Busy week for athletes starting tomorrow night

Road and cross country will dominate this week’s competitive action for local athletes.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Feb 2014, 09:38 BST
Pictured are the St Thereses girl team along with Londonderry Olympian, Aileen Reid at last weeks NI Primary Schools Cross Country League Finals.Pictured are the St Thereses girl team along with Londonderry Olympian, Aileen Reid at last weeks NI Primary Schools Cross Country League Finals.
Pictured are the St Thereses girl team along with Londonderry Olympian, Aileen Reid at last weeks NI Primary Schools Cross Country League Finals.

Starting with tomorrow night’s (Thursday) annual Armagh International road races, Saturday sees the Stormont XC take centre stage and on Sunday the National Masters XC championships in Dunboyne County Meath is down for decision.

As ever the close proximity of the Armagh and Dunboyne events may well disrupt the plans of several masters runners who would ideally be keen on having a real go at both venues.

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Indeed of the local contingent known to be heading to Dunboyne on Sunday, the City of Derry Spartans masters athletes will not race in Armagh.

Top local senior Connor Bradley had to sit out last weekend’s National Indoors 3,000metres championship with something of a bug, and may yet take the line over 3K in Armagh but the final decision on that will be left pending an appraisal between athlete and coach, Teresa McDaid.

Christy McMonagle hasn’t raced since damaging an Achilles at the Jog in the Bog last August but expects to try for his first M70 National title in Dunboyne and clubmate Roisin Lynch, a serial podium finisher at National level, is in excellent form and should yet again make the top three in her F60 age category.

Declan Reed, James Brown, Paul McCafferty and Colin Roberts make a strong Spartans M35-49 age group squad and should also challenge for the club team honours with Reed, hopefully back to his best shape a potential M40 individual medallist.

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There is also the final race in the NI XC League at Stormont on Saturday and the organisers have had to chance things because of the weather and they have already stated that it will now move to a mix of trails and road and the distances will also be adjusted.

Local interest here will focus on the female Spartans and their sealing of the runners up spot behind County rivals Springwell.

Foyle Valley’s Scott Rankin is in the running for the top male individual athlete and he might sign off with overall honours.

There is also a 5K/10K Walk/Run in Omagh on Saturday, start time is 11am, from the Omagh CBS grounds.

Related topics:Armagh