ULSTER SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY 2026

The action kicked off with the Mini Girls race which saw Kiyomi Tosh (Antrim Grammar) taking a dominant win. Victoria College took the team race from Friends School Lisburn. In the Mini Boys there was another dominant win for Harry McVeigh (St Malachys Castlewellan) with a sixteen second margin of victory from Callum McGrath (St Michaels Enniskillen). St Malachys Belfast won the team title from St Michaels Enniskillen.

In the Minor Girls race Lila McManus (Drumragh Integrated) had a good battle with Caoimhe McNeill (St Columbas Stranorlar) and Maria Devine (Sacred Heart Newry) in the early stages of the race, with Lila easing to victory down the finishing straight. St Columbas Stranorlar won the team race. The Minor Boys race was another hotly contested race with Dylan O’Reilly (Virginia College Cavan) taking a narrow win from Cormac Carabine (St Malachys Belfast) and James Delaney (St Catherines Armagh). St Colman’s Newry won the team race.

Clodagh McSorely (Loreto Coleraine) came out on top in the junior girls race from Kate Kelly (Mount Lourdes Enniskillen) and Niaomi McClelland (Ballymena Academy). Lumen Christi Derry won the team race from Mount Lourdes Enniskillen. There was a one-two for St Colmans Newry in the Junior boys race with Danny O’Connor and Ciaran Smyth finishing ahead of Diarmurd Quigley (Largy College Clones). St Colmans won the team title from St Michaels Enniskillen.

Pre-race favourite Abby Smith (Colaiste Dun an Ri Kingscourt) was unable to go with the fast early pace set by Madison Welby (Friends School) who held on to the lead to win by a margin of twelve seconds from Abby with Grace Evans (St Patricks Maghera) third. Mount Lourdes Enniskillen won the team race. Evan Tosh completed a family double by following sister Kiyomi’s win in the mini girls with an impressive win in the Intermediate Boys race from the St Malachys pairing of Thomas Coy and Cormac Leheny who led their team to victory in the team race.

In the Senior girls race pre-race favourite Emma Stewart (Banbridge Academy) was relegated to third place behind Freya Woodhead (Methody) and Honor Buwalda (Royal School Armagh). Freya pushed the pace from early in the race and eased away to win by thirteen seconds. Honours in the team race went to Strathearn from Dominican College Belfast. The final race of the day was the Senior Boys race which saw another dominant display from Odhran McBrearty (St Columbas Stranorlar) who had a comfortable margin of victory from Caolan Gilbride (Magh Ene College Bundoran). Eoin McConnell (St Malachys) in third place led his team to a win in the team race.