ciara Cunningham (Tir Chonaill AC) in second and Nuala Bose (Finn Valley) third. The team race was won by Finn Valley. The men’s race was a much closer affair with Rudy Mayne (Ballydrain) just holding off Kyle McClennan (North Down) to win by one second. The team title was won by Annadale Striders in a close battle with Ballydrain Harriers and Lagan Valley who were second and third respectively.

Elsewhere some of our local athletes ran in the Cardiff Cross Challenge, which was held on Saturday, Patrick Kelly (Leeds) was first man home in forty first place, Chris Fielding (NBH) forty fifth, and Tom Baird (Pontypridd) forty eighth.