International Cross Country selection for Longford athletes Emma Brennan and Fiona Gettings

14-year-old Emma, a second year student at Moyne Community School, will represent Ireland at the Schools International in Liverpool on March 25. Following her strong run at the All-Ireland finals in Waterford last Saturday, Emma has been named as part of the mixed junior relay team to compete in the 4 x 1500m race in the SIAB four-nations event at Sefton Park. 

Emma is in a rich vein of form having recently won the Connacht Schools cross country title and completed a middle-distance track double when winning gold in the Under-16 girls 800m and 1500m at the Connacht Indoors. In early April, Emma will return to indoors action at the National Championships in Athlone at both distances.

Emma has been one of Longford’s leading juvenile athletes in the past few years and this is her first international call-up which is just reward for her dedication to training and superb racing performances of late.

Fiona Gettings is among the Irish entry for the masters cross country event in Poland on March 27. The 8000m race will take place at Rudelka Park in Torun in conjunction with the World Masters Indoor Championships being held in the city over the last week in March.

International selection was secured following Fiona’s excellent performance at the National Masters cross country championships last month in Kilkenny. Fiona placed second overall of the 140 finishers winning gold in the F40 category.

This will be her second appearance in the green singlet having competed at the British & Irish Masters cross country in Dublin last November when Fiona helped Ireland to win team silver. Fiona has also been in very good form in indoor competition of late winning gold at the National Masters 3000m. On the roads, she recorded a very fast 28 minutes clocking for 5 miles at the Raheny 5 race in Dublin in January. 

A fantastic achievement for Emma and Fiona, both members of Longford Athletics Club, and best wishes to both with their preparations ahead of lining up for Ireland in international competition.